Private nonprofit · University

Thomas Jefferson University

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania · Large city

81.0%
Admit rate
$28,928
Avg net price
69%
Graduation rate
$77,449
Median earnings

Thomas Jefferson University is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (large city setting), enrolling 3,755 undergraduates.

Private nonprofitMidsize · 3,755 undergradsLarge cityAccessible · 81% admitNCAA Division II without footballCold wintersNear the coast

Will you get in?

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

Admit rate
81.0%
SAT (mid 50%)
1160–1330
Avg GPA (est.)
3.52

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

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

About Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, colloquially referred to as Philly, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the sixth-most populous city in the United States. Before the arrival of Europeans in the early 17th century, the Lenape, an Indian tribe also known as the Delaware Indians, lived in the village of Shackamaxon in present-day Philadelphia and the surrounding area. Philadelphia is home to many national historical sites that relate to the founding of the United States. Independence National Historical Park is the center of these historical landmarks and one of the country's 22 UNESCO World Heritage Sites. (Wikipedia)

Setting
Large city
Highest degree offered
Graduate
Nearest big city
Philadelphia, PA
To the ocean
1 mile
Nearest airport
7 miles to Philadelphia (PHL) · major hub

How Thomas Jefferson University compares

Selectivity81.0%

More selective than 43% · #51 most selective of 111 in Pennsylvania

SAT average1243

Higher than 68%

Graduation rate69%

Higher than 76% · #38 of 116 in Pennsylvania

First-year retention82%

Higher than 69%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$77,449

Higher than 89% · #12 of 116 in Pennsylvania

Average net price$28,928

Cheaper than 18% · #87 cheapest of 112 in Pennsylvania

Median debt at graduation$14,744

Lower than 91%

Student–faculty ratio12 : 1

Lower than 59%

Undergraduate enrollment3,755

Larger than 73%

Percentiles compare Thomas Jefferson 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

8,221students
  • Undergraduate3,75546%
  • Graduate4,46654%

Undergraduates by gender

3,755undergrads
  • Women2,90777%
  • Men84823%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White43%
  • Black17%
  • Hispanic14%
  • Asian16%
  • Other or multiracial9.7%

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

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
3,755
Graduate enrollment
4,466
Student–faculty ratio
12 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
37%
First-generation students
33%
Students over 25
19%
Median family income
$39,996
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$95,643
Endowment
$2,912,558,000

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 782 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Pennsylvania68%
  • Other U.S. states31%
  • International0.8%

A regional draw: about 68% 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
81.0%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
1160–1330
SAT average
1243
SAT reading
580–660
SAT math
580–670
ACT composite
25–30
Average GPA (estimated)
3.52

Cost

In-state tuition
$47,505
Room & board
$15,834
Books & supplies
$1,600
Total cost of attendance
$64,197
Average net price
$28,928

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)
69%
Graduated on time (4 years)
58%
First-year retention
82%
Transferred to another college
23%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$64,335
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$77,449
Median debt at graduation
$14,744
Students with federal loans
86%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
84%

About 11% 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
58%
Low-income (Pell)
57%
First-generation
64%

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
2,080
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
55%
Housing charge (year)
$7,086
Meal plan (year)
$7,236
Application fee
$50
Athletics
NCAA Division II without football
Varsity athletes
309 (129 men · 180 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 (11)

Soccer70
Baseball39
Track and Field (Outdoor)37
Basketball29
Rowing25
Cross Country21
Lacrosse20
Softball20
Volleyball17
Golf16
Tennis15

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

Campus safety

Safety grade
C
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
2.6 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
49
Property offenses (2022–2024)
15

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 5 campuses (8,238 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.

21reported offenses a year
16 violent a year5.0 property a year

By offense type, per year

Fondling
6.3
Aggravated assault
5.7
Robbery
3.7
Burglary
3.0
Motor vehicle theft
1.7
Rape
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
$22,537
$30–48k
$24,407
$48–75k
$24,680
$75–110k
$29,734
$110k+
$34,889

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
$104,405

$24,680/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
$28,832
average award, among those who get one

Thomas Jefferson University discounts heavily: 100% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $28,832. 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 756 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)
$77,449
Typical debt at graduation
$14,744
Debt vs. one year's pay
19%
Out-earn a HS grad
89%

Typical debt would take roughly 1.9 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.

Strong value

Graduates here tend to earn well relative to what they borrow — typical debt pays back fast, and most out-earn a high-school graduate.

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
$76,890
Men
$78,947

Men out-earn women by $2,057 (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
89°F
Winter low
28°F
Annual rain
50.7″
Annual snow
16.1″

Average temperature

HighLow
20°60°100°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.55.0JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Phila Franklin Inst, PA US station (1 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 Thomas Jefferson University

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

Colleges near Thomas Jefferson 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.