WPI vs. Penn State Abington

Should I go to Worcester Polytechnic Institute or Penn State Abington? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if WPI or Penn State Abington 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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Worcester Polytechnic Institute vs. Penn State Abington comparison
Worcester Polytechnic Institute Penn State Abington College 3 College 4
Worcester Polytechnic Institute Penn State Abington
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Overview

 WPI Penn State Abington
Location Worcester, MA Abington, PA
Setting Midsize City Large Suburban
Enrollment 7,308 3,090
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #694
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website wpi.edu psu.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 WPI Penn State Abington
Tuition (In State) $56,000 $14,684
Tuition (Out of State) $56,000 $24,586
Room & Board $16,544 $10,694
Avg Net Price $46,876 $20,460
Avg Grant Aid $27,059 $9,589
% Receiving Grant Aid 96% 79%

Admission

 WPI Penn State Abington
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 11,599 6,463
Admitted 6,667 6,037
Acceptance Rate 57.5% 93.4%
Enrolled % 20.3% 14.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.9 3.42
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Unavailable Difficult
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 23/31
SAT Range 1070/1310
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Feb 15, 2024

Academics

 WPI Penn State Abington
Student to Faculty Ratio 13:1 15:1
Popular Majors
  • Engineering (61%)
  • Biology (10%)
  • Computer and Information Sciences (9%)
  • General Studies (5%)
  • Business (4%)
  • Business (35%)
  • Psychology (21%)
  • Liberal Arts and Humanities (12%)
  • Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting (10%)
  • English and Literature (6%)

Outcomes

 WPI Penn State Abington
Graduation Rate 76% 44%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $82,700 $55,300
Making Student Loan Payments 92% 69%
Median Student Loan Debt $27,000 $26,818
Median Loan Payment $279 $277

Diversity

 WPI Penn State Abington
% Men 64% 59%
% Women 36% 41%
Racial Diversity Medium High
HBCU No No
% White 63% 50%
% Black 2% 13%
% Hispanic 8% 10%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 2%
% International 12% 5%
% Unknown Race 6% 3%

Students

 WPI Penn State Abington
% In-State 45% 68%
% Out-of-State 47% 21%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • Worcester Polytechnic Institute is larger than than Penn State Abington based on total student enrollment (7,308 students vs. 3,090 students)

WPI vs. Penn State Abington Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, WPI or Penn State Abington?

  • Worcester Polytechnic Institute is 281.4% more expensive to attend than Penn State Abington for in-state tuition ($56,000.00 vs. $14,684.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 127.8% higher at WPI than Penn State Abington ($56,000.00 vs. $24,586.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at Penn State Abington than WPI ($20,460 vs. $46,876)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Penn State Abington are 54.7% lower than costs at Worcester Polytechnic Institute ($10,694 vs. $16,544)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Worcester Polytechnic Institute than Penn State Abington (96% vs. 79%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Worcester Polytechnic Institute students is 182.2% larger than aid received Penn State Abington ($27,059 vs. $9,589)

WPI vs. Penn State Abington Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • Accepted freshman WPI students have a 0.48 point higher average high school GPA (3.9) than students at Penn State Abington (3.42)
  • Penn State Abington has a higher acceptance rate (93.4%) than WPI (57.5%)

WPI vs. Penn State Abington Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, WPI or Penn State Abington? 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 Abington and WPI.

  • The graduation rate at WPI is higher than Penn State Abington (76% vs. 44%)
  • Graduates from Worcester Polytechnic Institute earn on average $27,400 more per year than Penn State Abington graduates after ten years. ($82,700 vs. $55,300)
  • Penn State Abington students graduate with a $182 lower median federal student loan debt than WPI graduates. ($26,818 vs. $27,000)
  • Penn State Abington graduates are paying $2 less per month on federal student loans than WPI graduates. ($277 vs. $279)
  • More WPI graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Penn State Abington students, three years after graduation. (92% vs. 69%)

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