Adelphi University is a private nonprofit institution offering graduate degrees based in Garden City, New York. It enrolls 5,276 students (a large student body), according to IPEDS 2023-24 data. Every figure on this page is reported by the federal government, not supplied by the college, so it can be compared like for like against anywhere else you are looking.
AccreditorMiddle States Commission on Higher Education
Academic CalendarSemester
How It Measures Up
These four scores answer one question: compared with similar colleges, is this one worth the money? Each runs 0 to 100 and is judged only against its peer group (4-Year Selective), so a community college is never marked down for not being Harvard. Everything is computed from federal data. Nobody can pay to move a score, and a pillar with missing data is left unscored rather than guessed.
Good
67/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes70
Value40
Affordability29
Selectivity67
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
Adelphi University admits 65.9% of applicants, which makes it moderately selective, and realistic if you meet the academic profile.
Acceptance Rate
65.9%
Moderate
SAT Range (25th–75th)
1120 – 1340
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
24 – 30
Cumulative composite
Test PolicyNot ConsideredStandardized test scores are not used in admissions decisions.
5-Year Admission Trend
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Adelphi University is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Stable ↑
3.2 pts
since 2019
Cost & Financial Aid
Ignore the sticker price. What matters is the net price, which is what a typical family pays here after grants and scholarships come off. At $30,783 a year on average, it sits in line with what private nonprofit colleges charge nationally. Plan for the gap between that and what you can pay without borrowing. Figures are College Scorecard 2023-24.
Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.
Tuition & Fees
$49,110
Room & Board (on-campus)
$20,028
Room & Board (off-campus)
$18,934
Books & Supplies
$1,020
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$3,496
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$6,072
Total Cost of Attendance
$63,189
Application fee: $50 (one-time, due at submission)
Net Price by Family Income
Aid is need-based, so net price varies by family income. Here's what each bracket typically pays after grants and scholarships.
Under $30,000
$24,095
$30,001 – $48,000
$24,700
$48,001 – $75,000
$28,681
$75,001 – $110,000
$32,337
Over $110,000
$35,672
Debt at Graduation
Cumulative federal-loan debt across the full borrowing distribution. The 10th and 90th percentiles bracket the typical range; the median sits in the middle.
$5,50010%percentile
$10,75025%percentile
$25,000Medianpercentile
$27,00075%percentile
$33,00090%percentile
Median Debt by Student Type
Median federal-loan debt at graduation broken down by demographic. Each slice's size is proportional to the dollar amount that group typically borrows.
GroupDebtvs Median
Pell recipients $22,500
↓ $2,500
No Pell $19,035
↓ $5,965
Dependent students $19,821
↓ $5,179
Independent students $25,000
—
Female students $20,500
↓ $4,500
Male students $19,929
↓ $5,071
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $8,750, less than completers ($25,000), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
71% of students who start here finish within six years, and 83% come back after first year. Roughly half finish on that timeline, so budget for the possibility of a longer run. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Completion and earnings carry the most weight in this college's score, and how the UCD Score weighs each measure sets out exactly how they are combined.
6-Year Graduation Rate
71%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
83%
Returning for their second year
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $75,482 a year, above the national median. That is a healthy return for most cost levels. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$75,482
Earning > $25K
87%
10 yrs after entry
Earnings Growth After Graduation
Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.
Earnings by Demographic
Mean annual earnings 10 years after entry, segmented by demographic. Reveals gaps the headline median can't show.
By Gender
Female graduates
$60,800
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$68,900
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$61,900
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$64,200
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$62,600
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $8,100, about 12% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.
Loan Repayment Progression
Share of completer-cohort borrowers paying down at least $1 of principal at the 1-, 3-, 5-, and 7-year mark. Climbing rates show graduates settling into careers and managing debt; flat or declining rates are a warning.
Climbing: graduates increasingly paying down debt ↑
16.8 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Excellent. 86% of graduates were paying down at least $1 of principal seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 5,276 students, a large student community. Worth knowing: 35% are the first in their family to go to college.
Total Enrolled
5,276
Part-Time
3%
First-Generation
35%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 41.3%2,180
Hispanic 23.4%1,234
Asian 13.7%721
Black 10.1%534
International 4.3%226
Other 3.8%198
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Adelphi University. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Adelphi University offers
an extensive catalog of programs:
93 distinct programs across
22 majors.
Below are its strongest majors, each with flagship programs and typical earnings.
Open a major to explore it in depth, or browse the full program catalog.
There are 12 students for every instructor here: about average, so expect a mix of small seminars and big lectures.
Student : Faculty
12:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$360M
Solid financial position
Avg Faculty Salary
$119,042
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
327 instructional faculty across 4 ranks.
The rank mix shows how many senior faculty are teaching versus contingent or junior staff, with average salary equated to a 9-month contract.
Rank
Faculty Count
Share
Avg Salary
Full Professors
99
30%
$145,365
Associate Professors
136
42%
$117,452
Assistant Professors
81
25%
$94,287
Lecturers
11
3%
$84,079
Pros & Cons of Adelphi University
No college is right for everyone. Here is where Adelphi University is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.
Best for:
Based on the data, Adelphi University is a fit for
students prioritizing post-graduation earnings.
Frequently Asked Questions about Adelphi University
The questions families ask most about Adelphi University, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
Is Adelphi University hard to get into?
Admissions at Adelphi University are moderately competitive. The acceptance rate is 65.9%, so most applicants who meet the academic minimums are admitted.
What is the acceptance rate at Adelphi University?
65.9% of applicants are admitted. Most applicants who meet the basic requirements are admitted. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What SAT score do you need for Adelphi University?
Aim for 1340 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 1120 and 1340 (Reading plus Math), so anything above the top of that range makes you competitive and anything below the bottom means the rest of your application has to carry more weight. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What ACT score do you need for Adelphi University?
Aim for 30 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 24 and 30 on the composite, so the upper half of that band is where you want to land. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does Adelphi University cost?
Budget around $30,783 a year. That is the net price, what families typically pay once grants and scholarships come off, not the sticker price. Your own figure depends on household income, so treat this as a midpoint rather than a quote. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Adelphi University worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $75,482 a year against a net price of $30,783, about 2.5 dollars of earnings for every dollar of annual cost. That ratio ignores whether you finish and what you study, which matter just as much. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What is Adelphi University known for?
Mostly Nursing, Social Work, Psychology. Those are the fields where it awards the most degrees, which is a better guide to where the teaching strength sits than any reputation ranking. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What do Adelphi University graduates earn?
About $75,482 a year, measured ten years after students first enrolled. Half earn more and half earn less, and what you study moves that figure far more than where you study. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Is Adelphi University accredited?
Yes. Adelphi University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
How many students attend Adelphi University?
5,276 students. Big enough for a wide course catalogue without feeling anonymous. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Adelphi University?
71% finish within six years. That leaves a meaningful share who do not finish on that timeline, so budget for the possibility of a longer run. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Adelphi University a public or private college?
It is Private Nonprofit. Private nonprofit, so the sticker price is higher but institutional aid is often larger too.
Where is Adelphi University located?
Adelphi University is located in Garden City, New York.
What programs does Adelphi University offer?
93 different programs, most commonly Nursing, Social Work, Psychology. If the subject you want is not among them, check the full list before applying rather than assuming it is offered.
What is the student-to-faculty ratio at Adelphi University?
12 students per instructor. Low enough that staff are likely to know who you are. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
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