WKU vs. Penn State Greater Allegheny

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

 WKU Penn State Greater Allegheny
Location Bowling Green, KY McKeesport, PA
Setting Small City Large Suburban
Enrollment 16,493 363
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #875
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website wku.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 WKU Penn State Greater Allegheny
Tuition (In State) $11,112 $13,824
Tuition (Out of State) $27,000 $23,086
Room & Board $11,072 $12,254
Avg Net Price $12,625 $19,505
Avg Grant Aid $10,260 $10,269
% Receiving Grant Aid 99% 85%

Admission

 WKU Penn State Greater Allegheny
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 7,505 672
Admitted 7,276 589
Acceptance Rate 96.9% 87.6%
Enrolled % 37.9% 19.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.42 -
Typical High School Grades B+ -
Admissions Standards Easy Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 18/25
SAT Range 980/1170 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 Aug 1, 2024

Academics

 WKU Penn State Greater Allegheny
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 8:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (16%)
  • Education (12%)
  • Health Professions (11%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (10%)
  • Social Sciences (8%)
  • Business (38%)
  • Psychology (35%)
  • Communication (15%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (10%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (2%)

Outcomes

 WKU Penn State Greater Allegheny
Graduation Rate 50% 47%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $37,100 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 47% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $24,250 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $250 $277

Diversity

 WKU Penn State Greater Allegheny
% Men 37% 61%
% Women 63% 39%
Racial Diversity Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 76% 61%
% Black 10% 19%
% Hispanic 3% 7%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 6% 4%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

 WKU Penn State Greater Allegheny
% In-State 70% 68%
% Out-of-State 29% 30%

Campus

 WKU 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 Kentucky University is larger than than Penn State Greater Allegheny based on total student enrollment (16,493 students vs. 363 students)

WKU vs. Penn State Greater Allegheny Cost Comparison

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

  • Penn State Greater Allegheny is 24.4% more expensive to attend than WKU for in-state tuition ($13,824.00 vs. $11,112.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 17% higher at WKU than Penn State Greater Allegheny ($27,000.00 vs. $23,086.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Western Kentucky University than Penn State Greater Allegheny ($12,625 vs. $19,505)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Western Kentucky University are 10.7% lower than costs at Penn State Greater Allegheny ($11,072 vs. $12,254)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Western Kentucky University than Penn State Greater Allegheny (99% vs. 85%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Greater Allegheny students is 0.1% larger than aid received Western Kentucky University ($10,269 vs. $10,260)

WKU vs. Penn State Greater Allegheny Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, WKU 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 WKU .

  • The average SAT score at Western Kentucky University (1047) is 104 points higher than at Penn State Greater Allegheny (943)
  • Incoming WKU students have at the same average ACT score (23) as students at Penn State Greater Allegheny (23)
  • WKU has a higher acceptance rate (96.9%) than Penn State Greater Allegheny (87.6%)

WKU vs. Penn State Greater Allegheny Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, WKU 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 WKU.

  • The graduation rate at WKU is higher than Penn State Greater Allegheny (50% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Greater Allegheny earn on average $18,200 more per year than WKU graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $37,100)
  • Western Kentucky University students graduate with a $2,568 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Greater Allegheny graduates. ($24,250 vs. $26,818)
  • WKU graduates are paying $27 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Greater Allegheny graduates. ($250 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Greater Allegheny graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former WKU students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 47%)

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