Penn State Wilkes-Barre vs. CNU

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

 Penn State Wilkes-Barre CNU
Location Lehman, PA Newport News, VA
Setting Rural Fringe Midsize City
Enrollment 368 4,559
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #390
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu cnu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 Penn State Wilkes-Barre CNU
Tuition (In State) $13,824 $9,375
Tuition (Out of State) $23,086 $22,613
Room & Board $12,984 $11,990
Avg Net Price $16,728 $23,287
Avg Grant Aid $10,598 $8,022
% Receiving Grant Aid 94% 66%

Admission

 Penn State Wilkes-Barre CNU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 653 7,428
Admitted 622 6,340
Acceptance Rate 95.3% 85.4%
Enrolled % 20.4% 18.3%
Avg High School GPA - 3.79
Typical High School Grades - A-
Admissions Standards Average Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 22/29
SAT Range 1070/1260 1100/1290
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 Feb 1, 2024

Academics

 Penn State Wilkes-Barre CNU
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 13:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (34%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (28%)
  • Engineering Technology (19%)
  • English and Literature (12%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (5%)
  • Social Sciences (15%)
  • Communication (13%)
  • Biology (12%)
  • Business (11%)
  • Psychology (11%)

Outcomes

 Penn State Wilkes-Barre CNU
Graduation Rate 47% 63%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $47,100
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 78%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $25,000
Median Loan Payment $277 $258

Diversity

 Penn State Wilkes-Barre CNU
% Men 64% 46%
% Women 36% 54%
Racial Diversity Very Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 88% 74%
% Black 3% 8%
% Hispanic 5% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 5%
% International 0% 0%
% Unknown Race 1% 5%

Students

 Penn State Wilkes-Barre CNU
% In-State 83% 91%
% Out-of-State 17% 6%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Christopher Newport University is larger than than Penn State Wilkes-Barre based on total student enrollment (4,559 students vs. 368 students)

Penn State Wilkes-Barre vs. CNU Cost Comparison

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

  • Penn State Wilkes Barre is 47.5% more expensive to attend than CNU for in-state tuition ($13,824.00 vs. $9,375.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 2.1% higher at Penn State Wilkes-Barre than Christopher Newport University ($23,086.00 vs. $22,613.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Wilkes Barre than CNU ($16,728 vs. $23,287)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Christopher Newport University are 8.3% lower than costs at Penn State Wilkes Barre ($11,990 vs. $12,984)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Wilkes Barre than Christopher Newport University (94% vs. 66%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Wilkes Barre students is 32.1% larger than aid received Christopher Newport University ($10,598 vs. $8,022)

Penn State Wilkes-Barre vs. CNU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Christopher Newport University (1155) is 173 points higher than at Penn State Wilkes-Barre (982)
  • Incoming CNU students have a 3 point higher average ACT score (25) than students at Penn State Wilkes-Barre (22)
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre has a higher acceptance rate (95.3%) than CNU (85.4%)

Penn State Wilkes-Barre vs. CNU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Wilkes-Barre or CNU? 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 CNU and Penn State Wilkes-Barre.

  • The graduation rate at CNU is higher than Penn State Wilkes Barre (63% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Wilkes Barre earn on average $8,200 more per year than CNU graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $47,100)
  • Christopher Newport University students graduate with a $1,818 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates. ($25,000 vs. $26,818)
  • CNU graduates are paying $19 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates. ($258 vs. $277)
  • More CNU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Wilkes-Barre students, three years after graduation. (78% vs. 69%)

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