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.
Add a college to compare up to four schools

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

UMBC Maryland Salisbury WCU Frostburg State University WVU Stevenson University Howard Bowie State University Goucher College URI UB
Towson University vs. Penn State Wilkes Barre comparison
Towson University Penn State Wilkes Barre College 3 College 4
Towson University Penn State Wilkes Barre
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

 TU Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Location Towson, MD Lehman, PA
Setting Small City Rural Fringe
Enrollment 19,793 368
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #445
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website towson.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 TU Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Tuition (In State) $7,238 $13,824
Tuition (Out of State) $23,240 $23,086
Room & Board $13,642 $12,984
Avg Net Price $14,443 $16,728
Avg Grant Aid $11,415 $10,598
% Receiving Grant Aid 74% 94%

Admission

 TU Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 17,770 653
Admitted 13,967 622
Acceptance Rate 78.6% 95.3%
Enrolled % 19.1% 20.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.69 -
Typical High School Grades B+ -
Admissions Standards Moderate Average
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 19/25
SAT Range 1010/1230 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 Apr 1, 2025

Academics

 TU Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 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 39% 64%
% Women 61% 36%
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 89% 83%
% Out-of-State 8% 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 (19,793 students vs. 368 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 91% more expensive to attend than TU for in-state tuition ($13,824.00 vs. $7,238.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 0.7% higher at TU than Penn State Wilkes Barre ($23,240.00 vs. $23,086.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Towson University than Penn State Wilkes-Barre ($14,443 vs. $16,728)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Wilkes Barre are 5.1% lower than costs at Towson University ($12,984 vs. $13,642)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Wilkes Barre than Towson University (94% vs. 74%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Towson University students is 7.7% larger than aid received Penn State Wilkes Barre ($11,415 vs. $10,598)

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 (95.3%) than TU (78.6%)

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/