Penn State Berks vs. Wilkes

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

Penn State Berks Wilkes
Location Reading, PA Wilkes-Barre, PA
Setting Rural Fringe Small City
Enrollment 2,077 5,207
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #657 #478
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu wilkes.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Penn State Berks Wilkes
Tuition (In State) $15,388 $39,134
Tuition (Out of State) $25,854 $39,134
Room & Board $14,334 $15,850
Avg Net Price $21,728 $27,918
Avg Grant Aid $8,528 $29,441
% Receiving Grant Aid 66% 97%

Admission

Penn State Berks Wilkes
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 5,605 4,798
Admitted 5,453 4,517
Acceptance Rate 97.3% 94.1%
Enrolled % 11.6% 10.6%
Avg High School GPA 3.39 3.56
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Average
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 23/28 21/26
SAT Range 1090/1290 1060/1260
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

Penn State Berks Wilkes
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 13:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (23%)
  • Education (12%)
  • Health Professions (11%)
  • Recreation, Leisure and Fitness Studies (10%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (13%)
  • Health Professions (11%)
  • Engineering (11%)
  • Communication (8%)

Outcomes

Penn State Berks Wilkes
Graduation Rate 55% 58%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $58,200
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 75%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $26,000
Median Loan Payment $277 $268

Diversity

Penn State Berks Wilkes
% Men 59% 31%
% Women 41% 69%
Racial Diversity Medium Low
HBCU No No
% White 68% 73%
% Black 9% 4%
% Hispanic 11% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 4%
% International 3% 9%
% Unknown Race 1% 2%

Students

Penn State Berks Wilkes
% In-State 64% 75%
% Out-of-State 30% 24%

Campus

Penn State Berks Wilkes
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

  • Wilkes University is larger than than Penn State Berks based on total student enrollment (5,207 students vs. 2,077 students)

Penn State Berks vs. Wilkes Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State Berks or Wilkes?

  • Wilkes University is 154.3% more expensive to attend than Penn State Berks for in-state tuition ($39,134.00 vs. $15,388.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 51.4% higher at Wilkes than Penn State Berks ($39,134.00 vs. $25,854.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Berks than Wilkes ($21,728 vs. $27,918)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Berks are 10.6% lower than costs at Wilkes University ($14,334 vs. $15,850)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Wilkes University than Penn State Berks (97% vs. 66%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Wilkes University students is 245.2% larger than aid received Penn State Berks ($29,441 vs. $8,528)

Penn State Berks vs. Wilkes Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Wilkes University (1053) is 75 points higher than at Penn State Berks (978)
  • Accepted freshman Wilkes students have a 0.17 point higher average high school GPA (3.56) than students at Penn State Berks (3.39)
  • Penn State Berks has a higher acceptance rate (97.3%) than Wilkes (94.1%)

Penn State Berks vs. Wilkes Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Berks or Wilkes? 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 Wilkes and Penn State Berks.

  • The graduation rate at Wilkes is higher than Penn State Berks (58% vs. 55%)
  • Graduates from Wilkes University earn on average $2,900 more per year than Penn State Berks graduates after ten years. ($58,200 vs. $55,300)
  • Wilkes University students graduate with a $818 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Berks graduates. ($26,000 vs. $26,818)
  • Wilkes graduates are paying $9 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Berks graduates. ($268 vs. $277)
  • More Wilkes graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Berks students, three years after graduation. (75% vs. 69%)

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