Penn State Greater Allegheny vs. WCU

Should I go to Penn State Greater Allegheny or West Chester University of Pennsylvania? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Penn State Greater Allegheny or WCU 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 Greater Allegheny vs. West Chester University of Pennsylvania comparison
Penn State Greater Allegheny West Chester University of Pennsylvania College 3 College 4
West Chester University of Pennsylvania
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Overview

 Penn State Greater Allegheny WCU
Location McKeesport, PA West Chester, PA
Setting Large Suburban Large Suburban
Enrollment 363 17,275
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #496
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu wcupa.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State Greater Allegheny WCU
Tuition (In State) $13,824 $7,716
Tuition (Out of State) $23,086 $19,290
Room & Board $12,254 $14,228
Avg Net Price $19,505 $22,973
Avg Grant Aid $10,269 $5,443
% Receiving Grant Aid 85% 64%

Admission

 Penn State Greater Allegheny WCU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 672 14,778
Admitted 589 12,982
Acceptance Rate 87.6% 87.8%
Enrolled % 19.5% 23.2%
Avg High School GPA - 3.43
Typical High School Grades - B+
Admissions Standards Challenging Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 23/30
SAT Range 1040/1300 1080/1260
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 Greater Allegheny WCU
Student to Faculty Ratio 8:1 20:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (38%)
  • Psychology (35%)
  • Communication (15%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (10%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (2%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Education (16%)
  • Health Professions (14%)
  • English and Literature (9%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (9%)

Outcomes

 Penn State Greater Allegheny WCU
Graduation Rate 47% 68%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $49,000
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 75%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $23,500
Median Loan Payment $277 $242

Diversity

 Penn State Greater Allegheny WCU
% Men 61% 39%
% Women 39% 61%
Racial Diversity Medium Low
HBCU No No
% White 61% 78%
% Black 19% 11%
% Hispanic 7% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 4% 0%
% Unknown Race 1% 0%

Students

 Penn State Greater Allegheny WCU
% In-State 68% 87%
% Out-of-State 30% 12%

Campus

 Penn State Greater Allegheny WCU
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility No No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • West Chester University of Pennsylvania is larger than than Penn State Greater Allegheny based on total student enrollment (17,275 students vs. 363 students)

Penn State Greater Allegheny vs. WCU Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State Greater Allegheny or WCU?

  • Penn State Greater Allegheny is 79.2% more expensive to attend than WCU for in-state tuition ($13,824.00 vs. $7,716.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 19.7% higher at Penn State Greater Allegheny than West Chester University of Pennsylvania ($23,086.00 vs. $19,290.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Greater Allegheny than WCU ($19,505 vs. $22,973)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Greater Allegheny are 16.1% lower than costs at West Chester University of Pennsylvania ($12,254 vs. $14,228)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Greater Allegheny than West Chester University of Pennsylvania (85% vs. 64%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Greater Allegheny students is 88.7% larger than aid received West Chester University of Pennsylvania ($10,269 vs. $5,443)

Penn State Greater Allegheny vs. WCU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at West Chester University of Pennsylvania (1072) is 129 points higher than at Penn State Greater Allegheny (943)
  • Incoming WCU students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (24) than students at Penn State Greater Allegheny (23)
  • WCU has a higher acceptance rate (87.8%) than Penn State Greater Allegheny (87.6%)

Penn State Greater Allegheny vs. WCU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Greater Allegheny or WCU? 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 WCU and Penn State Greater Allegheny.

  • The graduation rate at WCU is higher than Penn State Greater Allegheny (68% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Greater Allegheny earn on average $6,300 more per year than WCU graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $49,000)
  • West Chester University of Pennsylvania students graduate with a $3,318 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Greater Allegheny graduates. ($23,500 vs. $26,818)
  • WCU graduates are paying $35 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Greater Allegheny graduates. ($242 vs. $277)
  • More WCU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Greater Allegheny 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/