More selective than 33% of Pennsylvania colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $56,765. College Scorecard.
Higher than 56% of Pennsylvania colleges we cover and 66% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 73% of Pennsylvania colleges we cover and 78% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Wilkes University acceptance rate & admissions
Of 6,414 applicants, Wilkes University admitted 5,866 and 513 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1020–1250 on the SAT or 22–29 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Wilkes University tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for students who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
State aid: Pennsylvania residents with financial need may receive a PA State Grant: up to $6,000 a year in 2026-27 at approved colleges, depending on need and the college. Not included in the prices above. Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA), PA State Grant
What Wilkes University costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Wilkes University took 4.2 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Pennsylvania. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $25,062 | $105,762 | 3.8 years |
| $30–48k | $23,440 | $98,917 | 3.6 years |
| $48–75k | $26,432 | $111,543 | 4.0 years |
| $75–110k | $27,843 | $117,497 | 4.2 years |
| $110k+ | $31,638 | $133,512 | 4.8 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (49% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($63,454) minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in PA (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $27,657 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
Wilkes University majors, earnings & careers
Wilkes University offers 42 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Science & Math · 9
- Business & Finance · 6
- Humanities & Languages · 6
- Engineering · 5
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 5
- Communications & Media · 3
- Education · 3
- Health & Medicine · 2
- Technology & Computing · 2
- Arts & Design · 1
Highest-earning majors at Wilkes University
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing | $92,034 | $28,813 |
| Engineering | $86,308 | $26,000 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $79,326 | $27,000 |
| Accounting | $75,468 | $26,000 |
| Finance | $72,961 | $25,091 |
| Marketing | $71,501 | $26,000 |
| Environmental Engineering | $70,039 | $27,000 |
| Sociology | $58,006 | $26,000 |
Quick list of all 42 majors
- Accounting$75,468
- Biochemistry—
- Biology$57,332
- Broadcasting / Digital Media—
- Business Administration$57,020
- Chemistry—
- Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other—
- Communications—
- Computer and Information Sciences—
- Criminology—
- Education—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$52,234
- Electrical Engineering—
- Engineering$86,308
- Engineering-Related Fields—
- English—
- Entrepreneurship—
- Environmental Engineering$70,039
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- Finance$72,961
- Geology / Earth Science—
- History—
- Hospitality Management—
- Information Science / Studies—
- International Relations—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Marketing$71,501
- Mathematics—
- Mechanical Engineering$79,326
- Medical Laboratory Science—
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other—
- Neuroscience—
- Nursing$92,034
- Philosophy—
- Physical Sciences—
- Physics—
- Political Science—
- Psychology$48,033
- Sociology$58,006
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Special Education—
- Theatre—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Nursing → Registered nurse
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 5.6% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Mechanical Engineering → Mechanical engineer
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 11.2% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Scranton
Overall prices in the Scranton--Wilkes-Barre, PA area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,363. Housing costs 33% below the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 45 inches of rain a year, 45 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: river flooding (relatively high); winter weather (very high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Luzerne County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Luzerne County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Wilkes University with similar schools
Similar private colleges in Pennsylvania by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wilkes University | 91% | $27,743 | 63% | $63,454 | This school |
| King's College | 93% | $23,093 | 60% | $59,498 | |
| Robert Morris University | 90% | $23,003 | 66% | $62,105 | |
| Waynesburg University | 90% | $18,235 | 66% | $58,537 | |
| Eastern University | 91% | $26,662 | 54% | $51,655 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Wilkes University would cost you $4,650 more per year than King's College, on average.
- Lower sticker price at Wilkes University, mostly from more Wilkes University students living at home, which lowers its average (−$929).
- King's College gives aided families $5,858 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Pennsylvania resident | Wilkes University | King's College | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $43,496 | $44,100 | −$604 |
| Books & supplies | $400 | $1,300 | −$900 |
| Housing & meals | $16,006 | $15,086 | +$920 |
| Personal & travel | $3,193 | $2,888 | +$305 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$6,330 | −$5,401 | −$929 |
| Sticker price | $56,765 | $57,973 | −$1,208 |
| Average grants | −$29,022 | −$34,880 | +$5,858 |
| You pay | $27,743 | $23,093 | +$4,650 |
“+” means Wilkes University costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about Wilkes University
What is the Wilkes University acceptance rate?
Wilkes University accepts 91% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 5,866 of 6,414 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1020–1250 on the SAT or 22–29 on the ACT.
How much does Wilkes University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $56,765 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $27,743 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $25,062 and families earning $110k+ pay $31,638.
How much do Wilkes University graduates earn?
Former Wilkes University students earn a median $63,454 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Wilkes University graduation rate?
63% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 72% return for their second year.
How long does a Wilkes University degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Wilkes University costs about $111,543 after grants ($26,432 a year for 4.2 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $63,454 ten years after starting, $27,657 more than high school graduates in Pennsylvania ($35,797), so the cost is repaid in 4.0 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Wilkes University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/wilkes-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).