Rutgers vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre

Deciding between Rutgers University New Brunswick and Penn State Wilkes Barre? The table below shows tuition, aid, admissions, and outcomes side by side. Data comes from public sources across more than 3,000 U.S. colleges and universities. No account is required.

Rutgers University New Brunswick
Penn State Wilkes Barre

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

  • Overview

  • Location
  • Rutgers New Brunswick, NJ
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre Dallas, PA
  • Setting
  • Rutgers Small City
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre Rural Fringe
  • Total enrollment
  • Rutgers 52,269
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre 315
  • Type
  • Rutgers Public 4 Year
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre Public 4 Year
  • National Ranking
  • Rutgers #114
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre
  • Religious Affiliation
  • Rutgers -
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre -
  • Status
  • Rutgers Non-profit
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre Non-profit
  • Team Colors
  • Rutgers
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre

  • Cost

  • Tuition (In State)
  • Rutgers $17,929
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre $14,280
  • Tuition (Out of State)
  • Rutgers $37,441
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre $24,006
  • Room & Board
  • Rutgers $15,714
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre $15,274
  • Average Net Price
  • Rutgers $20,522
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre $16,621
  • Average Grant Aid
  • Rutgers $16,742
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre $9,742
  • % Receiving Grant Aid
  • Rutgers 50%
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre 89%

  • Admissions

  • Applied
  • Rutgers 68,614
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre 631
  • Admitted
  • Rutgers 39,899
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre 612
  • Acceptance Rate
  • Rutgers 58.1%
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre 97%
  • Enrolled
  • Rutgers 20.5%
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre 15%
  • Typical SAT score
  • Rutgers 1410
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre 1210
  • Typical ACT score
  • Rutgers 30
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre
  • Average High School GPA
  • Rutgers 3.3
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre -
  • Typical High School Grades
  • Rutgers B+
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre -
  • Admissions Standards
  • Rutgers Exceptional
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre Difficult
  • Applicant Competition
  • Rutgers Low
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre
  • ACT Range
  • Rutgers 28/33
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre
  • SAT Range
  • Rutgers 1310/1500
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre 1090/1330
  • Submit Test Scores
  • Rutgers Test optional
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre Test optional
  • Application Deadline
  • Rutgers
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre

  • Academics

  • Student to Faculty Ratio
  • Rutgers 16:1
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre 10:1
  • Popular Majors
  • Rutgers
    • Social Sciences (16%)
    • Communication (10%)
    • Psychology (10%)
    • Biology (10%)
    • Engineering (8%)
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre
    • Business (34%)
    • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (28%)
    • Engineering Technology (19%)
    • English and Literature (12%)
    • Liberal Arts and Humanities (5%)

  • Outcomes

  • Graduation Rate
  • Rutgers 77%
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre 47%
  • Median Earnings (After 10 years)
  • Rutgers $66,200
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre $55,300
  • Making Student Loan Payments
  • Rutgers 68%
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre 69%
  • Median Student Loan Debt
  • Rutgers $22,215
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre $26,818
  • Median Loan Payment
  • Rutgers $229
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre $277

  • Diversity

  • % Men
  • Rutgers 46%
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre 66%
  • % Women
  • Rutgers 54%
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre 34%
  • Racial Diversity
  • Rutgers Very High
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre Very Low
  • HBCU
  • Rutgers No
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre No
  • % White
  • Rutgers 42%
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre 88%
  • % Asian
  • Rutgers 26%
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre 1%
  • % Black
  • Rutgers 7%
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre 3%
  • % Hispanic
  • Rutgers 13%
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre 5%
  • % Native American
  • Rutgers 0%
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre 0%
  • % Pacific Islander
  • Rutgers 0%
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre 0%
  • % Two or More Races
  • Rutgers 3%
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre 2%
  • % International
  • Rutgers 7%
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre 0%
  • % Unknown Race
  • Rutgers 2%
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre 1%

  • Students

  • % In-State
  • Rutgers 75%
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre 85%
  • % Out-of-State
  • Rutgers 13%
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre 13%

  • Campus

  • Campus Housing
  • Rutgers Yes
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre No
  • Freshman Dorm Required
  • Rutgers No
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre No
  • Meal Plan
  • Rutgers Yes
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre No
  • Weekend/Evening Classes
  • Rutgers Yes
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre No
  • Daycare Facility
  • Rutgers Yes
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre No

Comparable Facts

Compare Rutgers University New Brunswick in New Brunswick, NJ with Penn State Wilkes Barre in Dallas, PA on tuition, admissions, graduation, earnings, and student body data using the table above.

Rutgers University New Brunswick is larger than Penn State Wilkes-Barre based on total student enrollment (52,269 students vs. 315 students)

Location, institution type, and student-faculty ratio

  • Rutgers University New Brunswick is located in New Brunswick, NJ (Small City setting); Penn State Wilkes Barre is in Dallas, PA (Rural Fringe setting).
  • Rutgers University New Brunswick is a public, non-profit 4-year institution. Penn State Wilkes Barre is a public, non-profit 4-year institution.
  • Student-to-faculty ratio: Rutgers University New Brunswick 16:1; Penn State Wilkes Barre 10:1.

Rutgers vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, Rutgers or Penn State Wilkes-Barre? Published tuition is the sticker price; many students pay less after aid (see average net price below).

  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Wilkes Barre than Rutgers ($16,621 vs. $20,522).
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Wilkes Barre are 2.8% lower than at Rutgers University New Brunswick ($15,274 vs. $15,714).
  • Rutgers University New Brunswick is 25.6% more expensive for in-state tuition than Penn State Wilkes-Barre (about $3,649 more per year; $17,929.00 vs. $14,280.00).
  • Out-of-state tuition is 56% higher at Rutgers than at Penn State Wilkes Barre (about $13,435 more per year; $37,441.00 vs. $24,006.00).
  • A larger share of students receive grant aid at Penn State Wilkes Barre than at Rutgers University New Brunswick (89% vs. 50%).
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Rutgers University New Brunswick students is 71.9% larger than aid received by Penn State Wilkes Barre students ($16,742 vs. $9,742).

Rutgers vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre Admissions comparison

Which college is harder to get into, Rutgers or Penn State Wilkes-Barre? Typical SAT and ACT scores (same estimates as in the table above), middle 50% test ranges where reported, test score submission policy, deadlines, and acceptance rates summarize admission difficulty between Penn State Wilkes-Barre and Rutgers.

  • The typical SAT score (median estimate) at Rutgers University New Brunswick (1410) is 200 points higher than at Penn State Wilkes-Barre (1210).
  • Reported middle 50% SAT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: Rutgers University New Brunswick 1310/1500; Penn State Wilkes Barre 1090/1330.
  • Reported middle 50% ACT composite range (25th-75th percentile) for admitted students: Rutgers University New Brunswick 28/33.
  • Submitting SAT or ACT scores: Rutgers - Test optional; Penn State Wilkes-Barre - Test optional.
  • Penn State Wilkes-Barre has a higher acceptance rate (97%) than Rutgers (58.1%).
  • The share of admitted students who enrolled (yield) is 20.5% at Rutgers vs. 15% at Penn State Wilkes-Barre.

Rutgers vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre Graduation Outcomes Comparison

How do outcomes compare for Rutgers and Penn State Wilkes-Barre? Graduation rate, earnings, and student loan debt are common indicators. The bullets below summarize the same federal outcomes fields as the comparison table (College Scorecard / IPEDS where applicable).

  • Rutgers University New Brunswick's six-year graduation rate (77%) is higher than Penn State Wilkes Barre's (47%).
  • Graduates from Rutgers University New Brunswick earn a median of about $10,900 more per year than Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates about ten years after starting college ($66,200 vs. $55,300), per the same Scorecard earnings definition.
  • Among federal student loan borrowers, Rutgers University New Brunswick graduates have a $4,603 lower median loan debt than Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates ($22,215 vs. $26,818).
  • Among borrowers, Rutgers graduates have an estimated $48 lower median monthly federal student loan payment than Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates ($229 vs. $277).
  • More Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Rutgers 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/. Values reflect the most recent year available in our dataset.