Penn State Berks vs. Widener University-Main Campus

Should I go to Penn State Berks or Widener University Main Campus? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Penn State Berks or Widener University-Main Campus 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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Penn State Berks vs. Widener University Main Campus comparison
Penn State Berks Widener University Main Campus College 3 College 4
Penn State Berks Widener University Main Campus
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Overview

 Penn State Berks Widener University-Main Campus
Location Reading, PA Chester, PA
Setting Rural Fringe Large Suburban
Enrollment 2,077 5,416
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #657 #364
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu widener.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State Berks Widener University-Main Campus
Tuition (In State) $15,388 $50,624
Tuition (Out of State) $25,854 $50,624
Room & Board $14,334 $15,200
Avg Net Price $21,728 $32,185
Avg Grant Aid $8,528 $32,412
% Receiving Grant Aid 66% 97%

Admission

 Penn State Berks Widener University-Main Campus
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 5,605 5,961
Admitted 5,453 5,227
Acceptance Rate 97.3% 87.7%
Enrolled % 11.6% 10.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.39 3.46
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 23/28 22/29
SAT Range 1090/1290 1105/1290
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

 Penn State Berks Widener University-Main Campus
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 11:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (23%)
  • Education (12%)
  • Health Professions (11%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (10%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • Business (28%)
  • Health Professions (23%)
  • Engineering (11%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Education (5%)

Outcomes

 Penn State Berks Widener University-Main Campus
Graduation Rate 55% 54%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $59,500
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 68%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $277 $279

Diversity

 Penn State Berks Widener University-Main Campus
% Men 59% 34%
% Women 41% 66%
Racial Diversity Medium Medium
HBCU No No
% White 68% 70%
% Black 9% 13%
% Hispanic 11% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 2%
% International 3% 4%
% Unknown Race 1% 2%

Students

 Penn State Berks Widener University-Main Campus
% In-State 64% 61%
% Out-of-State 30% 38%

Campus

 Penn State Berks Widener University-Main Campus
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No Yes
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Widener University Main Campus is larger than than Penn State Berks based on total student enrollment (5,416 students vs. 2,077 students)

Penn State Berks vs. Widener University-Main Campus Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State Berks or Widener University-Main Campus?

  • Widener University Main Campus is 229% more expensive to attend than Penn State Berks for in-state tuition ($50,624.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 95.8% higher at Widener University-Main Campus than Penn State Berks ($50,624.00 vs. $25,854.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Berks than Widener University-Main Campus ($21,728 vs. $32,185)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Berks are 6% lower than costs at Widener University Main Campus ($14,334 vs. $15,200)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Widener University Main Campus than Penn State Berks (97% vs. 66%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Widener University Main Campus students is 280.1% larger than aid received Penn State Berks ($32,412 vs. $8,528)

Penn State Berks vs. Widener University-Main Campus Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Penn State Berks or Widener University-Main Campus? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Widener University-Main Campus or Penn State Berks .

  • The average SAT score at Widener University Main Campus (1032) is 54 points higher than at Penn State Berks (978)
  • Incoming Widener University-Main Campus students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at Penn State Berks (22)
  • Accepted freshman Widener University-Main Campus students have a 0.07 point higher average high school GPA (3.46) than students at Penn State Berks (3.39)
  • Penn State Berks has a higher acceptance rate (97.3%) than Widener University-Main Campus (87.7%)

Penn State Berks vs. Widener University-Main Campus Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Berks or Widener University-Main Campus? 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 Widener University-Main Campus and Penn State Berks.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Berks is higher than Widener University Main Campus (55% vs. 54%)
  • Graduates from Widener University Main Campus earn on average $4,200 more per year than Penn State Berks graduates after ten years. ($59,500 vs. $55,300)
  • Penn State Berks students graduate with a $182 lower median federal student loan debt than Widener University-Main Campus graduates. ($26,818 vs. $27,000)
  • Penn State Berks graduates are paying $2 less per month on federal student loans than Widener University-Main Campus graduates. ($277 vs. $279)
  • More Penn State Berks graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Widener University-Main Campus students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 68%)

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