Wilkes-Barre, PA · Private · 1,985 undergraduates · urban
Wilkes University
Less selective
Wilkes explicitly organizes much of the undergraduate experience around multiple forms of mentorship from faculty, peers, staff and alumni.
Institutional profile
Regionally focused Solid in career outcomes, and solid in mobility.- Admission
- 91.5% admitted
- Price by income
- Varies across five income ranges
- Completion
- 61.4%
6,414 applicants in the reported year
Compare recent average annual costs by household income
$63,454 median earnings 10 years after enrollment
What sets Wilkes University apart
Academic design
Students work with faculty advisers and can pair liberal-arts foundations with professional and pre-professional programs. Research, project work and accelerated pathways are available in several disciplines.
Campus pattern
The campus occupies part of downtown Wilkes-Barre, so academic buildings sit within a small northeastern Pennsylvania city rather than a separate suburban enclave. Student life mixes campus organizations with community engagement and local internships.
Defining feature
Wilkes explicitly organizes much of the undergraduate experience around multiple forms of mentorship from faculty, peers, staff and alumni.
Can I get in?
91.5% admitted
Start with academic preparation, then show why this particular academic and campus environment fits you.
Recent applicant pool
6,414About 91 in every 100 applicants were admitted.
Academic range
Of admitted students, 27% submitted an SAT, and 2% submitted an ACT. The ACT range comes from a small share of admitted students and does not describe the full class.
In the season card
Where your GPA sits in the entering class
The full entering-class GPA distribution for Wilkes University, in nine bands from 4.0 down, with your own record marked on it.
See where I landIn the season card
What Wilkes University weighs when it reads a file
See how this college describes the role of grades, testing, essays, recommendations, activities, and demonstrated interest.
- Course rigor
- GPA
- Test scores
- Essay
- Recommendations
- Extracurriculars
- Demonstrated interest
What moves the application
The evidence that separates a strong file
Show preparation for this curriculum
Students work with faculty advisers and can pair liberal-arts foundations with professional and pre-professional programs. Research, project work and accelerated pathways are available in several disciplines.
Make the fit specific
Wilkes explicitly organizes much of the undergraduate experience around multiple forms of mentorship from faculty, peers, staff and alumni.
Account for the tradeoff
Keep academic direction and school-specific choices coherent across the application.
How to apply
Rounds, route, and required materials
Build the calendar around the earliest realistic application round and make the school-specific case concrete.
Check eligibility for a fee waiver
Can I afford it?
Compare annual cost by household income.
Start with the average net price for your income range, then set that estimate beside your other realistic options.
College funding
Scholarships and financial aid
Review available aid, application requirements, and renewal terms.
Wilkes University publishes five merit awards, the largest reaching $20,000 a year or more. All of them renew past the first year.
Open across the university · Merit · Renews each year
Open across the university · Merit · Renews each year
Open across the university · Merit · Renews each year
Open across the university · Merit · Renews each year
Open across the university · Merit · Renews each year
In the season card
These five awards, by name
What each one is called, what it pays, the grades and scores it asks for, and what to send.
- The name of each award
- What it pays
- The grades and scores it asks for
- How to be considered
- What to send, and where
In the season card
Average annual cost by household income at Wilkes University
Compare recent average net prices across five federal income ranges and estimate a 4-year cost for yours.
- $0–30k
- $30–48k
- $48–75k
- $75–110k
- $110k+
Is it worth it?
Completion, debt, and earnings
Wilkes explicitly organizes much of the undergraduate experience around multiple forms of mentorship from faculty, peers, staff and alumni.
Degree completion across the reported entering cohort
First-year students who return for year two
And what that comes to against what they earn.
Reported 10 years after enrollment
Academic portfolio
Largest bachelor’s fields
How many students finish in each field, and median earnings four years after completing the program.
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
Business Administration, Management and Operations
Mechanical Engineering
Psychology, General
What is campus life like?
Wilkes University beyond the classroom
The campus occupies part of downtown Wilkes-Barre, so academic buildings sit within a small northeastern Pennsylvania city rather than a separate suburban enclave. Student life mixes campus organizations with community engagement and local internships.
A defining academic feature
Students work with faculty advisers and can pair liberal-arts foundations with professional and pre-professional programs. Research, project work and accelerated pathways are available in several disciplines.
What shapes an ordinary week
The campus occupies part of downtown Wilkes-Barre, so academic buildings sit within a small northeastern Pennsylvania city rather than a separate suburban enclave. Student life mixes campus organizations with community engagement and local internships.
What changes the experience
Wilkes explicitly organizes much of the undergraduate experience around multiple forms of mentorship from faculty, peers, staff and alumni.