WestConn vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre

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

 WestConn Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Location Danbury, CT Lehman, PA
Setting Small City Rural Fringe
Enrollment 4,417 368
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 Wilkes-Barre
Tuition (In State) $6,464 $13,824
Tuition (Out of State) $19,358 $23,086
Room & Board $14,568 $12,984
Avg Net Price $15,862 $16,728
Avg Grant Aid $9,057 $10,598
% Receiving Grant Aid 72% 94%

Admission

 WestConn Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 5,093 653
Admitted 4,253 622
Acceptance Rate 83.5% 95.3%
Enrolled % 14.8% 20.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.38 -
Typical High School Grades B+ -
Admissions Standards Average Average
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 19/29
SAT Range 1010/1230 1070/1260
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

Academics

 WestConn Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Student to Faculty Ratio 11:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (27%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (12%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (8%)
  • Education (8%)
  • Business (34%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (28%)
  • Engineering Technology (19%)
  • English and Literature (12%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (5%)

Outcomes

 WestConn Penn State Wilkes-Barre
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 Wilkes-Barre
% Men 45% 64%
% Women 55% 36%
Racial Diversity Medium Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 61% 88%
% Black 12% 3%
% Hispanic 18% 5%
% 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 Wilkes-Barre
% In-State 70% 83%
% Out-of-State 30% 17%

Campus

 WestConn Penn State Wilkes-Barre
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 Wilkes-Barre based on total student enrollment (4,417 students vs. 368 students)

WestConn vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, WestConn or Penn State Wilkes-Barre?

  • Penn State Wilkes Barre is 113.9% more expensive to attend than WestConn for in-state tuition ($13,824.00 vs. $6,464.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 19.3% higher at Penn State Wilkes-Barre than Western Connecticut State University ($23,086.00 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 Wilkes-Barre ($15,862 vs. $16,728)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Wilkes Barre 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 Wilkes Barre than Western Connecticut State University (94% vs. 72%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Wilkes Barre students is 17% larger than aid received Western Connecticut State University ($10,598 vs. $9,057)

WestConn vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre has a higher acceptance rate (95.3%) than WestConn (83.5%)

WestConn vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, WestConn or Penn State Wilkes-Barre? 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 Wilkes-Barre and WestConn.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Wilkes-Barre is higher than Western Connecticut State University (47% vs. 40%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Wilkes Barre 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 Wilkes-Barre graduates. ($25,000 vs. $26,818)
  • WestConn graduates are paying $19 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates. ($258 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Wilkes-Barre 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/