William Paterson University of New Jersey vs. Penn State Brandywine

Deciding between William Paterson University of New Jersey and Penn State Brandywine? The table below shows tuition, aid, admissions, and outcomes side by side. Data comes from public sources across more than 3,000 U.S. colleges and universities. No account is required.

William Paterson University of New Jersey
Penn State Brandywine

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

  • Overview

  • Location
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey Wayne, NJ
  • Penn State Brandywine Media, PA
  • Setting
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey Large Suburban
  • Penn State Brandywine Large Suburban
  • Total enrollment
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey 9,942
  • Penn State Brandywine 1,236
  • Type
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey Public 4 Year
  • Penn State Brandywine Public 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey #595
  • Penn State Brandywine #821
  • Religious Affiliation
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey -
  • Penn State Brandywine -
  • Status
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey Non-profit
  • Penn State Brandywine Non-profit
  • Website
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey wpunj.edu
  • Penn State Brandywine psu.edu
  • Team Colors
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey
  • Penn State Brandywine

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey $15,704
  • Penn State Brandywine $15,208
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey $25,344
  • Penn State Brandywine $25,392
  • Room & Board
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey $16,240
  • Penn State Brandywine $14,474
  • Average Net Price
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey $13,509
  • Penn State Brandywine $22,710
  • Average Grant Aid
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey $15,040
  • Penn State Brandywine $9,113
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey 86%
  • Penn State Brandywine 73%

  • Admissions

  • Admission Chances
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey Calculate
  • Penn State Brandywine Calculate
  • Applied
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey 9,165
  • Penn State Brandywine 2,431
  • Admitted
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey 8,256
  • Penn State Brandywine 2,385
  • Acceptance Rate
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey 90.1%
  • Penn State Brandywine 98.1%
  • Enrolled
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey 12.6%
  • Penn State Brandywine 16.8%
  • Typical SAT score
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey 1170
  • Penn State Brandywine 1200
  • Typical ACT score
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey
  • Penn State Brandywine
  • Average High School GPA
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey 2.97
  • Penn State Brandywine -
  • Typical High School Grades
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey B
  • Penn State Brandywine -
  • Admissions Standards
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey Difficult
  • Penn State Brandywine Challenging
  • Applicant Competition
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey
  • Penn State Brandywine
  • ACT Range
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey
  • Penn State Brandywine
  • SAT Range
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey 990/1345
  • Penn State Brandywine 1080/1310
  • Submit Test Scores
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey Test optional
  • Penn State Brandywine Test optional
  • Application Deadline
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey Jun 1, 2027
  • Penn State Brandywine

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey 18:1
  • Penn State Brandywine 15:1
  • Popular Majors
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey
    • Business (23%)
    • Social Sciences (12%)
    • Education (10%)
    • Communication (10%)
    • Psychology (8%)
  • Penn State Brandywine
    • Business (28%)
    • Work and Family Studies (28%)
    • Communication (23%)
    • Ethnic Studies (6%)
    • Education (5%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey 46%
  • Penn State Brandywine 37%
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey $46,500
  • Penn State Brandywine $55,300
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey 59%
  • Penn State Brandywine 69%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey $24,500
  • Penn State Brandywine $26,818
  • Median Loan Payment
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey $253
  • Penn State Brandywine $277

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey 33%
  • Penn State Brandywine 63%
  • % Women
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey 67%
  • Penn State Brandywine 37%
  • Racial Diversity
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey High
  • Penn State Brandywine Medium
  • HBCU
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey No
  • Penn State Brandywine No
  • % White
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey 43%
  • Penn State Brandywine 63%
  • % Asian
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey 7%
  • Penn State Brandywine 11%
  • % Black
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey 16%
  • Penn State Brandywine 15%
  • % Hispanic
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey 27%
  • Penn State Brandywine 5%
  • % Native American
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey 0%
  • Penn State Brandywine 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey 0%
  • Penn State Brandywine 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey 3%
  • Penn State Brandywine 2%
  • % International
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey 0%
  • Penn State Brandywine 1%
  • % Unknown Race
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey 3%
  • Penn State Brandywine 2%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey 92%
  • Penn State Brandywine 80%
  • % Out-of-State
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey 5%
  • Penn State Brandywine 19%

  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey Yes
  • Penn State Brandywine No
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey No
  • Penn State Brandywine No
  • Meal Plan
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey Yes
  • Penn State Brandywine No
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey No
  • Penn State Brandywine No
  • Daycare Facility
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey Yes
  • Penn State Brandywine No
  • Learn More
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey Details
  • Penn State Brandywine Details

Comparable Facts

Compare William Paterson University of New Jersey in Wayne, NJ with Penn State Brandywine in Media, PA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

William Paterson University of New Jersey is larger than Penn State Brandywine based on total student enrollment (9,942 students vs. 1,236 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • William Paterson University of New Jersey is located in Wayne, NJ (Large Suburban setting); Penn State Brandywine is in Media, PA (Large Suburban setting).
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey is a public, non-profit 4-year institution. Penn State Brandywine is a public, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: William Paterson University of New Jersey 18:1; Penn State Brandywine 15:1.

William Paterson University of New Jersey vs. Penn State Brandywine Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, William Paterson University of New Jersey or Penn State Brandywine? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at William Paterson University of New Jersey than Penn State Brandywine ($13,509 vs. $22,710).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Brandywine are 10.9% lower than at William Paterson University of New Jersey ($14,474 vs. $16,240).
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey is 3.3% more expensive for in-state tuition than Penn State Brandywine (about $496 more per year; $15,704.00 vs. $15,208.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 0.2% higher at Penn State Brandywine than at William Paterson University of New Jersey (about $48 more per year; $25,392.00 vs. $25,344.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at William Paterson University of New Jersey than at Penn State Brandywine (86% vs. 73%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by William Paterson University of New Jersey students is 65% larger than aid received by Penn State Brandywine students ($15,040 vs. $9,113).

William Paterson University of New Jersey vs. Penn State Brandywine Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, William Paterson University of New Jersey or Penn State Brandywine? Typical SAT and ACT scores (same estimates as in the table above), middle 50% test ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between Penn State Brandywine and William Paterson University of New Jersey.

  • The typical SAT score (median estimate) at Penn State Brandywine (1200) is 30 points higher than at William Paterson University of New Jersey (1170).
  • Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: William Paterson University of New Jersey 990/1345; Penn State Brandywine 1080/1310.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: William Paterson University of New Jersey - Test optional; Penn State Brandywine - Test optional.
  • Typical fall application deadline: William Paterson University of New Jersey Jun 1, 2027.
  • Penn State Brandywine has a higher acceptance rate (98.1%) than William Paterson University of New Jersey (90.1%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 12.6% at William Paterson University of New Jersey vs. 16.8% at Penn State Brandywine.

William Paterson University of New Jersey vs. Penn State Brandywine Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for William Paterson University of New Jersey and Penn State Brandywine? Graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt are common indicators. The bullets below summarize the same federal outcomes fields as the comparison table (College Scorecard / IPEDS where applicable).

  • William Paterson University of New Jersey's six-year graduation rate (46%) is higher than Penn State Brandywine's (37%).
  • Graduates from Penn State Brandywine earn a median of about $8,800 more per year than William Paterson University of New Jersey graduates about ten years after starting college ($55,300 vs. $46,500), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, William Paterson University of New Jersey graduates have a $2,318 lower median loan debt than Penn State Brandywine graduates ($24,500 vs. $26,818).
  • Among borrowers, William Paterson University of New Jersey graduates have an estimated $24 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than Penn State Brandywine graduates ($253 vs. $277).
  • More Penn State Brandywine graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former William Paterson University of New Jersey students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 59%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.