Private nonprofit · University

Widener University

Chester, Pennsylvania · Large suburb

70.9%
Admit rate
$25,759
Avg net price
68%
Graduation rate
$70,920
Median earnings

Widener University is a private nonprofit bachelor's-granting institution in Chester, Pennsylvania (large suburb setting), enrolling 2,951 undergraduates.

Private nonprofitMidsize · 2,951 undergradsLarge suburbAccessible · 71% admitNCAA Division III with football · Middle Atlantic States Athletic CorporationCold wintersNear the coast

Will you get in?

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

Admit rate
70.9%
SAT (mid 50%)
1080–1290
Avg GPA (est.)
3.40

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

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

About Chester, Pennsylvania

Chester is a city in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. The original indigenous name of Chester was Mecoponaca, which means "the stream along which large potatoes grow". About 27.3% of families and 33.1% of the total population were below the poverty line, including 47.7% of those under age 18 and 18.4% of those age 65 or over. (Wikipedia)

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

How Widener University compares

Selectivity70.9%

More selective than 62% · #26 most selective of 111 in Pennsylvania

SAT average1180

Higher than 52%

Graduation rate68%

Higher than 75% · #40 of 116 in Pennsylvania

First-year retention78%

Higher than 57%

Earnings, 10 years after entry$70,920

Higher than 84% · #20 of 116 in Pennsylvania

Average net price$25,759

Cheaper than 26% · #69 cheapest of 112 in Pennsylvania

Median debt at graduation$27,000

Lower than 11%

Student–faculty ratio11 : 1

Lower than 68%

Undergraduate enrollment2,951

Larger than 69%

Percentiles compare Widener 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

5,689students
  • Undergraduate2,95152%
  • Graduate2,73848%

Undergraduates by gender

2,951undergrads
  • Women1,78861%
  • Men1,16339%

Undergraduates by race / ethnicity

  • White51%
  • Black29%
  • Hispanic9.7%
  • Asian4.1%
  • Other or multiracial6.4%

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

By the numbers

Undergraduate enrollment
2,951
Graduate enrollment
2,738
Student–faculty ratio
11 : 1
Pell Grant recipients
33%
First-generation students
30%
Students over 25
10%
Median family income
$77,624
Avg faculty salary (academic year)
$80,811
Endowment
$117,539,742

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 894 first-year students who entered in fall 2023.

  • From Pennsylvania67%
  • Other U.S. states32%
  • International0.8%

A regional draw: about 67% 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
70.9%
Test scores
Considered but not required
SAT range (25th–75th %)
1080–1290
SAT average
1180
SAT reading
550–650
SAT math
530–640
ACT composite
Average GPA (estimated)
3.40

Cost

In-state tuition
$55,730
Room & board
$16,530
Books & supplies
$1,408
Total cost of attendance
$70,621
Average net price
$25,759

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)
68%
Graduated on time (4 years)
61%
First-year retention
78%
Transferred to another college
0%
Median earnings, 6 years after entry
$63,375
Median earnings, 10 years after entry
$70,920
Median debt at graduation
$27,000
Students with federal loans
72%
Paying down their loans (1 year in)
61%

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
61%
Low-income (Pell)
59%
First-generation
63%

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
1,400
Dorm capacity vs undergrads
47%
Housing charge (year)
$8,200
Meal plan (year)
$7,330
Application fee
Free
Athletics
NCAA Division III with football
Football conference
Middle Atlantic States Athletic Corporation
Varsity athletes
633 (397 men · 236 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)

Football107
Track and Field (Indoor)85
Track and Field (Outdoor)85
Lacrosse71
Soccer67
Swimming43
Baseball37
Basketball34
Volleyball34
Field Hockey28
Cross Country25
Softball17

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

Campus safety

Safety grade
C
Reported offenses per 1,000 students
2.9 / year
Violent offenses (2022–2024)
32
Property offenses (2022–2024)
17

On-campus criminal offenses reported under the Clery Act, 2022–2024, across 3 campuses (5,713 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.

16reported offenses a year
11 violent a year5.7 property a year

By offense type, per year

Aggravated assault
4.0
Rape
3.3
Burglary
3.0
Fondling
2.0
Arson
1.7
Robbery
1.3
Motor vehicle theft
1.0

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
$21,200
$30–48k
$22,275
$48–75k
$22,514
$75–110k
$25,900
$110k+
$32,296

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
$93,793

$22,514/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
$34,005
average award, among those who get one

Widener University discounts heavily: 100% of freshmen are awarded a grant straight from the school, averaging $34,005. 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 533 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)
$70,920
Typical debt at graduation
$27,000
Debt vs. one year's pay
38%
Out-earn a HS grad
76%

Typical debt would take roughly 3.8 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
$64,315
Men
$79,888

Men out-earn women by $15,573 (24%) 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
27°F
Annual rain
41.6″
Annual snow
23.1″

Average temperature

HighLow
20°60°100°JFMAMJJASOND

Average precipitation (inches)

0.02.44.8JFMAMJJASOND

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Marcus Hook, PA US station (4.6 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 Widener University

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

Colleges near Widener 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.