University at Albany- SUNY vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre

Should I go to SUNY at Albany or Penn State Wilkes Barre? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if University at Albany- SUNY 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.
Add a college to compare up to four schools

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

UB Binghamton University State University of New York at New Paltz SUNY College at Oneonta SUNY College at Oswego SUNY Stony Brook SUNY Cortland SUNY at Geneseo Syracuse Baruch City College of New York URI
SUNY at Albany vs. Penn State Wilkes Barre comparison
SUNY at Albany Penn State Wilkes Barre College 3 College 4
SUNY at Albany Penn State Wilkes Barre
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

 University at Albany- SUNY Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Location Albany, NY Lehman, PA
Setting Small City Rural Fringe
Enrollment 16,880 353
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #242
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website albany.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 University at Albany- SUNY Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Tuition (In State) $7,070 $13,824
Tuition (Out of State) $25,660 $23,316
Room & Board $16,182 $13,448
Avg Net Price $19,165 $16,275
Avg Grant Aid $9,747 $8,945
% Receiving Grant Aid 93% 91%

Admission

 University at Albany- SUNY Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 30,740 640
Admitted 21,477 605
Acceptance Rate 69.9% 94.5%
Enrolled % 13.2% 14.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.3 -
Typical High School Grades B+ -
Admissions Standards Difficult Challenging
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 22/31
SAT Range 1120/1320 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 Feb 1, 2026

Academics

 University at Albany- SUNY Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Student to Faculty Ratio 17:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (20%)
  • English and Literature (14%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Psychology (12%)
  • Biology (9%)
  • Business (34%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (28%)
  • Engineering Technology (19%)
  • English and Literature (12%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (5%)

Outcomes

 University at Albany- SUNY Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Graduation Rate 64% 47%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,800 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 70% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $21,065 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $217 $277

Diversity

 University at Albany- SUNY Penn State Wilkes-Barre
% Men 11% 0%
% Women 17% 1%
Racial Diversity Very High Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 49% 88%
% Black 16% 3%
% Hispanic 15% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 6% 0%
% Unknown Race 2% 1%

Students

 University at Albany- SUNY Penn State Wilkes-Barre
% In-State 93% 83%
% Out-of-State 4% 17%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • SUNY at Albany is larger than than Penn State Wilkes-Barre based on total student enrollment (16,880 students vs. 353 students)

University at Albany- SUNY vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, University at Albany- SUNY or Penn State Wilkes-Barre?

  • Penn State Wilkes Barre is 95.5% more expensive to attend than University at Albany- SUNY for in-state tuition ($13,824.00 vs. $7,070.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 10.1% higher at University at Albany- SUNY than Penn State Wilkes Barre ($25,660.00 vs. $23,316.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Wilkes Barre than University at Albany- SUNY ($16,275 vs. $19,165)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Wilkes Barre are 20.3% lower than costs at SUNY at Albany ($13,448 vs. $16,182)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at SUNY at Albany than Penn State Wilkes Barre (93% vs. 91%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by SUNY at Albany students is 9% larger than aid received Penn State Wilkes Barre ($9,747 vs. $8,945)

University at Albany- SUNY vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, University at Albany- SUNY 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 University at Albany- SUNY .

  • The average SAT score at SUNY at Albany (1091) is 109 points higher than at Penn State Wilkes-Barre (982)
  • Incoming University at Albany- SUNY students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (24) than students at Penn State Wilkes-Barre (22)
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre has a higher acceptance rate (94.5%) than University at Albany- SUNY (69.9%)

University at Albany- SUNY vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, University at Albany- SUNY 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 University at Albany- SUNY.

  • The graduation rate at University at Albany- SUNY is higher than Penn State Wilkes Barre (64% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from SUNY at Albany earn on average $500 more per year than Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates after ten years. ($55,800 vs. $55,300)
  • SUNY at Albany students graduate with a $5,753 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates. ($21,065 vs. $26,818)
  • University at Albany- SUNY graduates are paying $60 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates. ($217 vs. $277)
  • More University at Albany- SUNY graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Wilkes-Barre students, three years after graduation. (70% vs. 69%)

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