WMU vs. Penn State Beaver

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

 WMU Penn State Beaver
Location Kalamazoo, MI Monaca, PA
Setting Small City Large Suburban
Enrollment 16,693 504
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #631
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website wmich.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 WMU Penn State Beaver
Tuition (In State) $15,198 $13,824
Tuition (Out of State) $18,998 $23,316
Room & Board $11,713 $12,852
Avg Net Price $20,183 $19,329
Avg Grant Aid $8,217 $8,820
% Receiving Grant Aid 91% 84%

Admission

 WMU Penn State Beaver
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 20,100 1,603
Admitted 17,020 1,478
Acceptance Rate 84.7% 92.2%
Enrolled % 14.5% 11.2%
Avg High School GPA 3.5 -
Typical High School Grades B+ -
Admissions Standards Moderate Average
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 20/27 21/26
SAT Range 990/1220 1050/1320
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

 WMU Penn State Beaver
Student to Faculty Ratio 16:1 11:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (22%)
  • Education (11%)
  • Health Professions (8%)
  • Communication (6%)
  • Engineering (6%)
  • Business (54%)
  • Psychology (24%)
  • Communication (18%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (3%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (1%)

Outcomes

 WMU Penn State Beaver
Graduation Rate 56% 47%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $48,900 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 54% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $26,633 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $275 $277

Diversity

 WMU Penn State Beaver
% Men 8% 1%
% Women 14% 2%
Racial Diversity Low Low
HBCU No No
% White 72% 75%
% Black 12% 9%
% Hispanic 5% 5%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 4% 3%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

 WMU Penn State Beaver
% In-State 78% 63%
% Out-of-State 21% 34%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Western Michigan University is larger than than Penn State Beaver based on total student enrollment (16,693 students vs. 504 students)

WMU vs. Penn State Beaver Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, WMU or Penn State Beaver?

  • Western Michigan University is 9.9% more expensive to attend than Penn State Beaver for in-state tuition ($15,198.00 vs. $13,824.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 22.7% higher at Penn State Beaver than Western Michigan University ($23,316.00 vs. $18,998.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Beaver than WMU ($19,329 vs. $20,183)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Western Michigan University are 9.7% lower than costs at Penn State Beaver ($11,713 vs. $12,852)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Western Michigan University than Penn State Beaver (91% vs. 84%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Beaver students is 7.3% larger than aid received Western Michigan University ($8,820 vs. $8,217)

WMU vs. Penn State Beaver Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Western Michigan University (1030) is 31 points higher than at Penn State Beaver (999)
  • Incoming WMU students have a 1 point higher average ACT score (22) than students at Penn State Beaver (21)
  • Penn State Beaver has a higher acceptance rate (92.2%) than WMU (84.7%)

WMU vs. Penn State Beaver Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, WMU or Penn State Beaver? 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 Beaver and WMU.

  • The graduation rate at WMU is higher than Penn State Beaver (56% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Beaver earn on average $6,400 more per year than WMU graduates after ten years. ($55,300 vs. $48,900)
  • Western Michigan University students graduate with a $185 lower median federal student loan debt than Penn State Beaver graduates. ($26,633 vs. $26,818)
  • WMU graduates are paying $2 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Beaver graduates. ($275 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Beaver graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former WMU students, three years after graduation. (69% vs. 54%)

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