Penn State Wilkes-Barre vs. Widener University-Main Campus

Should I go to Penn State Wilkes Barre or Widener University Main Campus? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if Penn State Wilkes-Barre or Widener University-Main Campus 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.

Add a college to compare up to four schools

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

WCU Rowan University Rider University Penn State Wilkes Monmouth University Temple YCP FDU Rutgers University-Camden Moravian College Stevenson University
Penn State Wilkes Barre vs. Widener University Main Campus comparison
Penn State Wilkes Barre Widener University Main Campus College 3 College 4
Penn State Wilkes Barre Widener University Main Campus
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

Penn State Wilkes-Barre Widener University-Main Campus
Location Lehman, PA Chester, PA
Setting Rural Fringe Large Suburban
Enrollment 368 5,416
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #364
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website psu.edu widener.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

Penn State Wilkes-Barre Widener University-Main Campus
Tuition (In State) $13,824 $50,624
Tuition (Out of State) $23,086 $50,624
Room & Board $12,984 $15,200
Avg Net Price $16,728 $32,185
Avg Grant Aid $10,598 $32,412
% Receiving Grant Aid 94% 97%

Admission

Penn State Wilkes-Barre Widener University-Main Campus
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 653 5,961
Admitted 622 5,227
Acceptance Rate 95.3% 87.7%
Enrolled % 20.4% 10.3%
Avg High School GPA - 3.46
Typical High School Grades - B+
Admissions Standards Average Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 22/29
SAT Range 1070/1260 1105/1290
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

Academics

Penn State Wilkes-Barre Widener University-Main Campus
Student to Faculty Ratio 10:1 11:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (34%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (28%)
  • Engineering Technology (19%)
  • English and Literature (12%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (5%)
  • Business (28%)
  • Health Professions (23%)
  • Engineering (11%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Education (5%)

Outcomes

Penn State Wilkes-Barre Widener University-Main Campus
Graduation Rate 47% 54%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $55,300 $59,500
Making Student Loan Payments 69% 68%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,818 $27,000
Median Loan Payment $277 $279

Diversity

Penn State Wilkes-Barre Widener University-Main Campus
% Men 64% 34%
% Women 36% 66%
Racial Diversity Very Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 88% 70%
% Black 3% 13%
% Hispanic 5% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 2%
% International 0% 4%
% Unknown Race 1% 2%

Students

Penn State Wilkes-Barre Widener University-Main Campus
% In-State 83% 61%
% Out-of-State 17% 38%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Widener University Main Campus is larger than than Penn State Wilkes-Barre based on total student enrollment (5,416 students vs. 368 students)

Penn State Wilkes-Barre vs. Widener University-Main Campus Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Penn State Wilkes-Barre or Widener University-Main Campus?

  • Widener University Main Campus is 266.2% more expensive to attend than Penn State Wilkes-Barre for in-state tuition ($50,624.00 vs. $13,824.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 119.3% higher at Widener University-Main Campus than Penn State Wilkes Barre ($50,624.00 vs. $23,086.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Wilkes Barre than Widener University-Main Campus ($16,728 vs. $32,185)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Wilkes Barre are 17.1% lower than costs at Widener University Main Campus ($12,984 vs. $15,200)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Widener University Main Campus than Penn State Wilkes Barre (97% vs. 94%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Widener University Main Campus students is 205.8% larger than aid received Penn State Wilkes Barre ($32,412 vs. $10,598)

Penn State Wilkes-Barre vs. Widener University-Main Campus Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Widener University Main Campus (1032) is 50 points higher than at Penn State Wilkes-Barre (982)
  • Incoming Widener University-Main Campus students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at Penn State Wilkes-Barre (22)
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre has a higher acceptance rate (95.3%) than Widener University-Main Campus (87.7%)

Penn State Wilkes-Barre vs. Widener University-Main Campus Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, Penn State Wilkes-Barre or Widener University-Main Campus? 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 Widener University-Main Campus and Penn State Wilkes-Barre.

  • The graduation rate at Widener University-Main Campus is higher than Penn State Wilkes Barre (54% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from Widener University Main Campus earn on average $4,200 more per year than Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates after ten years. ($59,500 vs. $55,300)
  • Penn State Wilkes Barre students graduate with a $182 lower median federal student loan debt than Widener University-Main Campus graduates. ($26,818 vs. $27,000)
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates are paying $2 less per month on federal student loans than Widener University-Main Campus graduates. ($277 vs. $279)
  • More Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Widener University-Main Campus students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 68%)

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