Mercyhurst College vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre

Should I go to Mercyhurst College or Penn State Wilkes Barre? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Mercyhurst 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.

Add a college to compare up to four schools
Mercyhurst College vs. Penn State Wilkes Barre comparison
Mercyhurst College Penn State Wilkes Barre College 3 College 4
Penn State Wilkes Barre
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

Mercyhurst College Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Location Erie, PA Lehman, PA
Setting Midsize City Rural Fringe
Enrollment 2,801 368
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation Roman Catholic - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website mercyhurst.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Mercyhurst College Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Tuition (In State) $40,530 $13,824
Tuition (Out of State) $40,530 $23,086
Room & Board $14,025 $12,984
Avg Net Price $24,935 $16,728
Avg Grant Aid $32,418 $10,598
% Receiving Grant Aid 95% 94%

Admission

Mercyhurst College Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 3,625 653
Admitted 2,920 622
Acceptance Rate 80.6% 95.3%
Enrolled % 18.7% 20.4%
Avg High School GPA 3.36 -
Typical High School Grades B+ -
Admissions Standards Unavailable Average
Applicant Competition
ACT Range
SAT Range 1070/1260
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline

Academics

Mercyhurst College Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Student to Faculty Ratio 14:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Health Professions (27%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (19%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Education (7%)
  • General Studies (5%)
  • Business (34%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (28%)
  • Engineering Technology (19%)
  • English and Literature (12%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (5%)

Outcomes

Mercyhurst College Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Graduation Rate 68% 47%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $43,700 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 56% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,698 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $276 $277

Diversity

Mercyhurst College Penn State Wilkes-Barre
% Men 40% 64%
% Women 60% 36%
Racial Diversity Low Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 73% 88%
% Black 6% 3%
% Hispanic 2% 5%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 1% 2%
% International 11% 0%
% Unknown Race 4% 1%

Students

Mercyhurst College Penn State Wilkes-Barre
% In-State 51% 83%
% Out-of-State 45% 17%

Campus

Mercyhurst College Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Campus Housing Yes No
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes No
Weekend/Evening Classes Yes No
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Mercyhurst College is larger than than Penn State Wilkes-Barre based on total student enrollment (2,801 students vs. 368 students)

Mercyhurst College vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre Cost Comparison

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

  • Mercyhurst College is 193.2% more expensive to attend than Penn State Wilkes-Barre for in-state tuition ($40,530.00 vs. $13,824.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 75.6% higher at Mercyhurst College than Penn State Wilkes Barre ($40,530.00 vs. $23,086.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Wilkes Barre than Mercyhurst College ($16,728 vs. $24,935)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Wilkes Barre are 8% lower than costs at Mercyhurst College ($12,984 vs. $14,025)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Mercyhurst College than Penn State Wilkes Barre (95% vs. 94%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Mercyhurst College students is 205.9% larger than aid received Penn State Wilkes Barre ($32,418 vs. $10,598)

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

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

  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre has a higher acceptance rate (95.3%) than Mercyhurst College (80.6%)

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

Which is better, Mercyhurst 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 Mercyhurst College.

  • The graduation rate at Mercyhurst College is higher than Penn State Wilkes Barre (68% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Wilkes Barre earn on average $11,600 more per year than Mercyhurst College graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $43,700)
  • Mercyhurst College students graduate with a $120 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates. ($26,698 vs. $26,818)
  • Mercyhurst College graduates are paying $1 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates. ($276 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Mercyhurst College students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 56%)

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