I’m going to be honest with you from the first line: this piece will not tell you whether your child should attend this school. That depends on three things: what the school actually offers, what your child wants and has accomplished, and what your family can afford. Here we are working only with the first piece. But we are going to examine it thoroughly, because understanding it well is part of the work of any parent mapping out a child’s future.
Where this school stands
Penn State Wilkes-Barre is in Dallas, Pennsylvania, in Luzerne County. The area around the campus is rural and near a city, rather than within a large urban area. That does not tell you how much traffic there is between home and the classroom, whether public transportation is available, or how far away the grocery store is. If your family does not live nearby, you will have to gather that information separately: where your child would live and how your child would get to campus every day.
It is a public four-year institution, and the highest degree level it reports offering is the bachelor’s degree. That does not confirm that your child’s exact program is offered here or that it leads to that degree; this must be verified program by program, not from the school’s name.
One thing is worth clarifying right away: in the Carnegie system, which classifies universities by type, this school appears outside the classified universe. That does not mean it is worse. It means Carnegie did not assign it a classification. Before paying for the first semester, you should still ask admissions what accreditation it holds and exactly what degree it awards, and confirm that yourself on the Department of Education website. No classification label can save you from making that call.
Another fact worth understanding from the beginning: it is not a historically Black college or university, a tribal college or university, or a land-grant institution. Not having those designations does not tell you which students it serves or how your child will feel there. Ask directly which cultural centers and student organizations currently exist, and speak with someone who already attends the school.
A small campus, and what that means
Here is one of the facts that most defines this school: it is small. It had 353 students enrolled in the official fall count, nearly all of them undergraduates (348), with only 5 graduate students. Compared with the 519 selective-admission, public four-year schools in this same census, it is among the smallest in the group: at least nine out of ten have more students.
Being small does not make it better or worse. But it does change one practical question: whether the courses your child needs are offered every semester or only once a year, because that affects how long it takes to finish.
Within this small group, Hispanic or Latino students account for 6 out of every 100 students. It is a small minority, and the share is below the midpoint of its comparable schools. That does not remove the school from consideration, but if your child will be one of only a few, it is worth asking during the visit what exists for Latino students: a student group, a cultural center, or someone in the office who speaks Spanish. There are more men than women among undergraduates—out of every 100 students, only 36 are women—and students ages 25 to 64 are a minority, accounting for only 7 out of every 100 students.
How the academic year works
The year is organized into semesters: two long terms of about 15 weeks. The school reported that it accepts credit from AP exams and also what IPEDS calls credit for life experience—learning acquired through work, portfolios, licenses, previous certifications, or military opportunities—as well as credit for military training. It also enrolls high school students in college courses for credit through a formal dual-enrollment program.
Here is a hard truth worth its weight in gold: saying that the school accepts AP does not mean it awards credit for every exam. The report does not say what scores are required or whether those credits count toward your child’s specific program. Ask for the equivalency evaluation in writing before enrolling. Do not budget for the savings until you have it in hand.
As for bachelor’s degrees, the school awarded 38 during the reported year, spread across 9 fields of study. By far the largest was computer and information sciences: 12 of the 38 degrees, or 32 out of every 100. Compared with similar schools, it offers fewer fields of study than most. With numbers this small, the count can change substantially from one year to the next, so ask for the last three years of data for the exact program your child is considering, not just a snapshot of one year.
The student-to-instructional-staff ratio is 10 to 1, a low ratio compared with similar schools. Be careful: this does not automatically mean small classes. It is an institution-wide aggregate ratio, not the actual size of the classroom where your child will sit.
What the school offers beyond the classroom
The institution reports study abroad, cocurricular undergraduate research, and a full program that can be completed entirely during evenings or weekends. These are worth asking about in detail if they interest your child, because the report confirms that they exist, not how they work in practice.
Getting in is relatively easy. Staying and paying are another story
This is one of the most important parts of the entire article, so let’s take it slowly.
Penn State Wilkes-Barre does not have open admissions: it reviews certain factors before saying yes. Of nine possible considerations, it marks three as required: the high school record, high school GPA, and an English proficiency exam for applicants to whom it applies. If your child studied outside the United States or attended high school in another language, ask now whether that exam is required and what would qualify for an exemption. This is one of those things families discover late, making everything more complicated.
The SAT and ACT are not required. If applicants submit them, the school considers them; if they do not, their applications remain just as active. The published application fee is $65.
Now for the most surprising figure: out of every 100 people who applied for admission, 95 were accepted. Compared with similar schools, it is on the more accessible side: seven out of ten schools in that group, or more, accept a smaller percentage. Your child’s energy will go further here when spent meeting deadlines and completing the application than competing for a place.
But—and this matters—being easy to enter says nothing about whether the school is affordable or whether most students graduate. Those two calculations, net price and graduation, carry more weight than admission, and we will examine them shortly.
Here is another number that deserves your attention: out of every 100 admitted students, only 15 enrolled. Roughly one comes for every 7 who are accepted. Do not read this as a mark against the school: the record does not say why each person made that choice. What you need to do is wait for your own letter showing the net price—what it will actually cost you—before deciding whether this school stays on your list.
There is also an important departure measure that must be mentioned: among a cohort that entered in 2017 seeking bachelor’s degrees, 45 out of every 100 transferred to another school without finishing here. That is among the highest proportions at comparable schools. The data do not say why they left, and leaving does not mean things went badly for them. But there is a calculation almost nobody sees: students who transfer do not count as graduates of this school, even if they finish their degrees elsewhere. Remember this when we examine the graduation rate later.
The listed price, and what students actually pay
At Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Wilkes-Barre, among 16 first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid, paid the in-state or in-district tuition rate, and whose EFC records showed family income below $30,000, the average net price was $9,544. Among 22 students from the same population whose EFC family income was from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $14,764; among 18 students whose EFC family income was above $110,000, it was $21,827. For dependent students, the income band combines their parents’ income with their own.
The difference between the average for the lowest-income band (16 students) and the average for the highest-income band (18 students) is $12,283. These are group averages, not a prediction of your family’s price. Among first-time students who received any grant or scholarship aid, the average was $16,275.
The advertised price is not the same as the amount students pay. Here, for low-income students, the average net price was $9,544 in academic year 2022-23.
Because the price changes so much from one income band to another, correctly identifying yours comes first. The income bands in this profile describe first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid; at public institutions, they use the in-state or in-district tuition rate. The overall average with aid, when shown, describes first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional grants or scholarships. The financial aid letter you receive is what matters.
How students pay: grants, Pell, and loans
Out of every 100 degree-seeking students here, 83 received some form of grant or scholarship aid that does not have to be repaid. Among those who received it, the average for the year was $9,789. And 40 out of every 100 received a Pell Grant, the federal aid for students who demonstrate financial need. Remember that the percentage and the average do not share the same denominator: the percentage is calculated across all degree-seeking students, while the average is calculated only across those who received aid. Do not multiply them together.
Now for the debt side, and I want to be direct with you because this is where many families become confused. In school year 2022-23, 56 out of every 100 undergraduate students received a federal student loan. That is a high proportion compared with similar schools: seven out of ten schools in that group, or more, had a lower proportion. Among those who borrowed, each took out an average of $6,036 that year. If your child borrowed a similar amount each year throughout the program’s four years, the total would be around $24,144, not including interest. That calculation should be made before the first signature, not at the end.
And there is something this number does not include: it does not cover the Parent PLUS loans parents sometimes sign for, bank or credit card debt, or the total debt someone has upon graduation. That number is not in this report. What you need to do is wait for your child’s actual financial aid letter before ruling out or committing to this school. That percentage describes other families, not yours.
The institution also reports offering an installment tuition payment plan, in case that option interests you.
Campus life, ROTC, athletics, and learning format
As we already said, the institution does not control any housing or food services. ROTC opportunities are available in two branches, Army and Air Force; Navy is not marked. Being marked in the report is not the same as being accepted or knowing whether the program operates specifically on this campus: ask about it by name before building a plan around it.
In athletics, the school is affiliated with the USCAA (United States Collegiate Athletic Association), not the NCAA or the NAIA. The federal record does not clarify whether teams currently compete in every sport. If athletics matter to your child, write directly to the coach and request the current schedule and written confirmation.
As for distance education, the school offers it at the undergraduate and graduate levels, but in the fall count, only 1 out of every 100 undergraduate students took all their classes at a distance. It does not report an undergraduate program that can be completed entirely at a distance. Regarding support, it reports combined academic and career counseling, employment services for current students, participation in the Yellow Ribbon program for veterans, a dedicated point of contact for veterans and military families, and a web address for disability services.
Who stays, and who finishes
Here we reach the part that carries the most weight when making a decision with your eyes open.
Among the cohort that entered in fall 2022 as full-time, bachelor’s-degree-seeking students, 79 out of every 100 met the official retention criterion: they were still enrolled here or had already completed their degrees one year later. This figure is slightly above the midpoint among comparable schools, neither among the best nor among the worst. Keep one important point in mind: “not returning” is not the same as “dropping out.” Someone who transferred to another university and is still studying there is counted the same in this statistic as someone who left higher education entirely.
Now for the number that must be read slowly. Of the 100 students who entered in 2017 as full-time, bachelor’s-degree-seeking students, only 16 had earned a degree from this school six years later. At four years, the figure was 10 out of every 100. Compared with similar schools, it is at the very bottom of the table: nine out of ten, or more, graduate a larger proportion.
I will say it plainly because I owe you that: this is a low graduation rate. The rest of that cohort, 84 out of every 100, did not have a bachelor’s degree from this school after six years. That may include people who transferred and finished elsewhere—remember the transfer figure we examined above—or people who earned a shorter credential here. The report does not distinguish each person’s reason. What you need to do with a number like this is ask directly what happened with that cohort, what specific support exists today, and keep more than one option on your child’s list. And remember: this percentage covers the entire school, not the specific program your child is considering. If that information exists, you will have to request it from the department.
At eight years, a different cohort—which includes full-time and part-time students who entered between July 2015 and June 2016—shows that 27 out of every 100 had earned a degree or certificate from this school as of the August 2023 measurement date, while 73 had not. The same calculation performed separately for students who received Pell Grants produces exactly the same figure: 27 out of every 100. The fact that the figures match does not mean the paths were identical. Compared with similar schools, it is also at the very bottom of the table.
This eight-year measurement is a snapshot of a moment, not an accounting of what each path cost. It does not measure continuous years of study or how much each person paid or gave up in earnings. Before signing anything, you need to ask in writing how long your child’s exact program takes to complete, how its required courses are scheduled, and how the total cost changes if the path takes longer.
What this map lets you see, and what you still need to learn
None of these numbers tells you whether this is the right school for your child. You learn that when you combine them with what your child wants to study, what your child has accomplished so far, and what your family can and is willing to pay. This piece has given you one part of the map, the part that belongs to the university. Only you have the other two pieces—the student and the family.
If any of these numbers concerned you, do not leave it there: ask the school about it directly, with the financial aid letter in hand and without being afraid to ask uncomfortable questions. That is always the right next step.
Source note: The information in this article comes from official data reported by the institution to the U.S. Department of Education’s IPEDS system, primarily from the 2022-23 and 2023-24 cycles, as indicated in each section. Best College Aid does not represent Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Wilkes-Barre or the United States government.