Private nonprofit · University

Arcadia University

Glenside, Pennsylvania · Large suburb

80.2%
Admit rate
$29,466
Avg net price
67%
Graduation rate
$58,336
Median earnings

Arcadia University is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Glenside, Pennsylvania (large suburb setting), enrolling 1,948 undergraduates.

Private nonprofitSmall · 1,948 undergradsLarge suburbAccessible · 80% admitNCAA Division III without footballCold wintersNear the coast

Will you get in?

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

Admit rate
80.2%
SAT (mid 50%)
1065–1265
Avg GPA (est.)
3.41

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

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

About Glenside, Pennsylvania

Glenside is a census-designated place located in Cheltenham Township and Abington Township in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States. A railroad station called Tacony Station was erected in 1855, named for Tacony Creek, which flows through the settlement. It was later called Abington Station. Glenside Post Office opened in 1888, and the railroad station was renamed Glenside station. Keswick Theatre, built in 1928, hosts entertainers and shows. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Large suburb
Highest degree offered
Graduate
To the ocean
8 miles
Nearest airport
16 miles to Philadelphia (PHL) · major hub

How Arcadia University compares

Selectivity80.2%

More selective than 44% · #48 most selective of 111 in Pennsylvania

SAT average1190

Higher than 56%

Graduation rate67%

Higher than 72% · #43 of 116 in Pennsylvania

First-year retention79%

Higher than 59%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$58,336

Higher than 63% · #73 of 116 in Pennsylvania

Average net price$29,466

Cheaper than 17% · #88 cheapest of 112 in Pennsylvania

Median debt at graduation$27,000

Lower than 11%

Student–faculty ratio10 : 1

Lower than 76%

Undergraduate enrollment1,948

Larger than 57%

Percentiles compare Arcadia 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

3,322students
  • Undergraduate1,94859%
  • Graduate1,37441%

Undergraduates by gender

1,948undergrads
  • Women1,33268%
  • Men61632%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White55%
  • Black17%
  • Hispanic12%
  • Asian4.1%
  • Other or multiracial13%

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

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
1,948
Graduate enrollment
1,374
Student–faculty ratio
10 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
28%
First-generation students
31%
Students over 25
4%
Median family income
$66,802
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$79,686
Endowment
$66,099,000

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 420 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Pennsylvania66%
  • Other U.S. states32%
  • International1.2%

A regional draw: about 66% of first-years come from Pennsylvania, the rest from elsewhere.

1% 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
80.2%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
1065–1265
SAT average
1190
SAT reading
550–650
SAT math
515–615
ACT composite
Average GPA (estimated)
3.41

Cost

In-state tuition
$49,610
Room & board
$17,180
Books & supplies
$1,500
Total cost of attendance
$64,645
Average net price
$29,466

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)
67%
Graduated on time (4 years)
59%
First-year retention
79%
Transferred to another college
25%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$44,004
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$58,336
Median debt at graduation
$27,000
Students with federal loans
61%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
64%

About 8% 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
59%
Low-income (Pell)
50%
First-generation
49%

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
1,085
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
56%
Housing charge (year)
$8,500
Meal plan (year)
$5,590
Application fee
$30
Athletics
NCAA Division III without football
Varsity athletes
638 (343 men · 295 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 (13)

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)145
Soccer76
Lacrosse73
Ice Hockey60
Other Sports54
Baseball41
Basketball36
Swimming35
Volleyball29
Tennis26
Field Hockey23
Golf21
Softball19

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

Campus safety

Safety grade
C
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
2.4 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
19
Property offenses (2022–2024)
5

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 2 campuses (3,404 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.

8.0reported offenses a year
6.3 violent a year1.7 property a year

By offense type, per year

Rape
4.7
Fondling
1.7
Motor vehicle theft
1.7

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
$23,127
$30–48k
$25,388
$48–75k
$25,978
$75–110k
$28,654
$110k+
$34,339

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
$108,612

$25,978/year × about 4.2 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.

100%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$30,989
average award, among those who get one

Arcadia University discounts heavily: 100% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $30,989. 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 483 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)
$58,336
Typical debt at graduation
$27,000
Debt vs. one year's pay
46%
Out-earn a HS grad
63%

Typical debt would take roughly 4.6 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
$58,498
Men
$56,838

Women out-earn men by $1,660 (3%) 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
85°F
Winter low
24°F
Annual rain
45″
Annual snow
25.3″

Average temperature

HighLow
20°60°90°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.34.5JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Willow Grove Nas, PA US station (7.5 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 Arcadia University

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

Colleges near Arcadia 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.