TCNJ vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre

Should I go to The College of New Jersey or Penn State Wilkes Barre? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if TCNJ 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. 

Rutgers NJIT Rowan University UD Rider University Seton Hall University Penn State Monmouth University Montclair State University Stevens Stockton Ramapo College of New Jersey
The College of New Jersey vs. Penn State Wilkes Barre comparison
The College of New Jersey Penn State Wilkes Barre College 3 College 4
The College of New Jersey Penn State Wilkes Barre
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

 TCNJ Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Location Ewing, NJ Lehman, PA
Setting Large Suburban Rural Fringe
Enrollment 7,629 368
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #175
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website tcnj.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 TCNJ Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Tuition (In State) $14,140 $13,824
Tuition (Out of State) $26,934 $23,086
Room & Board $14,144 $12,984
Avg Net Price $22,273 $16,728
Avg Grant Aid $11,826 $10,598
% Receiving Grant Aid 58% 94%

Admission

 TCNJ Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 10,302 653
Admitted 6,638 622
Acceptance Rate 64.4% 95.3%
Enrolled % 23.8% 20.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.29 -
Typical High School Grades B -
Admissions Standards Difficult Average
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 24/30
SAT Range 1140/1350 1070/1260
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, 2025

Academics

 TCNJ Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Education (22%)
  • Business (17%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • English and Literature (8%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)
  • Business (34%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (28%)
  • Engineering Technology (19%)
  • English and Literature (12%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (5%)

Outcomes

 TCNJ Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Graduation Rate 87% 47%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $62,100 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 85% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $23,250 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $240 $277

Diversity

 TCNJ Penn State Wilkes-Barre
% Men 42% 64%
% Women 58% 36%
Racial Diversity Medium Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 66% 88%
% Black 6% 3%
% Hispanic 12% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 0% 2%
% International 0% 0%
% Unknown Race 5% 1%

Students

 TCNJ Penn State Wilkes-Barre
% In-State 95% 83%
% Out-of-State 5% 17%

Campus

 TCNJ 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

  • The College of New Jersey is larger than than Penn State Wilkes-Barre based on total student enrollment (7,629 students vs. 368 students)

TCNJ vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre Cost Comparison

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

  • The College of New Jersey is 2.3% more expensive to attend than Penn State Wilkes-Barre for in-state tuition ($14,140.00 vs. $13,824.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 16.7% higher at TCNJ than Penn State Wilkes Barre ($26,934.00 vs. $23,086.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Wilkes Barre than TCNJ ($16,728 vs. $22,273)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Wilkes Barre are 8.9% lower than costs at The College of New Jersey ($12,984 vs. $14,144)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Wilkes Barre than The College of New Jersey (94% vs. 58%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by The College of New Jersey students is 11.6% larger than aid received Penn State Wilkes Barre ($11,826 vs. $10,598)

TCNJ vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, TCNJ 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 TCNJ .

  • The average SAT score at The College of New Jersey (1227) is 245 points higher than at Penn State Wilkes-Barre (982)
  • Incoming TCNJ students have a 6 point higher average ACT score (28) than students at Penn State Wilkes-Barre (22)
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre has a higher acceptance rate (95.3%) than TCNJ (64.4%)

TCNJ vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, TCNJ 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 TCNJ.

  • The graduation rate at TCNJ is higher than Penn State Wilkes Barre (87% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from The College of New Jersey earn on average $6,800 more per year than Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates after ten years. ($62,100 vs. $55,300)
  • The College of New Jersey students graduate with a $3,568 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates. ($23,250 vs. $26,818)
  • TCNJ graduates are paying $37 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates. ($240 vs. $277)
  • More TCNJ graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Wilkes-Barre students, three years after graduation. (85% vs. 69%)

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