Purchase College vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre

Should I go to SUNY at Purchase College or Penn State Wilkes Barre? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Purchase College 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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SUNY at Purchase College vs. Penn State Wilkes Barre comparison
SUNY at Purchase College Penn State Wilkes Barre College 3 College 4
SUNY at Purchase College Penn State Wilkes Barre
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Overview

 Purchase College Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Location Purchase, NY Lehman, PA
Setting Large Suburban Rural Fringe
Enrollment 3,229 353
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #297
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website purchase.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Purchase College Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Tuition (In State) $7,070 $13,824
Tuition (Out of State) $16,980 $23,316
Room & Board $15,400 $13,448
Avg Net Price $18,651 $16,275
Avg Grant Aid $9,627 $8,945
% Receiving Grant Aid 72% 91%

Admission

 Purchase College Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 7,221 640
Admitted 5,259 605
Acceptance Rate 72.8% 94.5%
Enrolled % 14.8% 14.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.37 -
Typical High School Grades B+ -
Admissions Standards Very High Challenging
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 27/32
SAT Range 1178/1363 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 Jul 1, 2026

Academics

 Purchase College Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Student to Faculty Ratio 11:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Visual and Performing Arts (37%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (22%)
  • Social Sciences (11%)
  • English and Literature (6%)
  • Communication (6%)
  • Business (34%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (28%)
  • Engineering Technology (19%)
  • English and Literature (12%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (5%)

Outcomes

 Purchase College Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Graduation Rate 56% 47%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $40,200 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 65% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $22,500 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $232 $277

Diversity

 Purchase College Penn State Wilkes-Barre
% Men 1% 0%
% Women 1% 1%
Racial Diversity High Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 55% 88%
% Black 10% 3%
% Hispanic 18% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 2%
% International 2% 0%
% Unknown Race 7% 1%

Students

 Purchase College Penn State Wilkes-Barre
% In-State 78% 83%
% Out-of-State 21% 17%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • SUNY at Purchase College is larger than than Penn State Wilkes-Barre based on total student enrollment (3,229 students vs. 353 students)

Purchase College vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre Cost Comparison

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

  • Penn State Wilkes Barre is 95.5% more expensive to attend than Purchase College for in-state tuition ($13,824.00 vs. $7,070.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 37.3% higher at Penn State Wilkes-Barre than SUNY at Purchase College ($23,316.00 vs. $16,980.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Wilkes Barre than Purchase College ($16,275 vs. $18,651)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Wilkes Barre are 14.5% lower than costs at SUNY at Purchase College ($13,448 vs. $15,400)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Wilkes Barre than SUNY at Purchase College (91% vs. 72%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by SUNY at Purchase College students is 7.6% larger than aid received Penn State Wilkes Barre ($9,627 vs. $8,945)

Purchase College vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Purchase College 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 Purchase College .

  • The average SAT score at SUNY at Purchase College (1082) is 100 points higher than at Penn State Wilkes-Barre (982)
  • Incoming Purchase College students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at Penn State Wilkes-Barre (22)
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre has a higher acceptance rate (94.5%) than Purchase College (72.8%)

Purchase College vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Purchase College 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 Purchase College.

  • The graduation rate at Purchase College is higher than Penn State Wilkes Barre (56% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Wilkes Barre earn on average $15,100 more per year than Purchase College graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $40,200)
  • SUNY at Purchase College students graduate with a $4,318 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates. ($22,500 vs. $26,818)
  • Purchase College graduates are paying $45 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates. ($232 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Purchase College students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 65%)

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