UConn vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre

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

 UConn Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Location Storrs, CT Lehman, PA
Setting Town Fringe Rural Fringe
Enrollment 27,364 353
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #100
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website uconn.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UConn Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Tuition (In State) $16,332 $13,824
Tuition (Out of State) $39,000 $23,316
Room & Board $13,996 $13,448
Avg Net Price $22,324 $16,275
Avg Grant Aid $16,989 $8,945
% Receiving Grant Aid 75% 91%

Admission

 UConn Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 46,645 640
Admitted 25,164 605
Acceptance Rate 53.9% 94.5%
Enrolled % 16.6% 14.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.74 -
Typical High School Grades A- -
Admissions Standards Very High Challenging
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 29/33
SAT Range 1210/1420 1060/1305
Submit Test Scores Required to be considered for admission Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Jan 15, 2026

Academics

 UConn Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Student to Faculty Ratio 16:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (15%)
  • Business (12%)
  • Health Professions (8%)
  • Engineering (8%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Business (34%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (28%)
  • Engineering Technology (19%)
  • English and Literature (12%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (5%)

Outcomes

 UConn Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Graduation Rate 83% 47%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $62,000 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 78% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $21,500 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $222 $277

Diversity

 UConn Penn State Wilkes-Barre
% Men 13% 0%
% Women 16% 1%
Racial Diversity Medium Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 61% 88%
% Black 5% 3%
% Hispanic 9% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 5% 0%
% Unknown Race 7% 1%

Students

 UConn Penn State Wilkes-Barre
% In-State 58% 83%
% Out-of-State 35% 17%

Campus

 UConn 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

  • University of Connecticut is larger than than Penn State Wilkes-Barre based on total student enrollment (27,364 students vs. 353 students)

UConn vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre Cost Comparison

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

  • University of Connecticut is 18.1% more expensive to attend than Penn State Wilkes-Barre for in-state tuition ($16,332.00 vs. $13,824.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 67.3% higher at UConn than Penn State Wilkes Barre ($39,000.00 vs. $23,316.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Wilkes Barre than UConn ($16,275 vs. $22,324)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Wilkes Barre are 4.1% lower than costs at University of Connecticut ($13,448 vs. $13,996)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Wilkes Barre than University of Connecticut (91% vs. 75%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of Connecticut students is 89.9% larger than aid received Penn State Wilkes Barre ($16,989 vs. $8,945)

UConn vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, UConn 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 UConn .

  • The average SAT score at University of Connecticut (1250) is 268 points higher than at Penn State Wilkes-Barre (982)
  • Incoming UConn students have a 7 point higher average ACT score (29) than students at Penn State Wilkes-Barre (22)
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre has a higher acceptance rate (94.5%) than UConn (53.9%)

UConn vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UConn 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 UConn.

  • The graduation rate at UConn is higher than Penn State Wilkes Barre (83% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from University of Connecticut earn on average $6,700 more per year than Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates after ten years. ($62,000 vs. $55,300)
  • University of Connecticut students graduate with a $5,318 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates. ($21,500 vs. $26,818)
  • UConn graduates are paying $55 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates. ($222 vs. $277)
  • More UConn graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Wilkes-Barre students, three years after graduation. (78% vs. 69%)

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