Wheaton College vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre

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

 Wheaton College Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Location Norton, MA Lehman, PA
Setting Large Suburban Rural Fringe
Enrollment 1,778 353
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #177
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website wheatoncollege.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Wheaton College Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Tuition (In State) $61,600 $13,824
Tuition (Out of State) $61,600 $23,316
Room & Board $15,430 $13,448
Avg Net Price $31,638 $16,275
Avg Grant Aid $45,217 $8,945
% Receiving Grant Aid 96% 91%

Admission

 Wheaton College Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 4,702 640
Admitted 3,354 605
Acceptance Rate 71.3% 94.5%
Enrolled % 15.6% 14.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.48 -
Typical High School Grades B+ -
Admissions Standards Very High Challenging
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 29/33
SAT Range 1210/1420 1060/1305
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, 2026

Academics

 Wheaton College Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (27%)
  • Psychology (19%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (13%)
  • Ethnic Studies (8%)
  • Biology (7%)
  • Business (34%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (28%)
  • Engineering Technology (19%)
  • English and Literature (12%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (5%)

Outcomes

 Wheaton College Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Graduation Rate 77% 47%
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 Wilkes-Barre
% Men 1% 0%
% Women 1% 1%
Racial Diversity Medium Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 67% 88%
% Black 6% 3%
% Hispanic 7% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 10% 0%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

 Wheaton College Penn State Wilkes-Barre
% In-State 38% 83%
% Out-of-State 57% 17%

Campus

 Wheaton College Penn State Wilkes-Barre
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

  • Wheaton College is larger than than Penn State Wilkes-Barre based on total student enrollment (1,778 students vs. 353 students)

Wheaton College vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre Cost Comparison

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

  • Wheaton College is 345.6% more expensive to attend than Penn State Wilkes-Barre for in-state tuition ($61,600.00 vs. $13,824.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 164.2% higher at Wheaton College than Penn State Wilkes Barre ($61,600.00 vs. $23,316.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Wilkes Barre than Wheaton College ($16,275 vs. $31,638)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Wilkes Barre are 14.7% lower than costs at Wheaton College ($13,448 vs. $15,430)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Wheaton College than Penn State Wilkes Barre (96% vs. 91%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Wheaton College students is 405.5% larger than aid received Penn State Wilkes Barre ($45,217 vs. $8,945)

Wheaton College vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Wheaton College 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 Wheaton College .

  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre has a higher acceptance rate (94.5%) than Wheaton College (71.3%)

Wheaton College vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Wheaton College 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 Wheaton College.

  • The graduation rate at Wheaton College is higher than Penn State Wilkes Barre (77% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Wilkes Barre 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 Wilkes-Barre graduates. ($26,000 vs. $26,818)
  • Wheaton College graduates are paying $9 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates. ($268 vs. $277)
  • More Wheaton College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Wilkes-Barre 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/