Private Nonprofit Graduate Good 56/100

Alvernia University

See admissions data, costs, student outcomes, and academic programs, all verified from official US government sources.

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Reading, Pennsylvania

About Alvernia University

Thinking about Alvernia University, a college in Pennsylvania where more students graduate in Health than anything else? The four things worth knowing are what it actually costs after aid, whether you would get in, whether students finish, and what they earn after they do.

Alvernia University is a private nonprofit institution offering graduate degrees based in Reading, Pennsylvania. It enrolls 2,152 students (a mid-sized 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.

Acceptance
58.1%
Graduation
59.7%
Net Price
$28,138
Median Earnings (10yr)
$55,055
Enrollment
2,152
Student : Faculty
12:1

Accreditor Middle States Commission on Higher Education
Academic Calendar Semester

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
56/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes 40
Value 19
Affordability 40
Selectivity 64

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

Alvernia University admits 58.1% of applicants, which makes it moderately selective, and realistic if you meet the academic profile.

Acceptance Rate
58.1%
Moderate
SAT Range (25th–75th)
1093 – 1286
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
Test Policy Not Considered Standardized 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 Alvernia University is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.

Stable ↓ 1.9 pts since 2019
64.2%201970%202057.8%202159%202262.3%2023

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 $28,138 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.

The average hides a wide spread by household income, so it is worth estimating what a family at your income would actually pay before treating this as the price.

Average Net Price
$28,138
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
36%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
83%
Borrowing to attend

Full Cost Breakdown

Published cost of attendance, the sticker price before grants and scholarships. Most students underestimate room & board and other expenses.

Tuition & Fees
$45,000
Room & Board (on-campus)
$15,460
Room & Board (off-campus)
$11,550
Books & Supplies
$1,000
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$2,400
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$3,510
Total Cost of Attendance
$57,565

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
    $23,436
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $23,701
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $24,131
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $28,016
  • Over $110,000
    $32,152

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.

$5,220
10% percentile
$9,500
25% percentile
$27,000
Median percentile
$31,000
75% percentile
$40,999
90% 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 $22,039 ↓ $4,961
No Pell $19,500 ↓ $7,500
Dependent students $19,500 ↓ $7,500
Independent students $23,750 ↓ $3,250
Female students $23,605 ↓ $3,395
Male students $14,250 ↓ $12,750
Pell recipients: 18.0% (4,852 students)No Pell: 15.9% (4,293 students)Dependent students: 15.9% (4,293 students)Independent students: 19.4% (5,229 students)Female students: 19.2% (5,197 students)Male students: 11.6% (3,137 students)Overall Median$27,000
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $8,750, less than completers ($27,000), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

60% of students who start here finish within six years, and 72% 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
60%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
72%
Returning for their second year

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $55,055 a year, above the national median. That is a healthy return for most cost levels. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.

Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$55,055
Earning > $25K
82%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

Median annual earnings 6, 8, and 10 years after students first enrolled.

$49,000$51,000$52,000$54,000$56,0006 yrs8 yrs10 yrs

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
$45,200

Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.

Male graduates
$51,600

Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.


By Family Income at Entry

Family income (lowest third)
$40,800

Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (middle third)
$47,100

Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.

Family income (highest third)
$51,500

Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.

The gender gap: Male graduates earn $6,400, 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 ↑ 9.0 pts across 6 years
70.7%1yr72.6%3yr79.3%5yr79.6%7yr
What this signals: Strong. 80% of graduates are actively reducing their debt seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 2,152 students, a mid-sized community. Worth knowing: 45% are the first in their family to go to college.

Total Enrolled
2,152
Part-Time
19%
First-Generation
45%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.

GroupShareStudents
White 60.7% 1,306
Hispanic 17.1% 367
Black 10.8% 232
Other 3.7% 80
International 3.2% 69
Asian 1.6% 34
White: 60.7% (1,306 students)Hispanic: 17.1% (367 students)Black: 10.8% (232 students)Other: 3.7% (80 students)International: 3.2% (69 students)Asian: 1.6% (34 students)Total2,152

Student Life & Campus Culture

Where students live, learn, and connect at Alvernia University. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.

Setting
Small City Reading, Pennsylvania
Housing
Mostly residential 956 beds on campus
Adult Learners
19% of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAA athletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semester scheduling structure
Designation
Religiously affiliated

What You Can Study

After that comes the national picture for Business graduates, which shows what the field pays across every college rather than just this one.

Alvernia University offers an extensive catalog of programs: 49 distinct programs across 18 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.

14 Programs
9 Programs
2 Programs
3 Programs
1 Program
2 Programs

Faculty & Resources

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
$112M
Solid financial position
Avg Faculty Salary
$71,260
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

122 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 18 15% $87,048
Associate Professors 29 24% $73,673
Assistant Professors 47 39% $70,473
Instructors 28 23% $59,934

Pros & Cons of Alvernia University

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Alvernia University is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.

Read against a single profile these cut both ways, which is why it helps to put two colleges side by side on the same measures rather than judging one in isolation.

PROS
  • Small classes (low student-faculty ratio)
  • Solid post-graduation earnings
  • First-gen-friendly student body
CONS
  • Above-average net price
  • Modest first-year retention
  • Most students take on federal loans

Frequently Asked Questions about Alvernia University

The questions families ask most about Alvernia University, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.

Is Alvernia University hard to get into?
Admissions at Alvernia University are moderately competitive. The acceptance rate is 58.1%, so most applicants who meet the academic minimums are admitted.
What is the acceptance rate at Alvernia University?
58.1% of applicants are admitted. Around half get in, so a solid application has a real chance. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
What SAT score do you need for Alvernia University?
Aim for 1286 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 1093 and 1286 (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.
How much does Alvernia University cost?
Budget around $28,138 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 Alvernia University worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $55,055 a year against a net price of $28,138, about 2.0 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 Alvernia University known for?
Mostly Health Sciences, Rehabilitation, Nursing. 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 Alvernia University graduates earn?
About $55,055 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 Alvernia University accredited?
Yes. Alvernia University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
How many students attend Alvernia University?
2,152 students. Big enough for a wide course catalogue without feeling anonymous. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Alvernia University?
60% 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 Alvernia 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 Alvernia University located?
Alvernia University is located in Reading, Pennsylvania.
What programs does Alvernia University offer?
49 different programs, most commonly Health Sciences, Rehabilitation, Nursing. 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 Alvernia University?
12 students per instructor. Low enough that staff are likely to know who you are. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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