Wilkes University vs West Chester University of Pennsylvania (WCUPA)

Wilkes University and West Chester University of Pennsylvania, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Wilkes, a private university, boasts a lower acceptance rate and a smaller student body, fostering a close-knit community. West Chester, a public university, offers a more diverse student body and a higher acceptance rate, providing a vibrant and inclusive campus environment. While Wilkes excels in the fields of business, nursing, and education, West Chester shines in the areas of business, education, and communication. Both universities boast impressive graduation rates, ensuring that students are well-prepared for their future careers. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	West Chester University of Pennsylvania	Wilkes University
Overview
Location	West Chester, Pennsylvania	Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
Campus setting	Suburb: Large	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	85.0%	75.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	89.4%	94.8%
Application fees	Undergraduate: $45 Graduate: $50	Undergraduate: $40 Graduate: $45
SAT range	1070 - 1250	1040 - 1250
ACT range	23 - 29	20 - 28
Students submitting SAT score	27.0%	30.0%
Students submitting ACT score	1.0%	5.0%
Total number of applicants	14,020	4,019
Total number of admissions given out	12,528	3,809
Admitted students who chose to enroll	2,628	556
Yield rate	21.0%	14.6%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Not 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: $28,419 Out of state: $40,243	$55,207
Average net price	$14,133	$30,155
Tuition	In state: $7,716 Out of state: $19,290	$37,994
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $5,794 Meal plan: $3,700	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)	100.0% Average amount $4,607	96.0% Average amount $26,371
Students receiving federal student loan	51.0% Average amount $5,238	84.0% Average amount $5,594
Students taking out private loans	11.0% Average amount $11,835	32.0% Average amount $16,328

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	14,471 Men 40.0% Women 60.0%	2,232 Men 45.5% Women 54.5%
Graduate students	3,143 Men 31.7% Women 68.3%	3,044 Men 22.5% Women 77.5%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	11.4%	26.5%
International students	0.4%	2.4%
Campus local/setting	Suburb: Large	City: Small
Dormitory capacity	5,128	1,184
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Pennsylvania New Jersey Delaware Maryland New York	Pennsylvania New Jersey New York Maryland Connecticut

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Business Education Kinesiology & Leisure Studies Public Administration and Social Service	Education Health Professions Liberal Arts Engineering Business
Students to faculty ratio	20:1	13:1
Institutional accreditation	Middle States Commission on Higher Education	Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	72.8%	61.4%
Dropout rate	7.6%	11.2%
Transferred out	18.4%	26.7%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $78,514 Year 2: $91,211 Year 3: $102,513 Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $58,034 Year 2: $70,863 Year 3: $83,078 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $68,346 Year 2: $66,653 Year 3: $74,076 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $56,184 Year 2: $59,253 Year 3: $67,374 Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $52,978 Year 2: $57,589 Year 3: $65,537 Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $53,367 Year 2: $53,508 Year 3: $61,456 Business/Managerial Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $53,396 Year 2: $50,856 Year 3: $58,904 Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $53,608 Year 3: $57,532 Special Education and Teaching (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $51,096 Year 2: $58,402 Year 3: $56,740 Music (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $52,107 Year 3: $56,355	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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