UMBC vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre

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

 UMBC Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Location Baltimore, MD Lehman, PA
Setting Large Suburban Rural Fringe
Enrollment 14,148 353
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #263
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website umbc.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UMBC Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Tuition (In State) $9,238 $13,824
Tuition (Out of State) $26,594 $23,316
Room & Board $14,204 $13,448
Avg Net Price $17,704 $16,275
Avg Grant Aid $9,956 $8,945
% Receiving Grant Aid 87% 91%

Admission

 UMBC Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 13,150 640
Admitted 9,762 605
Acceptance Rate 74.2% 94.5%
Enrolled % 20.3% 14.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.97 -
Typical High School Grades A- -
Admissions Standards Very High Challenging
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 23/30
SAT Range 1220/1410 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 Feb 1, 2026

Academics

 UMBC Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Computer and Information Sciences (17%)
  • Social Sciences (17%)
  • Biology (13%)
  • Psychology (12%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (7%)
  • Business (34%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (28%)
  • Engineering Technology (19%)
  • English and Literature (12%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (5%)

Outcomes

 UMBC Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Graduation Rate 57% 47%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $59,500 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 67% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $21,197 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $219 $277

Diversity

 UMBC Penn State Wilkes-Barre
% Men 14% 0%
% Women 12% 1%
Racial Diversity Very High Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 44% 88%
% Black 17% 3%
% Hispanic 6% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 2%
% International 4% 0%
% Unknown Race 4% 1%

Students

 UMBC Penn State Wilkes-Barre
% In-State 85% 83%
% Out-of-State 6% 17%

Campus

 UMBC 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 Maryland Baltimore County is larger than than Penn State Wilkes-Barre based on total student enrollment (14,148 students vs. 353 students)

UMBC vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre Cost Comparison

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

  • Penn State Wilkes Barre is 49.6% more expensive to attend than UMBC for in-state tuition ($13,824.00 vs. $9,238.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 14.1% higher at UMBC than Penn State Wilkes Barre ($26,594.00 vs. $23,316.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Wilkes Barre than UMBC ($16,275 vs. $17,704)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Wilkes Barre are 5.6% lower than costs at University of Maryland Baltimore County ($13,448 vs. $14,204)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Wilkes Barre than University of Maryland Baltimore County (91% vs. 87%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of Maryland Baltimore County students is 11.3% larger than aid received Penn State Wilkes Barre ($9,956 vs. $8,945)

UMBC vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, UMBC 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 UMBC .

  • The average SAT score at University of Maryland Baltimore County (1209) is 227 points higher than at Penn State Wilkes-Barre (982)
  • Incoming UMBC students have a 5 point higher average ACT score (27) than students at Penn State Wilkes-Barre (22)
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre has a higher acceptance rate (94.5%) than UMBC (74.2%)

UMBC vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UMBC 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 UMBC.

  • The graduation rate at UMBC is higher than Penn State Wilkes Barre (57% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from University of Maryland Baltimore County earn on average $4,200 more per year than Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates after ten years. ($59,500 vs. $55,300)
  • University of Maryland Baltimore County students graduate with a $5,621 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates. ($21,197 vs. $26,818)
  • UMBC graduates are paying $58 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates. ($219 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UMBC students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 67%)

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