Private nonprofit · University

Villanova University

Villanova, Pennsylvania · Large suburb

#5 for grad earnings in Pennsylvania#5 graduation rate in Pennsylvania
27.0%
Admit rate
$43,756
Avg net price
92%
Graduation rate
$100,423
Median earnings

Villanova University is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Villanova, Pennsylvania (large suburb setting), enrolling 6,938 undergraduates. It has a Roman Catholic religious affiliation.

Private nonprofitMidsize · 6,938 undergradsLarge suburbVery selective · 27% admitNCAA Division I-FCS · Colonial Athletic AssociationCold wintersNear the coast

Will you get in?

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

Admit rate
27.0%
SAT (mid 50%)
1395–1510
Avg GPA
3.93

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

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

About Villanova, Pennsylvania

A suburb of Philadelphia, the community straddles the border of Lower Merion Township in Montgomery County and Radnor Township in Delaware County. It is located at the center of the Philadelphia Main Line, a series of Philadelphia suburbs located along the original east–west railroad tracks of the Pennsylvania Railroad. (Wikipedia)

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

How Villanova University compares

Selectivity27.0%

More selective than 94% · #7 most selective of 111 in Pennsylvania

SAT average1460

Higher than 93%

Graduation rate92%

Higher than 96% · #5 of 116 in Pennsylvania

First-year retention95%

Higher than 93%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$100,423

Higher than 98% · #5 of 116 in Pennsylvania

Average net price$43,756

Cheaper than 2% · #112 cheapest of 112 in Pennsylvania

Median debt at graduation$25,874

Lower than 26%

Student–faculty ratio10 : 1

Lower than 76%

Undergraduate enrollment6,938

Larger than 83%

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

Villanova University campus

Student body

Undergraduate vs. graduate

9,975students
  • Undergraduate6,93870%
  • Graduate3,03730%

Undergraduates by gender

6,938undergrads
  • Women4,02158%
  • Men2,91742%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White68%
  • Black6.5%
  • Hispanic11%
  • Asian6.7%
  • Other or multiracial7.8%

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

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
6,938
Graduate enrollment
3,037
Student–faculty ratio
10 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
12%
First-generation students
13%
Students over 25
4%
Median family income
$110,409
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$124,425
Endowment
$1,313,033,000

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 1,749 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Pennsylvania20%
  • Other U.S. states78%
  • International2.0%

A national draw — only 20% of first-years come from Pennsylvania; 77% arrive from other states.

2% 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
27.0%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
1395–1510
SAT average
1460
SAT reading
685–740
SAT math
710–770
ACT composite
32–34
Average GPA
3.93

Cost

In-state tuition
$67,776
Room & board
$17,694
Books & supplies
$710
Total cost of attendance
$84,793
Average net price
$43,756

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)
92%
Graduated on time (4 years)
89%
First-year retention
95%
Transferred to another college
7%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$84,905
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$100,423
Median debt at graduation
$25,874
Students with federal loans
35%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
88%

Graduating on time

By student background (4 years)

All students
89%
Low-income (Pell)
83%
First-generation
82%

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
5,400
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
78%
Housing charge (year)
$9,016
Meal plan (year)
$7,880
Application fee
$80
Athletics
NCAA Division I-FCS
Football conference
Colonial Athletic Association
Varsity athletes
744 (370 men · 374 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 (14)

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)185
Football96
Lacrosse94
Soccer63
Swimming and Diving (combined)56
Rowing46
Basketball43
Baseball38
Field Hockey27
Tennis24
Softball21
Water Polo21
Volleyball19
Golf11

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

Campus safety

Safety grade
C
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
3.6 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
91
Property offenses (2022–2024)
18

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 1 campus (10,041 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.

36reported offenses a year
30 violent a year6.0 property a year

By offense type, per year

Rape
26
Motor vehicle theft
3.7
Fondling
2.7
Burglary
2.3
Aggravated assault
1.3

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
$17,823
$30–48k
$16,496
$48–75k
$20,923
$75–110k
$33,389
$110k+
$58,741

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
$84,543

$20,923/year × about 4.0 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.

47%
of first-years get a grant from the school
$41,041
average award, among those who get one

Villanova University discounts heavily: 47% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $41,041. 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 1,762 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)
$100,423
Typical debt at graduation
$25,874
Debt vs. one year's pay
26%
Out-earn a HS grad
88%

Typical debt would take roughly 2.6 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
$95,362
Men
$111,012

Men out-earn women by $15,650 (16%) 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
23°F
Annual rain
50.6″
Annual snow
25.3″

Average temperature

HighLow
10°60°100°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.55.0JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Norristown, PA US station (5.1 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 Villanova University

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

Colleges near Villanova 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.