WCU vs. Penn State Greater Allegheny

Should I go to Western Carolina University or Penn State Greater Allegheny? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if WCU or Penn State Greater Allegheny 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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Western Carolina University vs. Penn State Greater Allegheny comparison
Western Carolina University Penn State Greater Allegheny College 3 College 4
Western Carolina University
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Overview

 WCU Penn State Greater Allegheny
Location Cullowhee, NC McKeesport, PA
Setting Distant Town Large Suburban
Enrollment 11,635 363
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #763
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website wcu.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 WCU Penn State Greater Allegheny
Tuition (In State) $1,000 $13,824
Tuition (Out of State) $5,000 $23,086
Room & Board $11,173 $12,254
Avg Net Price $13,022 $19,505
Avg Grant Aid $4,526 $10,269
% Receiving Grant Aid 99% 85%

Admission

 WCU Penn State Greater Allegheny
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 17,917 672
Admitted 15,201 589
Acceptance Rate 84.8% 87.6%
Enrolled % 12.7% 19.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.44 -
Typical High School Grades B+ -
Admissions Standards Average Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 19/26
SAT Range 1020/1240 1040/1300
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 Mar 1, 2024

Academics

 WCU Penn State Greater Allegheny
Student to Faculty Ratio 16:1 8:1
Popular Majors
  • Education (20%)
  • Health Professions (16%)
  • Business (14%)
  • Engineering Technology (8%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (6%)
  • Business (38%)
  • Psychology (35%)
  • Communication (15%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (10%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (2%)

Outcomes

 WCU Penn State Greater Allegheny
Graduation Rate 50% 47%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $39,100 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 58% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $22,010 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $227 $277

Diversity

 WCU Penn State Greater Allegheny
% Men 41% 61%
% Women 59% 39%
Racial Diversity Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 79% 61%
% Black 6% 19%
% Hispanic 6% 7%
% Native American 1% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 3%
% International 1% 4%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

 WCU Penn State Greater Allegheny
% In-State 80% 68%
% Out-of-State 18% 30%

Campus

 WCU Penn State Greater Allegheny
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility Yes No
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • Western Carolina University is larger than than Penn State Greater Allegheny based on total student enrollment (11,635 students vs. 363 students)

WCU vs. Penn State Greater Allegheny Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, WCU or Penn State Greater Allegheny?

  • Penn State Greater Allegheny is 1,282.4% more expensive to attend than WCU for in-state tuition ($13,824.00 vs. $1,000.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 361.7% higher at Penn State Greater Allegheny than Western Carolina University ($23,086.00 vs. $5,000.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Western Carolina University than Penn State Greater Allegheny ($13,022 vs. $19,505)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Western Carolina University are 9.7% lower than costs at Penn State Greater Allegheny ($11,173 vs. $12,254)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Western Carolina University than Penn State Greater Allegheny (99% vs. 85%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Greater Allegheny students is 126.9% larger than aid received Western Carolina University ($10,269 vs. $4,526)

WCU vs. Penn State Greater Allegheny Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Western Carolina University (1032) is 89 points higher than at Penn State Greater Allegheny (943)
  • Incoming Penn State Greater Allegheny students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (23) than students at WCU (22)
  • Penn State Greater Allegheny has a higher acceptance rate (87.6%) than WCU (84.8%)

WCU vs. Penn State Greater Allegheny Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, WCU or Penn State Greater Allegheny? 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 Greater Allegheny and WCU.

  • The graduation rate at WCU is higher than Penn State Greater Allegheny (50% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Greater Allegheny earn on average $16,200 more per year than WCU graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $39,100)
  • Western Carolina University students graduate with a $4,808 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Greater Allegheny graduates. ($22,010 vs. $26,818)
  • WCU graduates are paying $50 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Greater Allegheny graduates. ($227 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Greater Allegheny graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former WCU students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 58%)

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