Penn State Wilkes-Barre vs. WCU

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

 Penn State Wilkes-Barre WCU
Location Lehman, PA West Chester, PA
Setting Rural Fringe Large Suburban
Enrollment 368 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 Wilkes-Barre WCU
Tuition (In State) $13,824 $7,716
Tuition (Out of State) $23,086 $19,290
Room & Board $12,984 $14,228
Avg Net Price $16,728 $22,973
Avg Grant Aid $10,598 $5,443
% Receiving Grant Aid 94% 64%

Admission

 Penn State Wilkes-Barre WCU
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 653 14,778
Admitted 622 12,982
Acceptance Rate 95.3% 87.8%
Enrolled % 20.4% 23.2%
Avg High School GPA - 3.43
Typical High School Grades - B+
Admissions Standards Average Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 23/30
SAT Range 1070/1260 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 Wilkes-Barre WCU
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 20:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (34%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (28%)
  • Engineering Technology (19%)
  • English and Literature (12%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (5%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Education (16%)
  • Health Professions (14%)
  • English and Literature (9%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (9%)

Outcomes

 Penn State Wilkes-Barre 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 Wilkes-Barre WCU
% Men 64% 39%
% Women 36% 61%
Racial Diversity Very Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 88% 78%
% Black 3% 11%
% Hispanic 5% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 3%
% International 0% 0%
% Unknown Race 1% 0%

Students

 Penn State Wilkes-Barre WCU
% In-State 83% 87%
% Out-of-State 17% 12%

Campus

 Penn State Wilkes-Barre WCU
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

  • West Chester University of Pennsylvania is larger than than Penn State Wilkes-Barre based on total student enrollment (17,275 students vs. 368 students)

Penn State Wilkes-Barre vs. WCU Cost Comparison

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

  • Penn State Wilkes Barre 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 Wilkes-Barre 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 Wilkes Barre than WCU ($16,728 vs. $22,973)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Wilkes Barre are 9.6% lower than costs at West Chester University of Pennsylvania ($12,984 vs. $14,228)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Wilkes Barre than West Chester University of Pennsylvania (94% vs. 64%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Wilkes Barre students is 94.7% larger than aid received West Chester University of Pennsylvania ($10,598 vs. $5,443)

Penn State Wilkes-Barre vs. WCU Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at West Chester University of Pennsylvania (1072) is 90 points higher than at Penn State Wilkes-Barre (982)
  • Incoming WCU students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (24) than students at Penn State Wilkes-Barre (22)
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre has a higher acceptance rate (95.3%) than WCU (87.8%)

Penn State Wilkes-Barre vs. WCU Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Wilkes-Barre 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 Wilkes-Barre.

  • The graduation rate at WCU is higher than Penn State Wilkes Barre (68% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Wilkes Barre 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 Wilkes-Barre graduates. ($23,500 vs. $26,818)
  • WCU graduates are paying $35 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates. ($242 vs. $277)
  • More WCU graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Wilkes-Barre 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/