WestConn vs. Penn State Lehigh Valley

Should I go to Western Connecticut State University or Penn State Lehigh Valley? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if WestConn or Penn State Lehigh Valley 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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Western Connecticut State University vs. Penn State Lehigh Valley comparison
Western Connecticut State University Penn State Lehigh Valley College 3 College 4
Western Connecticut State University
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Overview

 WestConn Penn State Lehigh Valley
Location Danbury, CT Center Valley, PA
Setting Small City Large Suburban
Enrollment 4,417 888
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #466
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website wcsu.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 WestConn Penn State Lehigh Valley
Tuition (In State) $6,464 $14,624
Tuition (Out of State) $19,358 $24,318
Room & Board $14,568 $12,984
Avg Net Price $15,862 $18,142
Avg Grant Aid $9,057 $9,886
% Receiving Grant Aid 72% 78%

Admission

 WestConn Penn State Lehigh Valley
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 5,093 1,806
Admitted 4,253 1,699
Acceptance Rate 83.5% 94.1%
Enrolled % 14.8% 15.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.38 3.42
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Average Average
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 19/29 22/26
SAT Range 1010/1230 1100/1290
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

 WestConn Penn State Lehigh Valley
Student to Faculty Ratio 11:1 14:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (27%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (12%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)
  • Education (8%)
  • Business (46%)
  • Education (25%)
  • Psychology (18%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (4%)
  • Foreign Languages (3%)

Outcomes

 WestConn Penn State Lehigh Valley
Graduation Rate 40% 47%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $47,400 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 65% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $25,000 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $258 $277

Diversity

 WestConn Penn State Lehigh Valley
% Men 45% 57%
% Women 55% 43%
Racial Diversity Medium Medium
HBCU No No
% White 61% 64%
% Black 12% 6%
% Hispanic 18% 16%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 1% 2%
% International 0% 0%
% Unknown Race 3% 1%

Students

 WestConn Penn State Lehigh Valley
% In-State 70% 93%
% Out-of-State 30% 6%

Campus

 WestConn Penn State Lehigh Valley
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

  • Western Connecticut State University is larger than than Penn State Lehigh Valley based on total student enrollment (4,417 students vs. 888 students)

WestConn vs. Penn State Lehigh Valley Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, WestConn or Penn State Lehigh Valley?

  • Penn State Lehigh Valley is 126.2% more expensive to attend than WestConn for in-state tuition ($14,624.00 vs. $6,464.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 25.6% higher at Penn State Lehigh Valley than Western Connecticut State University ($24,318.00 vs. $19,358.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Western Connecticut State University than Penn State Lehigh Valley ($15,862 vs. $18,142)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Lehigh Valley are 12.2% lower than costs at Western Connecticut State University ($12,984 vs. $14,568)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Lehigh Valley than Western Connecticut State University (78% vs. 72%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Lehigh Valley students is 9.2% larger than aid received Western Connecticut State University ($9,886 vs. $9,057)

WestConn vs. Penn State Lehigh Valley Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Accepted freshman Penn State Lehigh Valley students have a 0.04 point higher average high school GPA (3.42) than students at WestConn (3.38)
  • Penn State Lehigh Valley has a higher acceptance rate (94.1%) than WestConn (83.5%)

WestConn vs. Penn State Lehigh Valley Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, WestConn or Penn State Lehigh Valley? 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 Lehigh Valley and WestConn.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Lehigh Valley is higher than Western Connecticut State University (47% vs. 40%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Lehigh Valley earn on average $7,900 more per year than WestConn graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $47,400)
  • Western Connecticut State University students graduate with a $1,818 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Lehigh Valley graduates. ($25,000 vs. $26,818)
  • WestConn graduates are paying $19 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Lehigh Valley graduates. ($258 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Lehigh Valley graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former WestConn students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 65%)

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