WSU vs. Penn State Erie-Behrend College

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

Overview

WSU Penn State Erie-Behrend College
Location Detroit, MI Erie, PA
Setting Large City Rural Fringe
Enrollment 23,630 3,295
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #582 #503
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website wayne.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

WSU Penn State Erie-Behrend College
Tuition (In State) $12,933 $15,388
Tuition (Out of State) $29,622 $25,854
Room & Board $11,321 $12,984
Avg Net Price $15,347 $21,968
Avg Grant Aid $10,605 $9,685
% Receiving Grant Aid 96% 71%

Admission

WSU Penn State Erie-Behrend College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 14,002 4,363
Admitted 10,547 4,164
Acceptance Rate 75.3% 95.4%
Enrolled % 24.4% 19.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.42 3.49
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Difficult
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 21/28 22/30
SAT Range 1040/1260 1095/1330
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 Erie-Behrend College
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 12:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (17%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Education (9%)
  • Health Professions (8%)
  • Biology (7%)
  • Business (38%)
  • Engineering (14%)
  • Engineering Technology (9%)
  • Health Professions (6%)
  • Psychology (6%)

Outcomes

WSU Penn State Erie-Behrend College
Graduation Rate 26% 66%
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 Erie-Behrend College
% Men 40% 64%
% Women 60% 36%
Racial Diversity High Low
HBCU No No
% White 57% 79%
% Black 19% 4%
% Hispanic 5% 2%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 2% 9%
% Unknown Race 5% 1%

Students

WSU Penn State Erie-Behrend College
% In-State 93% 74%
% Out-of-State 3% 19%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Wayne State University is larger than than Penn State Erie-Behrend College based on total student enrollment (23,630 students vs. 3,295 students)

WSU vs. Penn State Erie-Behrend College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, WSU or Penn State Erie-Behrend College?

  • Penn State Erie Behrend College is 19% more expensive to attend than WSU for in-state tuition ($15,388.00 vs. $12,933.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 14.6% higher at WSU than Penn State Erie Behrend College ($29,622.00 vs. $25,854.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Wayne State University than Penn State Erie-Behrend College ($15,347 vs. $21,968)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Wayne State University are 14.7% lower than costs at Penn State Erie Behrend College ($11,321 vs. $12,984)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Wayne State University than Penn State Erie Behrend College (96% vs. 71%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Wayne State University students is 9.5% larger than aid received Penn State Erie Behrend College ($10,605 vs. $9,685)

WSU vs. Penn State Erie-Behrend College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Wayne State University (1070) is 16 points higher than at Penn State Erie-Behrend College (1054)
  • Incoming WSU students have at the same average ACT score (23) as students at Penn State Erie-Behrend College (23)
  • Accepted freshman Penn State Erie-Behrend College students have a 0.07 point higher average high school GPA (3.49) than students at WSU (3.42)
  • Penn State Erie-Behrend College has a higher acceptance rate (95.4%) than WSU (75.3%)

WSU vs. Penn State Erie-Behrend College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, WSU or Penn State Erie-Behrend College? 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 Erie-Behrend College and WSU.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Erie-Behrend College is higher than Wayne State University (66% vs. 26%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Erie Behrend College 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 Erie-Behrend College graduates. ($22,258 vs. $26,818)
  • WSU graduates are paying $47 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Erie-Behrend College graduates. ($230 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Erie-Behrend College 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/