Private Nonprofit Graduate Good 59/100

Arcadia University

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

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Glenside, Pennsylvania

About Arcadia University

Thinking about Arcadia 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.

Arcadia University is a private nonprofit institution offering graduate degrees based in Glenside, Pennsylvania. It enrolls 1,948 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
80.2%
Graduation
58.7%
Net Price
$29,466
Median Earnings (10yr)
$58,336
Enrollment
1,948
Student : Faculty
11:1

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
59/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes 65
Value 19
Affordability 27
Selectivity 50

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

Arcadia University admits 80.2% of applicants, which makes it open to most qualified applicants, so admission is unlikely to be the hurdle.

Acceptance Rate
80.2%
Easy
SAT Range (25th–75th)
1065 – 1265
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 Arcadia University is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.

Becoming less selective ↑ 13.5 pts since 2019
65.7%201973.6%202082.4%202177.6%202279.2%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 $29,466 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
$29,466
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
28%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
61%
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
$49,610
Room & Board (on-campus)
$17,180
Room & Board (off-campus)
$26,390
Books & Supplies
$1,500
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$1,100
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$1,100
Total Cost of Attendance
$64,645

Application fee: $30 (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
    $23,127
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $25,388
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $25,978
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $28,654
  • Over $110,000
    $34,339

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.

$5,500
10% percentile
$9,500
25% percentile
$27,000
Median percentile
$27,000
75% percentile
$31,750
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 $22,125 ↓ $4,875
No Pell $21,500 ↓ $5,500
Dependent students $21,953 ↓ $5,047
Independent students $21,000 ↓ $6,000
Female students $22,863 ↓ $4,137
Male students $21,500 ↓ $5,500
Pell recipients: 16.9% (4,562 students)No Pell: 16.4% (4,433 students)Dependent students: 16.8% (4,527 students)Independent students: 16.0% (4,330 students)Female students: 17.5% (4,714 students)Male students: 16.4% (4,433 students)Overall Median$27,000
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $6,250, less than completers ($27,000), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

59% of students who start here finish within six years, and 80% 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
59%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
80%
Returning for their second year

After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes

Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $58,336 a year, above the national median. That is a healthy return for most cost levels. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.

Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$58,336
Earning > $25K
84%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

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

$42,000$47,000$51,000$56,000$60,0006 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
$44,000

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

Male graduates
$57,600

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


By Family Income at Entry

Family income (lowest third)
$44,100

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

Family income (middle third)
$45,400

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

Family income (highest third)
$50,900

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

The gender gap: Male graduates earn $13,600, about 24% 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 ↑ 15.5 pts across 6 years
72%1yr74.8%3yr82.5%5yr87.5%7yr
What this signals: Excellent. 88% of graduates were paying down at least $1 of principal seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 1,948 students, a mid-sized community. Worth knowing: 31% are the first in their family to go to college.

Total Enrolled
1,948
Part-Time
7%
First-Generation
31%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

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

GroupShareStudents
White 54.8% 1,067
Black 16.8% 327
Hispanic 11.7% 228
International 5.0% 98
Asian 4.1% 80
Other 3.9% 76
White: 54.8% (1,067 students)Black: 16.8% (327 students)Hispanic: 11.7% (228 students)International: 5.0% (98 students)Asian: 4.1% (80 students)Other: 3.9% (76 students)Total1,948

Student Life & Campus Culture

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

Setting
Large Suburb Glenside, Pennsylvania
Housing
Mostly residential 1,085 beds on campus
Adult Learners
4% of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NCAA athletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semester scheduling structure

What You Can Study

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

Arcadia University offers an extensive catalog of programs: 69 distinct programs across 20 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.

11 Programs
1 Program
7 Programs
4 Programs
5 Programs

Faculty & Resources

There are 11 students for every instructor here: about average, so expect a mix of small seminars and big lectures.

Student : Faculty
11:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$141M
Solid financial position
Avg Faculty Salary
$78,667
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

143 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 27 19% $96,677
Associate Professors 51 36% $77,823
Assistant Professors 62 43% $72,655
Instructors 3 2% $55,154

Pros & Cons of Arcadia University

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Arcadia 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
  • Accessible admissions for most applicants
  • Small classes (low student-faculty ratio)
  • Solid post-graduation earnings
CONS
  • Above-average net price
  • High published cost of attendance before aid
Best for: Based on the data, Arcadia University is a fit for students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier.

Frequently Asked Questions about Arcadia University

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

Is Arcadia University hard to get into?
Not especially. Arcadia University admits most qualified applicants, with an acceptance rate of 80.2%. Plan around cost and whether students finish, not your odds of getting in.
What is the acceptance rate at Arcadia University?
80.2% 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 Arcadia University?
Aim for 1265 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 1065 and 1265 (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 Arcadia University cost?
Budget around $29,466 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 Arcadia University worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $58,336 a year against a net price of $29,466, 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 Arcadia University known for?
Mostly Rehabilitation, Allied Health Diagnostic, Biology. 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 Arcadia University graduates earn?
About $58,336 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 Arcadia University accredited?
Yes. Arcadia University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
How many students attend Arcadia University?
1,948 students. Small enough that you will recognize faces across campus, and small enough that course choice can be limited. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at Arcadia University?
59% 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 Arcadia 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 Arcadia University located?
Arcadia University is located in Glenside, Pennsylvania.
What programs does Arcadia University offer?
69 different programs, most commonly Rehabilitation, Allied Health Diagnostic, Biology. 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 Arcadia University?
11 students per instructor. Low enough that staff are likely to know who you are. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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