WCU vs. Penn State

Should I go to West Chester University of Pennsylvania or Penn State Main Campus? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if WCU or Penn State 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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West Chester University of Pennsylvania vs. Penn State Main Campus comparison
West Chester University of Pennsylvania Penn State Main Campus College 3 College 4
West Chester University of Pennsylvania Penn State Main Campus
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Overview

 WCU Penn State
Location West Chester, PA University Park, PA
Setting Large Suburban Small City
Enrollment 17,076 50,399
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #532 #171
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website wcupa.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 WCU Penn State
Tuition (In State) $7,716 $19,672
Tuition (Out of State) $19,290 $39,626
Room & Board $12,474 $13,030
Avg Net Price $21,684 $27,450
Avg Grant Aid $5,503 $11,577
% Receiving Grant Aid 70% 36%

Admission

 WCU Penn State
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 16,467 85,956
Admitted 13,042 46,605
Acceptance Rate 79.2% 54.2%
Enrolled % 23.7% 19.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.43 -
Typical High School Grades B+ -
Admissions Standards Challenging Very High
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 24/28 27/32
SAT Range 1100/1270 1220/1400
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

Academics

 WCU Penn State
Student to Faculty Ratio 20:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (16%)
  • Education (16%)
  • Health Professions (14%)
  • English and Literature (9%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (9%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Engineering (12%)
  • Communication (9%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (7%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)

Outcomes

 WCU Penn State
Graduation Rate 68% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $49,000 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 75% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $23,500 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $242 $277

Diversity

 WCU Penn State
% Men 5% 8%
% Women 11% 8%
Racial Diversity Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 78% 69%
% Black 11% 4%
% Hispanic 5% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 0% 11%
% Unknown Race 0% 2%

Students

 WCU Penn State
% In-State 87% 51%
% Out-of-State 13% 40%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Main Campus is larger than than WCU based on total student enrollment (50,399 students vs. 17,076 students)

WCU vs. Penn State Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, WCU or Penn State?

  • Penn State Main Campus is 155% more expensive to attend than WCU for in-state tuition ($19,672.00 vs. $7,716.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 105.4% higher at Penn State than West Chester University of Pennsylvania ($39,626.00 vs. $19,290.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at West Chester University of Pennsylvania than Penn State ($21,684 vs. $27,450)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at West Chester University of Pennsylvania are 4.5% lower than costs at Penn State Main Campus ($12,474 vs. $13,030)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at West Chester University of Pennsylvania than Penn State Main Campus (70% vs. 36%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Main Campus students is 110.4% larger than aid received West Chester University of Pennsylvania ($11,577 vs. $5,503)

WCU vs. Penn State Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Main Campus (1202) is 130 points higher than at WCU (1072)
  • Incoming Penn State students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (27) than students at WCU (24)
  • WCU has a higher acceptance rate (79.2%) than Penn State (54.2%)

WCU vs. Penn State Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, WCU or Penn State? 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 and WCU.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State is higher than West Chester University of Pennsylvania (87% vs. 68%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Main Campus earn on average $6,300 more per year than WCU graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $49,000)
  • West Chester University of Pennsylvania students graduate with a $3,318 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State graduates. ($23,500 vs. $26,818)
  • WCU graduates are paying $35 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State graduates. ($242 vs. $277)
  • More WCU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State students, three years after graduation. (75% vs. 69%)

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