Fitchburg State vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre

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

Fitchburg State Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Location Fitchburg, MA Lehman, PA
Setting Midsize Suburban Rural Fringe
Enrollment 6,554 368
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #549
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website fitchburgstate.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Fitchburg State Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Tuition (In State) $970 $13,824
Tuition (Out of State) $7,050 $23,086
Room & Board $13,516 $12,984
Avg Net Price $15,535 $16,728
Avg Grant Aid $7,093 $10,598
% Receiving Grant Aid 76% 94%

Admission

Fitchburg State Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 3,084 653
Admitted 2,654 622
Acceptance Rate 86.1% 95.3%
Enrolled % 18.3% 20.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.29 -
Typical High School Grades B -
Admissions Standards Average Average
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 22/28
SAT Range 1020/1220 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

Fitchburg State Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Student to Faculty Ratio 12:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • General Studies (16%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Visual and Performing Arts (14%)
  • Education (8%)
  • Health Professions (6%)
  • Business (34%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (28%)
  • Engineering Technology (19%)
  • English and Literature (12%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (5%)

Outcomes

Fitchburg State Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Graduation Rate 47% 47%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $44,000 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 65% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $22,685 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $234 $277

Diversity

Fitchburg State Penn State Wilkes-Barre
% Men 38% 64%
% Women 62% 36%
Racial Diversity Low Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 73% 88%
% Black 9% 3%
% Hispanic 11% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 1% 0%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

Fitchburg State Penn State Wilkes-Barre
% In-State 90% 83%
% Out-of-State 10% 17%

Campus

Fitchburg State 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

  • Fitchburg State University is larger than than Penn State Wilkes-Barre based on total student enrollment (6,554 students vs. 368 students)

Fitchburg State vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre Cost Comparison

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

  • Penn State Wilkes Barre is 1,325.2% more expensive to attend than Fitchburg State for in-state tuition ($13,824.00 vs. $970.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 227.5% higher at Penn State Wilkes-Barre than Fitchburg State University ($23,086.00 vs. $7,050.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Fitchburg State University than Penn State Wilkes-Barre ($15,535 vs. $16,728)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Wilkes Barre are 4.1% lower than costs at Fitchburg State University ($12,984 vs. $13,516)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Wilkes Barre than Fitchburg State University (94% vs. 76%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Wilkes Barre students is 49.4% larger than aid received Fitchburg State University ($10,598 vs. $7,093)

Fitchburg State vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Fitchburg State 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 Fitchburg State .

  • The average SAT score at Fitchburg State University (993) is 11 points higher than at Penn State Wilkes-Barre (982)
  • Incoming Penn State Wilkes-Barre students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (22) than students at Fitchburg State (21)
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre has a higher acceptance rate (95.3%) than Fitchburg State (86.1%)

Fitchburg State vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Fitchburg State 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 Fitchburg State.

  • The graduation rate at Fitchburg State is the same as at Penn State Wilkes Barre (47% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Wilkes Barre earn on average $11,300 more per year than Fitchburg State graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $44,000)
  • Fitchburg State University students graduate with a $4,133 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates. ($22,685 vs. $26,818)
  • Fitchburg State graduates are paying $43 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates. ($234 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Fitchburg State 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/