Public · University
West Chester University of Pennsylvania
West Chester, Pennsylvania · Large suburb
- 78.4%
- Admit rate
- $23,331
- Avg net price
- 71%
- Graduation rate
- $61,258
- Median earnings
West Chester University of Pennsylvania is a public bachelor's-granting institution in West Chester, Pennsylvania (large suburb setting), enrolling 14,164 undergraduates.
Will you get in?
See where your numbers land against West Chester University of Pennsylvania's admitted students.
- Admit rate
- 78.4%
- SAT (mid 50%)
- 1100–1270
- Avg GPA (est.)
- 3.41
Enter a test score to see where you land against West Chester University of Pennsylvania's admitted students.
A guide, not a prediction. It compares your numbers with the middle 50% of admitted students and West Chester University of Pennsylvania's overall admit rate — it can't see essays, recommendations, activities, or your intended major, which all move real decisions.
About West Chester, Pennsylvania
West Chester is a borough and the county seat of Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. West Chester has been the seat of government in Chester County since 1786 when the seat was moved from nearby Chester in what is now Delaware County. The borough was incorporated in 1799. The spin-off shows Viva La Bam and Bam's Unholy Union were filmed almost entirely in the area, as was the movie Haggard and the CKY videos. (Wikipedia)
- Setting
- Large suburb
- Highest degree offered
- Graduate
- Nearest big city
- 23 miles to Philadelphia, PA
- To the ocean
- 13 miles
- Nearest airport
- 19 miles to Wilmington (ILG)
How West Chester University of Pennsylvania compares
More selective than 47% · #43 most selective of 111 in Pennsylvania
Higher than 54%
Higher than 79% · #35 of 116 in Pennsylvania
Higher than 70%
Higher than 70% · #64 of 116 in Pennsylvania
Cheaper than 34% · #57 cheapest of 112 in Pennsylvania
Lower than 48%
Lower than 10%
Larger than 92%
Percentiles compare West Chester University of Pennsylvania with the nation's 2,196 four-year colleges, among schools reporting each statistic. State ranks count four-year colleges in Pennsylvania.
West Chester University of Pennsylvania campus
Student body
Undergraduate vs. graduate
- Undergraduate14,16484%
- Graduate2,72216%
Undergraduates by gender
- Women8,61061%
- Men5,55439%
Undergraduates by race / ethnicity
- White73%
- Black10%
- Hispanic8.2%
- Asian2.9%
- Other or multiracial5.3%
Graduate gender splits aren't published in this data, so the gender chart covers undergraduates only.
By the numbers
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 14,164
- Graduate enrollment
- 2,722
- Student–faculty ratio
- 20 : 1
- Pell Grant recipients
- 25%
- First-generation students
- 28%
- Students over 25
- 7%
- Median family income
- $75,332
- Avg faculty salary (academic year)
- $100,944
- Endowment
- $69,403,013
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 3,087 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.
- From Pennsylvania87%
- Other U.S. states13%
Most first-years stay in state — West Chester University of Pennsylvania draws overwhelmingly from Pennsylvania.
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
- 78.4%
- Test scores
- Considered but not required
- SAT range (25th–75th %)
- 1100–1270
- SAT average
- 1187
- SAT reading
- 560–650
- SAT math
- 540–620
- ACT composite
- 24–28
- Average GPA (estimated)
- 3.41
Cost
- In-state tuition
- $10,775
- Out-of-state tuition
- $22,599
- Room & board
- $14,828
- Books & supplies
- $1,200
- Total cost of attendance
- $28,394
- Average net price
- $23,331
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)
- 71%
- Graduated on time (4 years)
- 53%
- First-year retention
- 83%
- Transferred to another college
- 17%
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $51,013
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $61,258
- Median debt at graduation
- $23,500
- Students with federal loans
- 54%
- Paying down their loans (1 year in)
- 71%
About 18% 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)
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
- 5,383
- Dorm capacity vs undergrads
- 38%
- Housing charge (year)
- $6,142
- Meal plan (year)
- $4,184
- Application fee
- $45
- Athletics
- NCAA Division II with football
- Football conference
- Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference
- Varsity athletes
- 727 (364 men · 363 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)
Athlete counts per sport, Equity in Athletics data, 2024–25.
Campus safety
- Safety grade
- B
- Reported offenses per 1,000 students
- 1.5 / year
- Violent offenses (2022–2024)
- 50
- Property offenses (2022–2024)
- 27
On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 4 campuses (17,171 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.
By offense type, per year
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.
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.
$20,417/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.
Modest institutional aid: 57% of freshmen get a grant from the school, averaging $2,325. Most of what lowers the price here is federal or state money, not the school's own funds.
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 2,984 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)
- $61,258
- Typical debt at graduation
- $23,500
- Debt vs. one year's pay
- 38%
- Out-earn a HS grad
- 71%
Typical debt would take roughly 3.8 years to repay at about a tenth of median earnings.
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.
Men out-earn women by $6,712 (11%) 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
- 20°F
- Annual rain
- 50.9″
- Annual snow
- 30.5″
Average temperature
HighLowAverage precipitation (inches)
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, W Chester 2 NW, PA US station (2.3 mi from campus).
What West Chester University of Pennsylvania graduates study — and earn
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 West Chester University of Pennsylvania
Schools with a comparable profile — size, selectivity, cost, and graduate outcomes. Compare West Chester University of Pennsylvania side by side →
Rowan University
Glassboro, New Jersey · Large suburb · 17 mi to Philadelphia
- Students
- 15,841
- Admission
- 78%
- Net price
- $22k
- SAT
- 1212
- GPA
- 3.4
- Earnings
- $60k
University of Iowa
Iowa City, Iowa · Small city · 23 mi to Cedar Rapids
- Students
- 22,264
- Admission
- 84%
- Net price
- $23k
- SAT
- 1200
- GPA
- 3.8
- Earnings
- $65k
Kansas State University
Manhattan, Kansas · Small city · 107 mi to Kansas City
- Students
- 15,142
- Admission
- 82%
- Net price
- $19k
- SAT
- 1151
- GPA
- 3.9
- Earnings
- $57k
Montana State University
Bozeman, Montana · Small city · 123 mi to Billings
- Students
- 14,451
- Admission
- 82%
- Net price
- $22k
- SAT
- 1183
- GPA
- 3.5
- Earnings
- $53k
University of Massachusetts-Boston
Boston, Massachusetts · Large city · 3 mi to Boston
- Students
- 11,512
- Admission
- 84%
- Net price
- $18k
- SAT
- 1194
- GPA
- 3.4
- Earnings
- $66k
University of Rhode Island
Kingston, Rhode Island · Large suburb · 24 mi to Providence
- Students
- 13,381
- Admission
- 72%
- Net price
- $21k
- SAT
- 1160
- GPA
- 3.4
- Earnings
- $70k
Colleges near West Chester University of Pennsylvania
Cheyney University of Pennsylvania
Cheyney, PA · Public · Bachelor's · 617 students
Immaculata University
Immaculata, PA · Private nonprofit · Bachelor's · 1,320 students
Chester County Intermediate Unit
Downingtown, PA · Public · Certificate · 82 students
Automotive Training Center-Exton
Exton, PA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 366 students
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Great Valley
Malvern, PA · Public · Graduate
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Brandywine
Media, PA · Public · Bachelor's · 1,223 students
Universal Technical Institute of Pennsylvania Inc
Exton, PA · Private for-profit · Certificate · 954 students
Williamson College of the Trades
Media, PA · Private nonprofit · Associate · 322 students
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.















