William Paterson University of New Jersey vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre

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

William Paterson University of New Jersey Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Location Wayne, NJ Lehman, PA
Setting Large Suburban Rural Fringe
Enrollment 9,070 368
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #557
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website wpunj.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

William Paterson University of New Jersey Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Tuition (In State) $14,192 $13,824
Tuition (Out of State) $23,192 $23,086
Room & Board $13,160 $12,984
Avg Net Price $12,967 $16,728
Avg Grant Aid $10,919 $10,598
% Receiving Grant Aid 95% 94%

Admission

William Paterson University of New Jersey Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 7,062 653
Admitted 6,464 622
Acceptance Rate 91.5% 95.3%
Enrolled % 12.5% 20.4%
Avg High School GPA 2.97 -
Typical High School Grades B- -
Admissions Standards Difficult Average
Applicant Competition
ACT Range
SAT Range 990/1345 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 Jun 1, 2025

Academics

William Paterson University of New Jersey Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Student to Faculty Ratio 15:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (23%)
  • Social Sciences (12%)
  • Education (10%)
  • Communication (10%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Business (34%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (28%)
  • Engineering Technology (19%)
  • English and Literature (12%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (5%)

Outcomes

William Paterson University of New Jersey Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Graduation Rate 46% 47%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $46,500 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 59% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $24,500 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $253 $277

Diversity

William Paterson University of New Jersey Penn State Wilkes-Barre
% Men 35% 64%
% Women 65% 36%
Racial Diversity Very High Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 43% 88%
% Black 16% 3%
% Hispanic 27% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 0% 0%
% Unknown Race 3% 1%

Students

William Paterson University of New Jersey Penn State Wilkes-Barre
% In-State 92% 83%
% Out-of-State 6% 17%

Campus

William Paterson University of New Jersey 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

  • William Paterson University of New Jersey is larger than than Penn State Wilkes-Barre based on total student enrollment (9,070 students vs. 368 students)

William Paterson University of New Jersey vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, William Paterson University of New Jersey or Penn State Wilkes-Barre?

  • William Paterson University of New Jersey is 2.7% more expensive to attend than Penn State Wilkes-Barre for in-state tuition ($14,192.00 vs. $13,824.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 0.5% higher at William Paterson University of New Jersey than Penn State Wilkes Barre ($23,192.00 vs. $23,086.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at William Paterson University of New Jersey than Penn State Wilkes-Barre ($12,967 vs. $16,728)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Wilkes Barre are 1.4% lower than costs at William Paterson University of New Jersey ($12,984 vs. $13,160)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at William Paterson University of New Jersey than Penn State Wilkes Barre (95% vs. 94%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by William Paterson University of New Jersey students is 3% larger than aid received Penn State Wilkes Barre ($10,919 vs. $10,598)

William Paterson University of New Jersey vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, William Paterson University of New Jersey 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 William Paterson University of New Jersey .

  • The average SAT score at William Paterson University of New Jersey (990) is 8 points higher than at Penn State Wilkes-Barre (982)
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre has a higher acceptance rate (95.3%) than William Paterson University of New Jersey (91.5%)

William Paterson University of New Jersey vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, William Paterson University of New Jersey 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 William Paterson University of New Jersey.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Wilkes-Barre is higher than William Paterson University of New Jersey (47% vs. 46%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Wilkes Barre earn on average $8,800 more per year than William Paterson University of New Jersey graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $46,500)
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey students graduate with a $2,318 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates. ($24,500 vs. $26,818)
  • William Paterson University of New Jersey graduates are paying $24 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates. ($253 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Wilkes-Barre 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/