SUNY Empire State College vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre

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

 SUNY Empire State College Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Location Saratoga Springs, NY Lehman, PA
Setting Small Suburban Rural Fringe
Enrollment 9,407 368
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website esc.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 SUNY Empire State College Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Tuition (In State) $7,070 $13,824
Tuition (Out of State) $16,980 $23,086
Room & Board $11,600 $12,984
Avg Net Price $9,704 $16,728
Avg Grant Aid $9,343 $10,598
% Receiving Grant Aid 80% 94%

Admission

 SUNY Empire State College Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied - 653
Admitted - 622
Acceptance Rate 95.3%
Enrolled % 20.4%
Avg High School GPA - -
Typical High School Grades - -
Admissions Standards Unavailable Average
Applicant Competition
ACT Range
SAT Range 1070/1260
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline

Academics

 SUNY Empire State College Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Student to Faculty Ratio 17:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (40%)
  • Human Services (20%)
  • General Studies (10%)
  • Physical Sciences (6%)
  • Psychology (6%)
  • Business (34%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (28%)
  • Engineering Technology (19%)
  • English and Literature (12%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (5%)

Outcomes

 SUNY Empire State College Penn State Wilkes-Barre
Graduation Rate 19% 47%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $46,000 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 44% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $23,250 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $240 $277

Diversity

 SUNY Empire State College Penn State Wilkes-Barre
% Men 33% 64%
% Women 67% 36%
Racial Diversity Medium Very Low
HBCU No No
% White 60% 88%
% Black 16% 3%
% Hispanic 12% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 2% 2%
% International 5% 0%
% Unknown Race 2% 1%

Students

 SUNY Empire State College Penn State Wilkes-Barre
% In-State 86% 83%
% Out-of-State 7% 17%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • SUNY Empire State College is larger than than Penn State Wilkes-Barre based on total student enrollment (9,407 students vs. 368 students)

SUNY Empire State College vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, SUNY Empire State College or Penn State Wilkes-Barre?

  • Penn State Wilkes Barre is 95.5% more expensive to attend than SUNY Empire State College for in-state tuition ($13,824.00 vs. $7,070.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 36% higher at Penn State Wilkes-Barre than SUNY Empire State College ($23,086.00 vs. $16,980.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at SUNY Empire State College than Penn State Wilkes-Barre ($9,704 vs. $16,728)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at SUNY Empire State College are 11.9% lower than costs at Penn State Wilkes Barre ($11,600 vs. $12,984)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Penn State Wilkes Barre than SUNY Empire State College (94% vs. 80%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Wilkes Barre students is 13.4% larger than aid received SUNY Empire State College ($10,598 vs. $9,343)

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

SUNY Empire State College vs. Penn State Wilkes-Barre Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, SUNY Empire State College or Penn State Wilkes-Barre? 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 Wilkes-Barre and SUNY Empire State College.

  • The graduation rate at Penn State Wilkes-Barre is higher than SUNY Empire State College (47% vs. 19%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Wilkes Barre earn on average $9,300 more per year than SUNY Empire State College graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $46,000)
  • SUNY Empire State College students graduate with a $3,568 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates. ($23,250 vs. $26,818)
  • SUNY Empire State College graduates are paying $37 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates. ($240 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Wilkes-Barre graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former SUNY Empire State College students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 44%)

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