WSU vs. Penn State Beaver

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

WSU Penn State Beaver
Location Detroit, MI Monaca, PA
Setting Large City Large Suburban
Enrollment 23,630 522
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #582
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website wayne.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

WSU Penn State Beaver
Tuition (In State) $12,933 $13,824
Tuition (Out of State) $29,622 $23,086
Room & Board $11,321 $12,254
Avg Net Price $15,347 $18,113
Avg Grant Aid $10,605 $9,274
% Receiving Grant Aid 96% 87%

Admission

WSU Penn State Beaver
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 14,002 1,707
Admitted 10,547 1,591
Acceptance Rate 75.3% 93.2%
Enrolled % 24.4% 10.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.42 -
Typical High School Grades B+ -
Admissions Standards Challenging Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 21/28 20/28
SAT Range 1040/1260 1050/1260
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 Aug 1, 2025

Academics

WSU Penn State Beaver
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 11:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (17%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Education (9%)
  • Health Professions (8%)
  • Biology (7%)
  • Business (54%)
  • Psychology (24%)
  • Communication (18%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (3%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (1%)

Outcomes

WSU Penn State Beaver
Graduation Rate 26% 47%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $51,000 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 38% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $22,258 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $230 $277

Diversity

WSU Penn State Beaver
% Men 40% 55%
% Women 60% 45%
Racial Diversity High Low
HBCU No No
% White 57% 75%
% Black 19% 9%
% Hispanic 5% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 2% 3%
% Unknown Race 5% 1%

Students

WSU Penn State Beaver
% In-State 93% 63%
% Out-of-State 3% 34%

Campus

WSU Penn State Beaver
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes No
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Wayne State University is larger than than Penn State Beaver based on total student enrollment (23,630 students vs. 522 students)

WSU vs. Penn State Beaver Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, WSU or Penn State Beaver?

  • Penn State Beaver is 6.9% more expensive to attend than WSU for in-state tuition ($13,824.00 vs. $12,933.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 28.3% higher at WSU than Penn State Beaver ($29,622.00 vs. $23,086.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Wayne State University than Penn State Beaver ($15,347 vs. $18,113)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Wayne State University are 8.2% lower than costs at Penn State Beaver ($11,321 vs. $12,254)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Wayne State University than Penn State Beaver (96% vs. 87%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Wayne State University students is 14.4% larger than aid received Penn State Beaver ($10,605 vs. $9,274)

WSU vs. Penn State Beaver Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, WSU or Penn State Beaver? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Penn State Beaver or WSU .

  • The average SAT score at Wayne State University (1070) is 71 points higher than at Penn State Beaver (999)
  • Incoming WSU students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at Penn State Beaver (21)
  • Penn State Beaver has a higher acceptance rate (93.2%) than WSU (75.3%)

WSU vs. Penn State Beaver Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, WSU or Penn State Beaver? 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 Beaver and WSU.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Beaver is higher than Wayne State University (47% vs. 26%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Beaver earn on average $4,300 more per year than WSU graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $51,000)
  • Wayne State University students graduate with a $4,560 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Beaver graduates. ($22,258 vs. $26,818)
  • WSU graduates are paying $47 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Beaver graduates. ($230 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Beaver graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former WSU students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 38%)

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