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Wilkes University

Wilkes University is a private campus in Wilkes-Barre proper — federal locale codes class it as urban. International students are a visible presence at Wilkes University — 8.4% of its 1,985 undergraduates come from outside the U.S.

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What could it cost?

Start with net price after grants, then read the published costs. Each chart names its academic year and the students it covers.

Net price by family income

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Average annual cost after grants for each family-income band. These group averages are not personal price quotes.

IPEDS Income brackets, 2022–23

family-income band

$23,760

family income
under $30k

$24,199

$30–48k

$26,339

$48–75k

$29,365

$75–110k

$31,745

over $110k

Average net price

$27,7432023–24Skip to data table

Average annual attendance cost after grants for the reported student group. Your own aid offer and costs may differ.

Average net price at Wilkes University rose from $21,825 (2008) to $27,743 (2023).

Average net price — data
Year	Net price
2008	$21,825
2009	$21,987
2010	$22,225
2011	$22,840
2012	$24,660
2013	$25,446
2014	$22,975
2015	$24,532
2016	$25,852
2017	$26,563
2018	$26,641
2019	$29,618
2020	$29,807
2021	$27,554
2022	$27,700
2023	$27,743

IPEDS 16 federal reports, 2008–2023

Total cost of attendance

$56,7652024–25Skip to data table

Estimated annual attendance budget before grants, including tuition, fees, housing, food and books. Not every expense is billed by the school.

Total cost at Wilkes University rose from $37,066 (2009) to $56,765 (2024).

Total cost of attendance — data
Year	Cost
2009	$37,066
2010	$37,917
2011	$40,300
2012	$41,655
2013	$42,612
2014	$44,685
2015	$44,996
2016	$47,697
2017	$48,410
2018	$50,756
2019	$52,824
2020	$54,085
2021	$56,058
2022	$56,215
2023	$56,956
2024	$56,765

IPEDS Academic-year cost 2009–2024

Tuition & fees

Skip to data table

Published tuition and fees before grants. Housing, food, books and other attendance costs are separate.

Tuition & fees — data
Year	Tuition & fees
2000	$17,220
2001	$18,020
2002	$18,860
2003	$19,630
2004	$20,408
2005	$21,646
2006	$22,990
2007	$24,080
2008	$25,170
2013	$30,350
2014	$31,262
2015	$32,356
2016	$33,568
2017	$34,896
2018	$36,194
2019	$37,622
2020	$38,752
2021	$39,914
2022	$41,112
2023	$42,286

IPEDS Published price 2000–01 to 2023–24 (not adjusted for inflation)

Cost, size & completion summary

Cost, size & completion

Reported tuition is $43,496 before grants and other attendance costs. At Wilkes University, aid and other costs change the bill. Scorecard snapshot: 2026-06-10; historical charts show their own years.

Enrollment sits at 1,985 — Wilkes University is one of the smaller campuses on this site.

63.2% of first-time, full-time bachelor's entrants completed at Wilkes University within six years (2026-06-10 release). This measure excludes other student groups.

Do students finish — and what comes after?

Graduation, debt and earnings cover different groups. Read each chart's entering class or fiscal period; they are not one group's journey.

Six-year graduation rate

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63.2%entered Fall 2018Skip to data table

The share of first-time, full-time bachelor's entrants who completed at this institution within six years. Other students are not included.

The six-year graduation rate at Wilkes University rose from 53.2% (entered 1991) to 63.2% (entered 2018).

A six-year rate can only describe a class that entered six or more years ago — by definition the last point on the line is that old.

Six-year graduation rate — data
Year	Graduated within 6 yrs
1991 cohort	53.2%
1992 cohort	51.2%
1993 cohort	49.1%
1994 cohort	47.8%
1995 cohort	57.7%
1996 cohort	53.6%
1997 cohort	60.3%
1998 cohort	53.2%
1999 cohort	58.9%
2000 cohort	56.3%
2001 cohort	62.6%
2002 cohort	57.8%
2003 cohort	62.9%
2004 cohort	64.4%
2005 cohort	57.8%
2006 cohort	60.7%
2007 cohort	57.9%
2008 cohort	55.6%
2009 cohort	59.2%
2010 cohort	61.5%
2011 cohort	59.7%
2012 cohort	59.8%
2013 cohort	63.2%
2014 cohort	63.9%
2015 cohort	61.4%
2016 cohort	59.4%
2017 cohort	60.3%
2018 cohort	63.2%

IPEDS Entering cohorts 1991–2018

Median debt at exit (completers vs non-completers)

Historical student groups

key chart

Skip to data table

Median federal student loan debt when students left school, shown separately for those who completed and those who did not.

CompletedLeft without degree

Each point combines two years. Neighboring points share one year, so changes should be read with that overlap in mind.

These two-year windows closed before today's students borrowed — they describe past cohorts, not the current price of a degree.

Median debt at exit — data
Year	Completed	Left without degree
Left school in fiscal years 1998 and 1999 (FY1998/99)	$16,250	$7,500
Left school in fiscal years 1999 and 2000 (FY1999/00)	$16,833	$6,625
Left school in fiscal years 2000 and 2001 (FY2000/01)	$17,125	$10,500
Left school in fiscal years 2002 and 2003 (FY2002/03)	$17,125	$6,625
Left school in fiscal years 2003 and 2004 (FY2003/04)	$17,125	$4,907
Left school in fiscal years 2004 and 2005 (FY2004/05)	$17,125	$3,938
Left school in fiscal years 2005 and 2006 (FY2005/06)	$17,125	$3,500
Left school in fiscal years 2006 and 2007 (FY2006/07)	$17,125	$4,375
Left school in fiscal years 2007 and 2008 (FY2007/08)	$17,125	$5,381
Left school in fiscal years 2008 and 2009 (FY2008/09)	$17,125	$6,125
Left school in fiscal years 2009 and 2010 (FY2009/10)	$19,125	$6,751
Left school in fiscal years 2010 and 2011 (FY2010/11)	$22,000	$6,875
Left school in fiscal years 2011 and 2012 (FY2011/12)	$24,544	$6,500
Left school in fiscal years 2012 and 2013 (FY2012/13)	$26,000	$6,500
Left school in fiscal years 2013 and 2014 (FY2013/14)	$26,000	$7,500
Left school in fiscal years 2014 and 2015 (FY2014/15)	$26,126	$7,903
Left school in fiscal years 2015 and 2016 (FY2015/16)	$26,000	$7,500
Left school in fiscal years 2016 and 2017 (FY2016/17)	$25,669	$6,500
Left school in fiscal years 2017 and 2018 (FY2017/18)	$26,000	$5,911
Left school in fiscal years 2018 and 2019 (FY2018/19)	$26,000	$6,500
Left school in fiscal years 2019 and 2020 (FY2019/20)	$26,000	$8,250
Left school in fiscal years 2020 and 2021 (FY2020/21)	$26,000	$8,560

NSLDS GRAD_DEBT_MDN / WDRAW_DEBT_MDN, merged FY periods · via College Scorecard

Earnings after entry

Historical student groups

Median annual earnings after entering college, for federally aided students who were working and not enrolled when measured.

Entered: academic years 2013–14 or 2014–15

$54,128

6 years after entry

Entered: academic years 2011–12 or 2012–13

$64,570

8 years after entry

Entered: academic years 2009–10 or 2010–11

$63,454

10 years after entry

Each figure covers a different group of students who entered college in the stated years. Earnings were measured in the same two years; these are not one group followed over time.

Measured in 2020–21, adjusted for inflation to 2022 dollars. Each figure pools two entering academic years.

Treasury Pooled entering cohorts · Scorecard 2020–21 historical file

What does the admissions record show?

Rates and score ranges describe a past admissions cycle. Submitted scores are not cutoffs or a prediction of admission.

Admissions snapshot & test policies

Wilkes University admitted 6,943 of 7,660 applicants in Fall 2024. The 90.6% rate describes that application pool.

90.6%

acceptance rate · Fall 2024 admissions cycle

rate trend $42,286 tuition · 2023–24 1,985 undergraduates · Fall 2024

Test-optional (considered) · Fall 2024

400SAT range (section 25th/75th sums): 1020–12501600

Not sure where you stand? Estimate your GPA →

Admissions

In the Fall 2024 cycle, Wilkes University received 7,660 applications and admitted 6,943 (90.6%), with 647 enrolling.

Wilkes University reported scores as considered but not required for the Fall 2024 admissions cycle. For Wilkes University’s enrolled SAT submitters, Reading and Writing was 530–630 and Math was 490–620 (25th–75th percentiles). The section-percentile sums 1020–1250 are not composite-score percentiles. These are not admission cutoffs.

Check current requirements with admissions.

Score	25th	50th	75th
SAT Reading & Writing	530	570	630
SAT Math	490	550	620
ACT Composite	22	27	29

25th / 75th: a quarter of enrolled submitters scored below the first number, a quarter above the second. These are not cutoffs.

Only students who submitted scores are counted — at test-optional schools, many enrolled students aren't in this table.

Percentiles are among enrolled students who submitted scores (Fall 2024 admissions cycle).

Acceptance rate

90.6%Fall 2024Skip to data table

The share of applicants offered a spot — lower means more selective; read it alongside the score ranges below.

Acceptance rate — data
Year	Acceptance rate
Fall 2001	93.9%
Fall 2002	87.2%
Fall 2003	83.3%
Fall 2004	80.5%
Fall 2005	79.3%
Fall 2006	77.1%
Fall 2007	73%
Fall 2008	78.8%
Fall 2009	75.3%
Fall 2010	75.5%
Fall 2011	75.4%
Fall 2012	76.3%
Fall 2013	76%
Fall 2014	78.6%
Fall 2015	81.7%
Fall 2016	75.9%
Fall 2017	75.3%
Fall 2018	74.8%
Fall 2019	78.6%
Fall 2020	91.8%
Fall 2021	94.8%
Fall 2022	94.1%
Fall 2023	91.5%
Fall 2024	90.6%

IPEDS Fall cycles 2001–2024

SAT range (section sums, 25th–75th)

1020–1250Fall 2024 · submittersSkip to data table

Sums of the reading/writing and math percentiles among enrolled submitters — not percentiles of total SAT scores or admission cutoffs.

SAT range (section sums) — data
Year	25th	75th
Fall 2001	940	1170
Fall 2002	920	1160
Fall 2003	920	1150
Fall 2004	970	1210
Fall 2005	948	1180
Fall 2006	960	1180
Fall 2007	930	1180
Fall 2008	930	1160
Fall 2009	920	1170
Fall 2010	940	1180
Fall 2011	960	1170
Fall 2012	940	1150
Fall 2013	950	1170
Fall 2014	930	1160
Fall 2015	930	1176
Fall 2016	895	1130
Fall 2017	1040	1220
Fall 2018	1050	1240
Fall 2019	1020	1218
Fall 2020	1040	1230
Fall 2021	1040	1250
Fall 2022	1060	1260
Fall 2023	1023	1270
Fall 2024	1020	1250

IPEDS Fall 2001–2024, submitters only

ACT middle 50%

22–29Fall 2024 · submittersSkip to data table

The middle half of enrolled ACT submitters, using published composite-score percentiles — not admission cutoffs.

ACT middle 50% — data
Year	25th	75th
Fall 2016	20	25
Fall 2017	21	26
Fall 2018	21	27
Fall 2019	20	26
Fall 2020	20	26
Fall 2021	20	28
Fall 2022	21	26
Fall 2023	20	29
Fall 2024	22	29

IPEDS Fall 2016–2024, submitters only

What is the campus like?

Enrollment counts a campus population; retention follows first-years returning. Their dates and populations are shown separately.

Undergraduate enrollment

1,985Fall 2024Skip to data table

Reported undergraduate enrollment. This count does not measure class size or teaching access.

Undergraduate enrollment at Wilkes University has wandered from Fall 2002 to Fall 2024 — up to 2,418 at the peak — but ends near where it began, at 1,985.

Undergraduate enrollment — data
Year	Undergraduates
Fall 2002	1,873
Fall 2003	2,014
Fall 2004	2,069
Fall 2005	2,147
Fall 2006	2,186
Fall 2007	2,257
Fall 2008	2,211
Fall 2009	2,133
Fall 2010	2,043
Fall 2011	2,171
Fall 2012	2,196
Fall 2013	2,281
Fall 2014	2,316
Fall 2015	2,358
Fall 2016	2,418
Fall 2017	2,379
Fall 2018	2,358
Fall 2019	2,233
Fall 2020	2,131
Fall 2021	2,134
Fall 2022	1,904
Fall 2023	1,893
Fall 2024	1,985

IPEDS Fall headcounts 2002–2024

First-year retention (full-time)

72%Fall 2023 cohortSkip to data table

The share of the reported first-time student group who returned the following year. This rate does not explain why others left.

First-year retention at Wilkes University has held near 72% from Fall 2002 to Fall 2023.

First-year retention — data
Year	Retention
Fall 2002 cohort	78%
Fall 2003 cohort	80%
Fall 2004 cohort	80%
Fall 2005 cohort	74%
Fall 2006 cohort	79%
Fall 2007 cohort	78%
Fall 2008 cohort	80%
Fall 2009 cohort	79%
Fall 2010 cohort	82%
Fall 2011 cohort	80%
Fall 2012 cohort	78%
Fall 2013 cohort	79%
Fall 2014 cohort	77%
Fall 2015 cohort	76%
Fall 2016 cohort	76%
Fall 2017 cohort	76%
Fall 2018 cohort	78%
Fall 2019 cohort	76%
Fall 2020 cohort	75%
Fall 2021 cohort	71%
Fall 2022 cohort	73%
Fall 2023 cohort	72%

IPEDS Full-time cohorts 2002–2023

More about Wilkes University

34.5% of Wilkes University's undergraduates carry Pell grants — the standard federal marker of lower-income enrollment. Carnegie classes Wilkes University as a primarily residential campus of 1,985 undergraduates — and 71.6% of the reported first-time, full-time student group returned for a second year.

Wilkes University's SAT section-percentile sums are 1020–1250 — their midpoint is below the PA four-year benchmark. These are not total-score percentiles. Put your own practice estimate on Wilkes University's range with the SAT calculator, or bring a saved GPA from the grade tools.

Why some charts are marked “key chart”

key chart

Start with three useful questions: what costs were reported for families in your income band, how many first-time full-time students finished, and what federal debt borrowers held when leaving.

How Wilkes University compares

State and national medians cover active bachelor-primary institutions, mixing public and private schools. Tuition uses in-state rates at public schools. These are broad reference points, not a ranking of similar schools or your likely bill.

Scorecard dates identify the release snapshot, not a shared measurement year. Earnings describe federally aided students who were working and not enrolled ten years after entry; cohorts and populations differ from the admissions and tuition figures.

Acceptance rate

Fall 2024 admissions cycle · IPEDS

Wilkes University90.6%

Pennsylvania median81.7%

National median76.8%

Tuition

Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot · published tuition before aid

Wilkes University$43,496

Pennsylvania median$33,730

National median$19,591

Median earnings (10 yr)

Ten years after entry · Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot

Wilkes University's snapshot: calendar years and dollar basis unverified.

Wilkes University$63,454

Pennsylvania median$62,101

National median$53,781

View comparison data & dates

Wilkes University, Pennsylvania and national reference values
Metric & basis	Wilkes University	Pennsylvania median	National median
Acceptance rateFall 2024 admissions cycle · IPEDS	90.6%	81.7%	76.8%
TuitionScorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot · published tuition before aid	$43,496	$33,730	$19,591
Median earnings (10 yr)Ten years after entry · Scorecard 2026-06-10 snapshot	$63,454	$62,101	$53,781

Published earnings by bachelor's field of study

For Wilkes University, these are federal subject groups (CIP), not departments. Median is the middle annual income.

Wilkes University federal-aid recipients · graduated 2017–18 or 2018–19 · income measured 2022 or 2023 · inflation-adjusted to 2024 dollars. Definitions and limits.

View 12 fields & earnings

Bachelor's field of study (CIP category)	Median earnings, 4 yrs after completion
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing	$92,034
Engineering, General	$86,308
Mechanical Engineering	$79,326
Accounting and Related Services	$75,468
Finance and Financial Management Services	$72,961
Marketing	$71,501
Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering	$70,039
Sociology	$58,006
Biology, General	$57,332
Business Administration, Management and Operations	$57,020
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods	$52,234
Psychology, General	$48,033

These 12 fields listed for Wilkes University measure earnings after completion. The $63,454 institution-level snapshot above measures earnings after entry; it is not the same cohort or a total for these fields. 30 additional Wilkes University fields have earnings withheld under federal privacy rules.

Frequently asked questions

What test-score data does Wilkes University report?

Wilkes University's enrolled submitters had SAT section-percentile sums of 1020–1250 in Fall 2024. These are not total-score percentiles or a GPA requirement.

What is Wilkes University's acceptance rate?

90.6% in the Fall 2024 cycle — 6,943 admitted from 7,660 applicants.

How much does Wilkes University cost?

At Wilkes University, tuition is $43,496. Tuition is not the total cost of attendance; aid can reduce your bill.

What earnings data does Wilkes University report?

Median earnings ten years after entry: $63,454. Major figures measure four years after completion. Source and date limits.

Similar colleges in Pennsylvania

Wilson College — 92.1% admitted
Westminster College — 92.6% admitted
Waynesburg University — 89.8% admitted
Ursinus College — 91.8% admitted

Run your own numbers

Data: IPEDS ADM2024 (Fall 2024 admissions, provisional) · IPEDS HD2024/IC2024 directory · College Scorecard 2026-06-10 release (institution and field-of-study files; earnings from Treasury records). Retrieved 2026-09-01. Chart dates follow this institution's available observations; the release date is not an academic year or an earnings year. Some records end earlier than others. Field-of-study cohort dates are shown with the table. Read the date and population definitions.