WSU vs. Ship

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

 WSU Ship
Location Detroit, MI Shippensburg, PA
Setting Large City Distant Town
Enrollment 23,553 5,184
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #580 #708
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website wayne.edu ship.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 WSU Ship
Tuition (In State) $12,493 $9,570
Tuition (Out of State) $28,615 $11,574
Room & Board $11,762 $12,952
Avg Net Price $16,021 $23,344
Avg Grant Aid $10,862 $5,951
% Receiving Grant Aid 95% 85%

Admission

 WSU Ship
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 15,190 6,545
Admitted 12,461 5,599
Acceptance Rate 82% 85.5%
Enrolled % 24% 19.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.42 3.23
Typical High School Grades B+ B
Admissions Standards Challenging Moderate
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 21/28
SAT Range 1040/1260 990/1210
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, 2026

Academics

 WSU Ship
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 18:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (17%)
  • Psychology (10%)
  • Education (9%)
  • Health Professions (8%)
  • Biology (7%)
  • Business (26%)
  • Education (13%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (6%)
  • Social Sciences (6%)

Outcomes

 WSU Ship
Graduation Rate 26% 60%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $51,000 $47,200
Making Student Loan Payments 38% 72%
Median Student Loan Debt $22,258 $25,000
Median Loan Payment $230 $258

Diversity

 WSU Ship
% Men 12% 5%
% Women 19% 10%
Racial Diversity High Low
HBCU No No
% White 57% 78%
% Black 19% 10%
% Hispanic 5% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 2% 0%
% Unknown Race 5% 1%

Students

 WSU Ship
% In-State 95% 90%
% Out-of-State 2% 9%

Campus

 WSU Ship
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 Ship based on total student enrollment (23,553 students vs. 5,184 students)

WSU vs. Ship Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, WSU or Ship?

  • Wayne State University is 30.5% more expensive to attend than Ship for in-state tuition ($12,493.00 vs. $9,570.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 147.2% higher at WSU than Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania ($28,615.00 vs. $11,574.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Wayne State University than Ship ($16,021 vs. $23,344)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Wayne State University are 10.1% lower than costs at Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania ($11,762 vs. $12,952)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Wayne State University than Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania (95% vs. 85%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Wayne State University students is 82.5% larger than aid received Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania ($10,862 vs. $5,951)

WSU vs. Ship Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Wayne State University (1070) is 91 points higher than at Ship (979)
  • Incoming WSU students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at Ship (21)
  • Accepted freshman WSU students have a 0.19 point higher average high school GPA (3.42) than students at Ship (3.23)
  • Ship has a higher acceptance rate (85.5%) than WSU (82%)

WSU vs. Ship Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, WSU or Ship? 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 Ship and WSU.

  • The graduation rate at Ship is higher than Wayne State University (60% vs. 26%)
  • Graduates from Wayne State University earn on average $3,800 more per year than Ship graduates after ten years. ($51,000 vs. $47,200)
  • Wayne State University students graduate with a $2,742 lower median federal student loan debt than Ship graduates. ($22,258 vs. $25,000)
  • WSU graduates are paying $28 less per month on federal student loans than Ship graduates. ($230 vs. $258)
  • More Ship graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former WSU students, three years after graduation. (72% vs. 38%)

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