Penn State Wilkes-Barre vs. Penn State Harrisburg

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

Penn State Wilkes-Barre Penn State Harrisburg
Location Lehman, PA Middletown, PA
Setting Rural Fringe Large Suburban
Enrollment 368 4,572
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #613
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Penn State Wilkes-Barre Penn State Harrisburg
Tuition (In State) $13,824 $15,388
Tuition (Out of State) $23,086 $25,854
Room & Board $12,984 $14,978
Avg Net Price $16,728 $22,096
Avg Grant Aid $10,598 $8,882
% Receiving Grant Aid 94% 63%

Admission

Penn State Wilkes-Barre Penn State Harrisburg
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 653 9,925
Admitted 622 9,483
Acceptance Rate 95.3% 95.5%
Enrolled % 20.4% 12.6%
Avg High School GPA - 3.48
Typical High School Grades - B+
Admissions Standards Average Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 24/28
SAT Range 1070/1260 1100/1310
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 Wilkes-Barre Penn State Harrisburg
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 14:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (34%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (28%)
  • Engineering Technology (19%)
  • English and Literature (12%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (5%)
  • Business (34%)
  • Engineering (23%)
  • Psychology (7%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • English and Literature (5%)

Outcomes

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

Diversity

Penn State Wilkes-Barre Penn State Harrisburg
% Men 64% 60%
% Women 36% 40%
Racial Diversity Very Low High
HBCU No No
% White 88% 59%
% Black 3% 11%
% Hispanic 5% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 3%
% International 0% 10%
% Unknown Race 1% 2%

Students

Penn State Wilkes-Barre Penn State Harrisburg
% In-State 83% 46%
% Out-of-State 17% 27%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Penn State Harrisburg is larger than than Penn State Wilkes-Barre based on total student enrollment (4,572 students vs. 368 students)

Penn State Wilkes-Barre vs. Penn State Harrisburg Cost Comparison

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

  • Penn State Harrisburg is 11.3% more expensive to attend than Penn State Wilkes-Barre for in-state tuition ($15,388.00 vs. $13,824.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 12% higher at Penn State Harrisburg than Penn State Wilkes Barre ($25,854.00 vs. $23,086.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Wilkes Barre than Penn State Harrisburg ($16,728 vs. $22,096)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Wilkes Barre are 15.4% lower than costs at Penn State Harrisburg ($12,984 vs. $14,978)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Wilkes Barre than Penn State Harrisburg (94% vs. 63%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Wilkes Barre students is 19.3% larger than aid received Penn State Harrisburg ($10,598 vs. $8,882)

Penn State Wilkes-Barre vs. Penn State Harrisburg Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Penn State Harrisburg (1043) is 61 points higher than at Penn State Wilkes-Barre (982)
  • Incoming Penn State Harrisburg students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at Penn State Wilkes-Barre (22)
  • Penn State Harrisburg has a higher acceptance rate (95.5%) than Penn State Wilkes-Barre (95.3%)

Penn State Wilkes-Barre vs. Penn State Harrisburg Graduation Outcomes Comparison

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

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Harrisburg is higher than Penn State Wilkes Barre (63% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates of Penn State Wilkes Barre and Penn State Harrisburg have equivalent average earnings after ten years ($55,300 vs. $55,300)
  • Penn State Harrisburg and Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates both have the same median student loan debt upon graduation ($26,818 vs. $26,818)
  • Penn State Harrisburg and Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates both have a median monthly student loan payment upon graduation ($277 vs. $277)
  • Penn State Harrisburg and Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates both have a median monthly student loan payment upon graduation (69% vs. 69%)

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