Private nonprofit · College

Muhlenberg College

Allentown, Pennsylvania · Midsize city

72.0%
Admit rate
$28,905
Avg net price
82%
Graduation rate
$69,107
Median earnings

Muhlenberg College is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Allentown, Pennsylvania (midsize city setting), enrolling 1,727 undergraduates. It has a Evangelical Lutheran Church religious affiliation.

Private nonprofitSmall · 1,727 undergradsMidsize cityAccessible · 72% admitNCAA Division III with football · Centennial ConferenceCold wintersSnowy

Will you get in?

See where your numbers land against Muhlenberg College's admitted students.

Admit rate
72.0%
SAT (mid 50%)
1250–1410
Avg GPA (est.)
3.71

Enter a test score to see where you land against Muhlenberg College's admitted students.

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

About Allentown, Pennsylvania

Allentown is a city in eastern Pennsylvania, United States. On May 18, 1732, the land was deeded by Thomas Penn, one of three sons of William Penn, founder of the colonial era Province of Pennsylvania, to Joseph Turner, a Philadelphia-based iron manufacturer and politician. Allentown Symphony Orchestra performs at Miller Symphony Hall, located on N. 6th Street in Center City. The city has a musical heritage of civilian concert bands and is home to Allentown Band, the nation's oldest civilian concert band, founded in 1828. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Midsize city
Highest degree offered
Graduate
Nearest big city
1 mile to Allentown, PA
To the ocean
47 miles
Nearest airport
5 miles to Lehigh Valley (ABE)

How Muhlenberg College compares

Selectivity72.0%

More selective than 60% · #31 most selective of 111 in Pennsylvania

SAT average1343

Higher than 84%

Graduation rate82%

Higher than 90% · #15 of 116 in Pennsylvania

First-year retention90%

Higher than 86%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$69,107

Higher than 82% · #22 of 116 in Pennsylvania

Average net price$28,905

Cheaper than 18% · #86 cheapest of 112 in Pennsylvania

Median debt at graduation$25,455

Lower than 28%

Student–faculty ratio9 : 1

Lower than 83%

Undergraduate enrollment1,727

Larger than 53%

Percentiles compare Muhlenberg College 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

1,778students
  • Undergraduate1,72797%
  • Graduate513%

Undergraduates by gender

1,727undergrads
  • Women1,00558%
  • Men72242%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White68%
  • Black7.1%
  • Hispanic13%
  • Asian3.8%
  • Other or multiracial8.1%

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

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
1,727
Graduate enrollment
51
Student–faculty ratio
9 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
21%
First-generation students
16%
Students over 25
3%
Median family income
$105,406
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$86,823
Endowment
$337,125,542

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

Admissions

Admission rate
72.0%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
1250–1410
SAT average
1343
SAT reading
640–710
SAT math
610–700
ACT composite
29–33
Average GPA (estimated)
3.71

Cost

In-state tuition
$62,805
Room & board
$14,548
Books & supplies
$1,500
Total cost of attendance
$77,270
Average net price
$28,905

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)
82%
Graduated on time (4 years)
67%
First-year retention
90%
Transferred to another college
0%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$53,265
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$69,107
Median debt at graduation
$25,455
Students with federal loans
53%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
81%

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
67%
Low-income (Pell)
69%
First-generation
66%

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
1,641
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
95%
Housing charge (year)
$7,590
Meal plan (year)
$6,365
Application fee
$50
Athletics
NCAA Division III with football
Football conference
Centennial Conference
Varsity athletes
609 (389 men · 220 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 (12)

Football128
Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)124
Lacrosse82
Soccer60
Wrestling46
Baseball41
Basketball34
Softball25
Field Hockey20
Volleyball17
Golf16
Tennis16

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

Campus safety

Safety grade
C
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
3.0 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
9
Property offenses (2022–2024)
7

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (1,788 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.

5.3reported offenses a year
3.0 violent a year2.3 property a year

By offense type, per year

Fondling
1.7
Rape
1.3
Burglary
1.3
Motor vehicle theft
0.7
Arson
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
$12,302
$30–48k
$16,629
$48–75k
$19,717
$75–110k
$25,452
$110k+
$37,603

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
$84,464

$19,717/year × about 4.3 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
$39,159
average award, among those who get one

Muhlenberg College discounts heavily: 99% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $39,159. 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 420 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)
$69,107
Typical debt at graduation
$25,455
Debt vs. one year's pay
37%
Out-earn a HS grad
74%

Typical debt would take roughly 3.7 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
$63,635
Men
$77,799

Men out-earn women by $14,164 (22%) 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
22°F
Annual rain
47.4″
Annual snow
33.1″

Average temperature

HighLow
10°60°100°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.65.3JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Allentown Intl AP, PA US station (4.9 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 Muhlenberg College

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

Colleges near Muhlenberg College

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.