TU vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre

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

 TU Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Location Towson, MD Lehman, PA
Setting Small City Rural Fringe
Enrollment 19,527 353
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #375
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website towson.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 TU Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Tuition (In State) $7,382 $13,824
Tuition (Out of State) $24,402 $23,316
Room & Board $15,644 $13,448
Avg Net Price $15,064 $16,275
Avg Grant Aid $11,565 $8,945
% Receiving Grant Aid 62% 91%

Admission

 TU Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 18,948 640
Admitted 15,689 605
Acceptance Rate 82.8% 94.5%
Enrolled % 19.2% 14.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.69 -
Typical High School Grades B+ -
Admissions Standards Challenging Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 19/28
SAT Range 1050/1270 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 Apr 1, 2026

Academics

 TU Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (18%)
  • Education (11%)
  • Social Sciences (11%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Health Professions (9%)
  • Business (34%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (28%)
  • Engineering Technology (19%)
  • English and Literature (12%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (5%)

Outcomes

 TU Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Graduation Rate 64% 47%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $53,500 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $17,750 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $183 $277

Diversity

 TU Penn State Wilkes-Barre
% Men 4% 0%
% Women 12% 1%
Racial Diversity Medium Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 61% 88%
% Black 18% 3%
% Hispanic 6% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 2%
% International 2% 0%
% Unknown Race 3% 1%

Students

 TU Penn State Wilkes-Barre
% In-State 90% 83%
% Out-of-State 9% 17%

Campus

 TU 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

  • Towson University is larger than than Penn State Wilkes-Barre based on total student enrollment (19,527 students vs. 353 students)

TU vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre Cost Comparison

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

  • Penn State Wilkes Barre is 87.3% more expensive to attend than TU for in-state tuition ($13,824.00 vs. $7,382.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 4.7% higher at TU than Penn State Wilkes Barre ($24,402.00 vs. $23,316.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Towson University than Penn State Wilkes-Barre ($15,064 vs. $16,275)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Wilkes Barre are 16.3% lower than costs at Towson University ($13,448 vs. $15,644)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Wilkes Barre than Towson University (91% vs. 62%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Towson University students is 29.3% larger than aid received Penn State Wilkes Barre ($11,565 vs. $8,945)

TU vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, TU 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 TU .

  • The average SAT score at Towson University (1081) is 99 points higher than at Penn State Wilkes-Barre (982)
  • Incoming TU students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at Penn State Wilkes-Barre (22)
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre has a higher acceptance rate (94.5%) than TU (82.8%)

TU vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, TU 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 TU.

  • The graduation rate at TU is higher than Penn State Wilkes Barre (64% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Wilkes Barre earn on average $1,800 more per year than TU graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $53,500)
  • Towson University students graduate with a $9,068 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates. ($17,750 vs. $26,818)
  • TU graduates are paying $94 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates. ($183 vs. $277)
  • More TU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Wilkes-Barre students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 69%)

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