Syracuse vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre

Deciding between Syracuse University and Penn State Wilkes Barre? The table below shows tuition, aid, admissions, and outcomes side by side. Data comes from public sources across more than 3,000 U.S. colleges and universities. No account is required.

Syracuse University
Penn State Wilkes Barre

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

  • Overview

  • Location
  • Syracuse Syracuse, NY
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre Dallas, PA
  • Setting
  • Syracuse Midsize City
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre Rural Fringe
  • Total enrollment
  • Syracuse 22,589
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre 315
  • Type
  • Syracuse Private 4 Year
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre Public 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • Syracuse #158
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre
  • Religious Affiliation
  • Syracuse -
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre -
  • Status
  • Syracuse Non-profit
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • Syracuse
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • Syracuse $65,528
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre $14,280
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • Syracuse $65,528
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre $24,006
  • Room & Board
  • Syracuse $19,188
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre $15,274
  • Average Net Price
  • Syracuse $48,215
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre $16,621
  • Average Grant Aid
  • Syracuse $36,417
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre $9,742
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • Syracuse 76%
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre 89%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • Syracuse 44,480
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre 631
  • Admitted
  • Syracuse 20,427
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre 612
  • Acceptance Rate
  • Syracuse 45.9%
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre 97%
  • Enrolled
  • Syracuse 18.8%
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre 15%
  • Typical SAT score
  • Syracuse 1360
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre 1210
  • Typical ACT score
  • Syracuse 30
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre
  • Average High School GPA
  • Syracuse 3.69
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre -
  • Typical High School Grades
  • Syracuse A-
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre -
  • Admissions Standards
  • Syracuse Very High
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre Difficult
  • Applicant Competition
  • Syracuse Low
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre
  • ACT Range
  • Syracuse 29/32
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre
  • SAT Range
  • Syracuse 1270/1440
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre 1090/1330
  • Submit Test Scores
  • Syracuse Test optional
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre Test optional
  • Application Deadline
  • Syracuse Jan 1, 2027
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • Syracuse 15:1
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre 10:1
  • Popular Majors
  • Syracuse
    • Business (18%)
    • Communication (17%)
    • Social Sciences (13%)
    • Visual and Performing Arts (9%)
    • Psychology (5%)
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre
    • Business (34%)
    • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (28%)
    • Engineering Technology (19%)
    • English and Literature (12%)
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (5%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • Syracuse 80%
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre 47%
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • Syracuse $65,900
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre $55,300
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • Syracuse 80%
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre 69%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • Syracuse $27,000
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre $26,818
  • Median Loan Payment
  • Syracuse $279
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre $277

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • Syracuse 44%
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre 66%
  • % Women
  • Syracuse 56%
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre 34%
  • Racial Diversity
  • Syracuse High
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre Very Low
  • HBCU
  • Syracuse No
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre No
  • % White
  • Syracuse 55%
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre 88%
  • % Asian
  • Syracuse 8%
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre 1%
  • % Black
  • Syracuse 8%
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre 3%
  • % Hispanic
  • Syracuse 11%
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre 5%
  • % Native American
  • Syracuse 1%
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • Syracuse 0%
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • Syracuse 3%
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre 2%
  • % International
  • Syracuse 12%
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre 0%
  • % Unknown Race
  • Syracuse 2%
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre 1%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • Syracuse 31%
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre 85%
  • % Out-of-State
  • Syracuse 63%
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre 13%

  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • Syracuse Yes
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre No
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • Syracuse No
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre No
  • Meal Plan
  • Syracuse Yes
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre No
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • Syracuse Yes
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre No
  • Daycare Facility
  • Syracuse Yes
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre No

Comparable Facts

Compare Syracuse University in Syracuse, NY with Penn State Wilkes Barre in Dallas, PA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

Syracuse University is larger than Penn State Wilkes-Barre based on total student enrollment (22,589 students vs. 315 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • Syracuse University is located in Syracuse, NY (Midsize City setting); Penn State Wilkes Barre is in Dallas, PA (Rural Fringe setting).
  • Syracuse University is a private, non-profit 4-year institution. Penn State Wilkes Barre is a public, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: Syracuse University 15:1; Penn State Wilkes Barre 10:1.

Syracuse vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Syracuse or Penn State Wilkes-Barre? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Wilkes Barre than Syracuse ($16,621 vs. $48,215).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Wilkes Barre are 20.4% lower than at Syracuse University ($15,274 vs. $19,188).
  • Syracuse University is 358.9% more expensive for in-state tuition than Penn State Wilkes-Barre (about $51,248 more per year; $65,528.00 vs. $14,280.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 173% higher at Syracuse than at Penn State Wilkes Barre (about $41,522 more per year; $65,528.00 vs. $24,006.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at Penn State Wilkes Barre than at Syracuse University (89% vs. 76%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Syracuse University students is 273.8% larger than aid received by Penn State Wilkes Barre students ($36,417 vs. $9,742).

Syracuse vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Syracuse or Penn State Wilkes-Barre? Typical SAT and ACT scores (same estimates as in the table above), middle 50% test ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between Penn State Wilkes-Barre and Syracuse.

  • The typical SAT score (median estimate) at Syracuse University (1360) is 150 points higher than at Penn State Wilkes-Barre (1210).
  • Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: Syracuse University 1270/1440; Penn State Wilkes Barre 1090/1330.
  • Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: Syracuse University 29/32.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: Syracuse - Test optional; Penn State Wilkes-Barre - Test optional.
  • Typical fall application deadline: Syracuse Jan 1, 2027.
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre has a higher acceptance rate (97%) than Syracuse (45.9%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 18.8% at Syracuse vs. 15% at Penn State Wilkes-Barre.

Syracuse vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for Syracuse and Penn State Wilkes-Barre? Graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt are common indicators. The bullets below summarize the same federal outcomes fields as the comparison table (College Scorecard / IPEDS where applicable).

  • Syracuse University's six-year graduation rate (80%) is higher than Penn State Wilkes Barre's (47%).
  • Graduates from Syracuse University earn a median of about $10,600 more per year than Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates about ten years after starting college ($65,900 vs. $55,300), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, Penn State Wilkes Barre graduates have a $182 lower median loan debt than Syracuse graduates ($26,818 vs. $27,000).
  • Among borrowers, Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates have an estimated $2 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than Syracuse graduates ($277 vs. $279).
  • More Syracuse graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Wilkes-Barre students, three years after graduation. (80% vs. 69%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.