WMU vs. Penn State Greater Allegheny

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

 WMU Penn State Greater Allegheny
Location Kalamazoo, MI McKeesport, PA
Setting Small City Large Suburban
Enrollment 17,000 363
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #634
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website wmich.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 WMU Penn State Greater Allegheny
Tuition (In State) $14,523 $13,824
Tuition (Out of State) $18,154 $23,086
Room & Board $11,102 $12,254
Avg Net Price $20,030 $19,505
Avg Grant Aid $6,813 $10,269
% Receiving Grant Aid 93% 85%

Admission

 WMU Penn State Greater Allegheny
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 20,501 672
Admitted 17,334 589
Acceptance Rate 84.6% 87.6%
Enrolled % 15.1% 19.5%
Avg High School GPA 3.5 -
Typical High School Grades B+ -
Admissions Standards Average Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 19/27
SAT Range 990/1220 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

Academics

 WMU Penn State Greater Allegheny
Student to Faculty Ratio 16:1 8:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (22%)
  • Education (11%)
  • Health Professions (8%)
  • Communication (6%)
  • Engineering (6%)
  • Business (38%)
  • Psychology (35%)
  • Communication (15%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (10%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (2%)

Outcomes

 WMU Penn State Greater Allegheny
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 Greater Allegheny
% Men 47% 61%
% Women 53% 39%
Racial Diversity Low Medium
HBCU No No
% White 72% 61%
% Black 12% 19%
% Hispanic 5% 7%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 4% 4%
% Unknown Race 1% 1%

Students

 WMU Penn State Greater Allegheny
% In-State 79% 68%
% Out-of-State 19% 30%

Campus

 WMU Penn State Greater Allegheny
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 Greater Allegheny based on total student enrollment (17,000 students vs. 363 students)

WMU vs. Penn State Greater Allegheny Cost Comparison

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

  • Western Michigan University is 5.1% more expensive to attend than Penn State Greater Allegheny for in-state tuition ($14,523.00 vs. $13,824.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 27.2% higher at Penn State Greater Allegheny than Western Michigan University ($23,086.00 vs. $18,154.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Greater Allegheny than WMU ($19,505 vs. $20,030)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Western Michigan University are 10.4% lower than costs at Penn State Greater Allegheny ($11,102 vs. $12,254)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Western Michigan University than Penn State Greater Allegheny (93% vs. 85%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Penn State Greater Allegheny students is 50.7% larger than aid received Western Michigan University ($10,269 vs. $6,813)

WMU vs. Penn State Greater Allegheny Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, WMU 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 WMU .

  • The average SAT score at Western Michigan University (1030) is 87 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 WMU (22)
  • Penn State Greater Allegheny has a higher acceptance rate (87.6%) than WMU (84.6%)

WMU vs. Penn State Greater Allegheny Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, WMU 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 WMU.

  • The graduation rate at WMU is higher than Penn State Greater Allegheny (56% vs. 47%)
  • Graduates from Penn State Greater Allegheny 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 Greater Allegheny graduates. ($26,633 vs. $26,818)
  • WMU graduates are paying $2 less per month on federal student loans than Penn State Greater Allegheny graduates. ($275 vs. $277)
  • More Penn State Greater Allegheny 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/