by our College Data Analytics TeamHere’s the full picture on paying for Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Wilkes-Barre, spanning what it costs to attend, projected costs over a degree, net price, debt outcomes, and aid equity.
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Attendance costs at Pennsylvania State U-Penn State Wilkes-Barre varied between $24,604.00 to $34,330.00 across residency tiers.
Where you live mattered — in-state students paid less than out-of-state students: near $24,604.00 in-state against $34,330.00 for non-residents.
Cost is shown below as the full sticker price, the average net price after aid, and the low-income net price.
| Tuition and fees | $14,280.00 |
| + Room, board & other expenses | $10,324.00 |
| Total cost | $24,604.00 |
| That is 28% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $24,604.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$9,546.00 |
| Net price | $15,058.00 |
| That is 22% below the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $24,604.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$16,199.00 |
| Net price | $8,405.00 |
| That is 56% below the national average net price. |
| Tuition and fees | $24,006.00 |
| + Room, board & other expenses | $10,324.00 |
| Total cost | $34,330.00 |
| That is 78% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $34,330.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$9,546.00 |
| Net price | $24,784.00 |
| That is 29% above the national average net price. |
| Total cost | $34,330.00 |
| − Grants and scholarships | −$16,199.00 |
| Net price | $18,131.00 |
| That is 6% below the national average net price. | |
| For the full breakdown, see tuition and fees plus room and board. |
Costs have trended upward in recent years by roughly 1.7% per year; the projections below compound that across a degree. The detailed projections below compare a degree for a low-income aided student, an average-aid student, and a no-aid student. The loan rows amortise the projected total over a ten-year, 6.8% repayment.
| Projected 4-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 1.7% | 1.7% | 1.7% |
| Freshman year | $8,551.00 | $15,320.00 | $25,032.00 |
| Senior year | $9,005.00 | $16,134.00 | $26,361.00 |
| Total 4-year net price | $35,108.00 | $62,898.00 | $102,772.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $13,375.00 | $23,962.00 | $39,152.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $404.00 | $724.00 | $1,183.00 |
| Total amount paid | $48,483.00 | $86,859.00 | $141,924.00 |
| Projected 2-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 1.7% | 1.7% | 1.7% |
| Freshman year | $8,551.00 | $15,320.00 | $25,032.00 |
| Senior year | $8,700.00 | $15,587.00 | $25,468.00 |
| Total 2-year net price | $17,251.00 | $30,906.00 | $50,500.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $6,572.00 | $11,774.00 | $19,239.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $199.00 | $356.00 | $581.00 |
| Total amount paid | $23,823.00 | $42,681.00 | $69,738.00 |
| Projected 4-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 1.7% | 1.7% | 1.7% |
| Freshman year | $18,446.00 | $25,215.00 | $34,927.00 |
| Senior year | $19,426.00 | $26,554.00 | $36,782.00 |
| Total 4-year net price | $75,734.00 | $103,524.00 | $143,397.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $28,852.00 | $39,439.00 | $54,629.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $872.00 | $1,191.00 | $1,650.00 |
| Total amount paid | $104,586.00 | $142,962.00 | $198,027.00 |
| Projected 2-year net costs | Low Income w/ Aid | w/ Average Aid | No Aid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual growth rate | 1.7% | 1.7% | 1.7% |
| Freshman year | $18,446.00 | $25,215.00 | $34,927.00 |
| Senior year | $18,767.00 | $25,654.00 | $35,535.00 |
| Total 2-year net price | $37,214.00 | $50,869.00 | $70,462.00 |
| 10-year loan interest @ 6.8% | $14,177.00 | $19,379.00 | $26,844.00 |
| Total monthly payment | $428.00 | $585.00 | $811.00 |
| Total amount paid | $51,391.00 | $70,248.00 | $97,306.00 |
Read more in the net price section below.
The net price is the real out-of-pocket cost — what families pay after grant and scholarship aid is applied. For most families it is a more realistic figure than the published cost.
| Average net price (on-campus) | $16,448.00 |
| Average net price (off-campus) | $15,775.00 |
The real cost varies by income because need-based aid scales with financial need. Here is the average net price for each family-income range:
| Family income | Average net price |
|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $9,544.00 |
| $30,000 to $48,000 | $10,092.00 |
| $48,001 to $75,000 | $14,764.00 |
| $75,001 to $110,000 | $20,763.00 |
| Over $110,000 | $21,827.00 |
Estimate your specific net price using the school’s Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Wilkes-Barre Net Price Calculator, or contact the financial aid office.
For the grant-and-scholarship detail behind these figures, see the financial aid breakdown.
Typical debt at graduation from Pennsylvania State U-Penn State Wilkes-Barre comes to $19,500.00, which federal data classifies as a Low ($10-20k) burden tier.
The percentile breakdown reveals the full debt landscape:
| Percentile | Debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| 10th | $4,750.00 |
| 25th | $8,750.00 |
| Median (50th) | $19,500.00 |
| 75th | $27,000.00 |
| 90th | $34,000.00 |
The spread between the 10th and 90th percentiles reflects how variable debt outcomes are at this school.
For the full borrowing and repayment picture, see the student loan debt page.
Family income tracks closely with debt at graduation. The breakdown below segments borrowers by family income at entry:
| Family income | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| Low income | $19,000.00 |
| Middle income | $20,000.00 |
| High income | $19,700.00 |
Debt at graduation often differs for first-generation students.
| Student group | Median debt at graduation |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $19,500.00 |
| Continuing-generation students | $19,500.00 |
The Pell Grant is the main federal need-based award for undergraduates. Looking at Pell recipients versus non-recipients tells us how debt is distributed across need.
The gap between Pell-eligible and non-Pell median debt at Pennsylvania State U-Penn State Wilkes-Barre works out to $1,480.00. Federal data flags this school for Pell-related debt inequity.
The federal default-rate classification for Pennsylvania State U-Penn State Wilkes-Barre is Low (<5%).
| Window | Cohort default rate |
|---|---|
| 2-year | 6.4% |
For context on the loan portfolio, Stafford disbursements at Pennsylvania State U-Penn State Wilkes-Barre amount to $4,885,479,531.00 across 238,368 recipients.
Veterans and active-duty students can access dedicated federal education aid such as the Post-9/11 GI Bill and DoD Tuition Assistance.
| GI Bill recipients | 4 |
| Avg GI Bill amount | $17,464.00 |
Explore GI Bill and military aid in detail on the veterans benefits detail.
Use the figures above as a launch point, then think through Pennsylvania State U-Penn State Wilkes-Barre, keep these questions in mind:
For a closer look at any of these topics, follow the links below:
Data sources. Figures on this page draw from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), and MediaFactual editorial review. Net-price calculator and financial-aid office links are taken from the institution’s own published data.