Wilkes University vs Clarion U of Pa

Wilkes University and Clarion University of Pennsylvania, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Wilkes, a private university in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, boasts a 75% acceptance rate and a diverse student body, with 2,500 undergraduates representing 30 states and 20 countries. Clarion, a public university located in Clarion, Pennsylvania, has a higher acceptance rate of 88% and a predominantly local student population, with 90% of undergraduates hailing from Pennsylvania. While Wilkes excels in the fields of business, nursing, and education, Clarion shines in communication, education, and social sciences. Both universities offer a vibrant campus life, with active student organizations and NCAA Division II athletic programs. To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison table highlighting key differences between these two universities, including graduation rates, tuition costs, and available financial aid.

	Clarion University of Pennsylvania	Wilkes University
Overview
Location	Clarion, Pennsylvania	Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
Campus setting	Town: Remote	City: Small
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	75.0%	75.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	99.2%	94.8%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $35 Graduate: $40	Undergraduate: $40 Graduate: $45
SAT range	N/A	1040 - 1250
ACT range	N/A	20 - 28
Students submitting SAT score		30.0%
Students submitting ACT score		5.0%
Total number of applicants	1,642	4,019
Total number of admissions given out	1,629	3,809
Admitted students who chose to enroll	522	556
Yield rate	32.0%	14.6%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Not required	Required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Not required	Not required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $28,793 Out of state: $33,672	$55,207
Average net price	$13,840	$30,155
Tuition	In state: $7,716 Out of state: $11,574	$37,994
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $8,590 Meal plan: $4,340	Room/dormitory: $9,492 Meal plan: $6,206
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	97.0% Average amount $8,127	96.0% Average amount $26,371
Students receiving federal student loan	56.0% Average amount $5,282	84.0% Average amount $5,594
Students taking out private loans	11.0% Average amount $11,498	32.0% Average amount $16,328

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	3,156 Men 30.7% Women 69.3%	2,232 Men 45.5% Women 54.5%
Graduate students	766 Men 18.9% Women 81.1%	3,044 Men 22.5% Women 77.5%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Low
Out-of-state students	5.4%	26.5%
International students	0.6%	2.4%
Campus local/setting	Town: Remote	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	1,745	1,184
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Pennsylvania Ohio Maryland Arizona New York	Pennsylvania New Jersey New York Maryland Connecticut

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Library Science Business Education Law Enforcement and Firefighting	Education Health Professions Liberal Arts Engineering Business
Students to faculty ratio	17:1	13:1
Institutional accreditation	Middle States Commission on Higher Education	Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	55.2%	61.4%
Dropout rate	19.1%	11.2%
Transferred out	24.4%	26.7%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $93,036 Year 2: $101,964 Year 3: $97,139 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $58,882 Year 2: $72,796 Year 3: $73,725 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $63,702 Year 2: $62,409 Year 3: $66,763 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $51,741 Year 2: $52,941 Year 3: $61,720 Information Science/Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $44,553 Year 2: $51,106 Year 3: $55,540 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Associate's Degrees) Year 1: $55,648 Year 2: $45,383 Year 3: $55,375 Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $44,672 Year 2: $50,387 Year 3: $52,068 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $40,736 Year 2: $40,089 Year 3: $50,174 Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $39,419 Year 2: $41,565 Year 3: $48,591 Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $46,716 Year 2: $43,493 Year 3: $48,524	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $126,057 Year 2: $133,171 Year 3: $124,927 Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $107,920 Year 2: $110,559 Year 3: $119,036 Engineering, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $60,305 Year 2: $53,984 Year 3: $65,444 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $61,200 Year 2: $53,219 Year 3: $64,060 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $56,705 Year 2: $52,733 Year 3: $63,832 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $64,105 Year 2: $65,035 Year 3: $63,464 Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $54,835 Year 2: $52,941 Year 3: $59,300 Education, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $54,977 Year 2: $49,631 Year 3: $56,693 Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $53,044 Year 2: $53,099 Year 3: $55,573 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $46,218 Year 2: $44,776 Year 3: $55,534

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