Private nonprofit · University

Alvernia University

Reading, Pennsylvania · Small city

58.1%
Admit rate
$28,138
Avg net price
56%
Graduation rate
$55,055
Median earnings

Alvernia University is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Reading, Pennsylvania (small city setting), enrolling 2,152 undergraduates. It has a Roman Catholic religious affiliation.

Private nonprofitMidsize · 2,152 undergradsSmall citySelective · 58% admitNCAA Division III with football · Middle Atlantic States Athletic CorporationCold winters

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against Alvernia University's admitted students.

Admit rate
58.1%
SAT (mid 50%)
1093–1286
Avg GPA (est.)
3.40

Enter a test score to see where you land against Alvernia University's admitted students.

A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and Alvernia University's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.

About Reading, Pennsylvania

Reading is a city in Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. The Colony of Pennsylvania was a 1680 land grant from King Charles II of England to William Penn. Large employers based in Reading and surrounding communities include Boscov's, EnerSys, Carpenter, Penske Truck Leasing, and Redner's Markets. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Small city
Highest degree offered
Graduate
To the ocean
43 miles
Nearest airport
23 miles to Lancaster (LNS)

How Alvernia University compares

Selectivity58.1%

More selective than 78% · #18 most selective of 111 in Pennsylvania

SAT average1170

Higher than 50%

Graduation rate56%

Higher than 52% · #74 of 116 in Pennsylvania

First-year retention72%

Higher than 36%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$55,055

Higher than 54% · #83 of 116 in Pennsylvania

Average net price$28,138

Cheaper than 20% · #81 cheapest of 112 in Pennsylvania

Median debt at graduation$27,000

Lower than 11%

Student–faculty ratio14 : 1

Lower than 42%

Undergraduate enrollment2,152

Larger than 59%

Percentiles compare Alvernia University with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Pennsylvania.

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

2,756students
  • Undergraduate2,15278%
  • Graduate60422%

Undergraduates by gender

2,152undergrads
  • Women1,53171%
  • Men62129%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White61%
  • Black11%
  • Hispanic17%
  • Asian1.6%
  • Other or multiracial9.9%

Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
2,152
Graduate enrollment
604
Student–faculty ratio
14 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
36%
First-generation students
45%
Students over 25
19%
Median family income
$52,761
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$72,252
Endowment
$18,457,597

Colleges don't publish true class-size data; student–faculty ratio (IPEDS) is the closest public measure of it.

Where students come from

Home state of the 414 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Pennsylvania69%
  • Other U.S. states27%
  • International3.4%

A regional draw: about 69% of first-years come from Pennsylvania, the rest from elsewhere.

3% came from outside the U.S. Out-of-state students usually pay a higher tuition rate at public schools — check the cost card above for your bracket. Source: IPEDS residence & migration, fall 2023 entering class.

Admissions

Admission rate
58.1%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
1093–1286
SAT average
1170
SAT reading
570–658
SAT math
523–628
ACT composite
Average GPA (estimated)
3.40

Cost

In-state tuition
$45,000
Room & board
$15,460
Books & supplies
$1,000
Total cost of attendance
$57,565
Average net price
$28,138

Net price is the total cost minus grants and scholarships — what students actually pay. It varies sharply by family income; see the breakdown below.

Outcomes

Graduated (within 6 years)
56%
Graduated on time (4 years)
39%
First-year retention
72%
Transferred to another college
32%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$49,938
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$55,055
Median debt at graduation
$27,000
Students with federal loans
83%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
60%

About 16% of students who finish here need more than four years — each extra year adds roughly another year of tuition and living costs.

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
39%
Low-income (Pell)
54%
First-generation
54%

When these bars run close together, students from every background tend to finish at similar rates — a sign the school supports the ~30% who are first-gen or low-income.

Campus life & athletics

On-campus housing
Yes
Dorm capacity
956
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
44%
Housing charge (year)
$7,330
Meal plan (year)
$7,760
Application fee
Free
Athletics
NCAA Division III with football
Football conference
Middle Atlantic States Athletic Corporation
Varsity athletes
609 (366 men · 243 women)

Housing and fees: IPEDS 2023–24. Athletics rosters: Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25. Dorm capacity can include graduate and family housing, so the share of undergrads can top 100%.

Varsity sports (15)

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)119
Football90
Soccer55
Baseball54
Ice Hockey53
Wrestling49
Lacrosse46
Basketball41
Softball22
Field Hockey21
Volleyball18
Golf14
Equestrian12
Bowling10
Tennis5

Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.

Campus safety

Safety grade
B
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
0.8 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
7
Property offenses (2022–2024)
0

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 3 campuses (2,796 students). Counts reflect reports, not convictions — schools with strong reporting cultures often show more, so a higher count doesn't simply mean a more dangerous campus.

Reported offenses in an average year

The same 2022–2024 Clery Act reports, divided down to one year.

2.3reported offenses a year
2.3 violent a year0 property a year

By offense type, per year

Rape
1.0
Fondling
1.0
Aggravated assault
0.3

Averages, not a forecast — a single year can run well above or below this. Bars are scaled against this campus's most-reported offense, so they compare types here rather than against other schools.

What you'll actually pay, by family income

Average net price (total cost minus grants and scholarships) paid by aided students in each family-income band.

< $30k
$23,436
$30–48k
$23,701
$48–75k
$24,131
$75–110k
$28,016
$110k+
$32,152

College Scorecard / IPEDS, most recent year. Family income is total household income; net price covers tuition, fees, room, board and supplies after grant aid, for students receiving federal aid.

Four-year (or more) true cost

Net price for your family's income, projected across the time it actually takes students here to graduate.

Est. total to a degree
$107,188

$24,131/year × about 4.4 years — most students here don't finish in exactly four, and each extra term adds cost. A planning estimate from net-price and graduation-timing data, not a bill.

Does the school pay you to attend?

Grant aid from the school's own funds — the discount off sticker, on top of any federal or state help.

99%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$24,475
average award, among those who get one

Alvernia University discounts heavily: 99% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $24,475. For many families the real price lands well below sticker.

Blends need-based and merit aid — IPEDS doesn't split the two, so a high number can mean generous merit scholarships, deep need-based aid, or both. Figures cover 497 full-time first-year undergraduates, 2022–23. Source: IPEDS Student Financial Aid.

Is it worth it?

A rough return-on-investment read from what graduates earn versus what they borrow.

Median earnings (10 years)
$55,055
Typical debt at graduation
$27,000
Debt vs. one year's pay
49%
Out-earn a HS grad
67%

Typical debt would take roughly 4.9 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Solid value

A reasonable return: earnings comfortably clear the debt over a few years for most students who finish.

Earnings are the College Scorecard median for former students (working, not enrolled) 10 years after entry — not a guarantee, and they vary a lot by major. Debt is the median federal loan balance at graduation.

The pay gap here

Median earnings 10 years after entry, split by gender.

Women
$52,327
Men
$62,825

Men out-earn women by $10,498 (20%) a decade out.

Federal figures for former students working and not enrolled, 10 years after they first entered. A gap this wide usually reflects which majors men and women here tend to choose — not different pay for the same job.

Campus climate

Summer high
86°F
Winter low
23°F
Annual rain
45.2″
Annual snow
21.3″

Average temperature

HighLow
10°60°100°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.54.9JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Reading Spaatz Fld, PA US station (4.2 mi from campus).

Median earnings of this school's own graduates 1 and 5 years after finishing each program, and median federal-loan debt at completion (College Scorecard). Small programs are privacy-suppressed (—). Click a major to compare colleges nationally.

Colleges similar to Alvernia University

Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare Alvernia University side by side →

Colleges near Alvernia University

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard (most recent cohorts), IPEDS institutional characteristics, Equity in Athletics (EADA) data, Clery Act Campus Safety and Security data, and NOAA US Climate Normals. Distances are straight-line from campus coordinates. Percentiles compare schools of the same level (four-year vs. two-year) that report each statistic.