Salisbury vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre

Should I go to Salisbury University or Penn State Wilkes Barre? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Salisbury or Penn State Wilkes-Barre is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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Salisbury University vs. Penn State Wilkes Barre comparison
Salisbury University Penn State Wilkes Barre College 3 College 4
Salisbury University Penn State Wilkes Barre
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Overview

 Salisbury Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Location Salisbury, MD Lehman, PA
Setting Small Suburban Rural Fringe
Enrollment 7,030 353
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #356
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website salisbury.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Salisbury Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Tuition (In State) $7,706 $13,824
Tuition (Out of State) $18,400 $23,316
Room & Board $13,416 $13,448
Avg Net Price $17,931 $16,275
Avg Grant Aid $8,192 $8,945
% Receiving Grant Aid 89% 91%

Admission

 Salisbury Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 8,090 640
Admitted 7,170 605
Acceptance Rate 88.6% 94.5%
Enrolled % 19.2% 14.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.73 -
Typical High School Grades A- -
Admissions Standards Challenging Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 26/28
SAT Range 1180/1310 1060/1305
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Jan 15, 2026

Academics

 Salisbury Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (17%)
  • Education (12%)
  • Health Professions (8%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Business (34%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (28%)
  • Engineering Technology (19%)
  • English and Literature (12%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (5%)

Outcomes

 Salisbury Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Graduation Rate 67% 47%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $52,000 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 68% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $20,153 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $208 $277

Diversity

 Salisbury Penn State Wilkes-Barre
% Men 2% 0%
% Women 8% 1%
Racial Diversity Low Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 71% 88%
% Black 13% 3%
% Hispanic 4% 5%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 2%
% International 1% 0%
% Unknown Race 3% 1%

Students

 Salisbury Penn State Wilkes-Barre
% In-State 81% 83%
% Out-of-State 18% 17%

Campus

 Salisbury Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Campus Housing Yes No
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes No
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Salisbury University is larger than than Penn State Wilkes-Barre based on total student enrollment (7,030 students vs. 353 students)

Salisbury vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Salisbury or Penn State Wilkes-Barre?

  • Penn State Wilkes Barre is 79.4% more expensive to attend than Salisbury for in-state tuition ($13,824.00 vs. $7,706.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 26.7% higher at Penn State Wilkes-Barre than Salisbury University ($23,316.00 vs. $18,400.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Wilkes Barre than Salisbury ($16,275 vs. $17,931)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Salisbury University are 0.2% lower than costs at Penn State Wilkes Barre ($13,416 vs. $13,448)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Wilkes Barre than Salisbury University (91% vs. 89%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Wilkes Barre students is 9.2% larger than aid received Salisbury University ($8,945 vs. $8,192)

Salisbury vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Salisbury or Penn State Wilkes-Barre? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Penn State Wilkes-Barre or Salisbury .

  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre has a higher acceptance rate (94.5%) than Salisbury (88.6%)

Salisbury vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Salisbury or Penn State Wilkes-Barre? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Penn State Wilkes-Barre and Salisbury.

  • The graduation rate at Salisbury is higher than Penn State Wilkes Barre (67% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Wilkes Barre earn on average $3,300 more per year than Salisbury graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $52,000)
  • Salisbury University students graduate with a $6,665 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates. ($20,153 vs. $26,818)
  • Salisbury graduates are paying $69 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates. ($208 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Salisbury students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 68%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/