Wheaton College vs. Penn State Abington

Should I go to Wheaton College or Penn State Abington? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Wheaton College or Penn State Abington 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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Wheaton College vs. Penn State Abington comparison
Wheaton College Penn State Abington College 3 College 4
Wheaton College Penn State Abington
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Overview

 Wheaton College Penn State Abington
Location Norton, MA Abington, PA
Setting Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 1,667 3,090
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #180 #694
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website wheatoncollege.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Wheaton College Penn State Abington
Tuition (In State) $59,750 $14,684
Tuition (Out of State) $59,750 $24,586
Room & Board $14,800 $10,694
Avg Net Price $32,863 $20,460
Avg Grant Aid $41,665 $9,589
% Receiving Grant Aid 98% 79%

Admission

 Wheaton College Penn State Abington
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 4,031 6,463
Admitted 3,204 6,037
Acceptance Rate 79.5% 93.4%
Enrolled % 15.4% 14.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.48 3.42
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Very High Difficult
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 27/33 23/31
SAT Range 1260/1390 1070/1310
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 Feb 15, 2025

Academics

 Wheaton College Penn State Abington
Student to Faculty Ratio 11:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (27%)
  • Psychology (19%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (13%)
  • Ethnic Studies (8%)
  • Biology (7%)
  • Business (35%)
  • Psychology (21%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (12%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (10%)
  • English and Literature (6%)

Outcomes

 Wheaton College Penn State Abington
Graduation Rate 77% 44%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $53,700 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 86% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,000 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $268 $277

Diversity

 Wheaton College Penn State Abington
% Men 37% 59%
% Women 63% 41%
Racial Diversity Medium High
HBCU No No
% White 67% 50%
% Black 6% 13%
% Hispanic 7% 10%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 10% 5%
% Unknown Race 1% 3%

Students

 Wheaton College Penn State Abington
% In-State 38% 68%
% Out-of-State 57% 21%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Abington is larger than than Wheaton College based on total student enrollment (3,090 students vs. 1,667 students)

Wheaton College vs. Penn State Abington Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Wheaton College or Penn State Abington?

  • Wheaton College is 306.9% more expensive to attend than Penn State Abington for in-state tuition ($59,750.00 vs. $14,684.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 143% higher at Wheaton College than Penn State Abington ($59,750.00 vs. $24,586.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Abington than Wheaton College ($20,460 vs. $32,863)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Abington are 38.4% lower than costs at Wheaton College ($10,694 vs. $14,800)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Wheaton College than Penn State Abington (98% vs. 79%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Wheaton College students is 334.5% larger than aid received Penn State Abington ($41,665 vs. $9,589)

Wheaton College vs. Penn State Abington Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Accepted freshman Wheaton College students have a 0.06 point higher average high school GPA (3.48) than students at Penn State Abington (3.42)
  • Penn State Abington has a higher acceptance rate (93.4%) than Wheaton College (79.5%)

Wheaton College vs. Penn State Abington Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Wheaton College or Penn State Abington? 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 Abington and Wheaton College.

  • The graduation rate at Wheaton College is higher than Penn State Abington (77% vs. 44%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Abington earn on average $1,600 more per year than Wheaton College graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $53,700)
  • Wheaton College students graduate with a $818 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Abington graduates. ($26,000 vs. $26,818)
  • Wheaton College graduates are paying $9 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Abington graduates. ($268 vs. $277)
  • More Wheaton College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Abington students, three years after graduation. (86% vs. 69%)

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