Central Penn College is a private for-profit institution offering graduate degrees based in Summerdale, Pennsylvania. It enrolls 662 students (a small, tight-knit 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 CalendarQuarter
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
64/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes25
Value38
Affordability69
Selectivity96
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
Central Penn College admits 18.5% of applicants, which makes it genuinely competitive, so your application needs to be strong.
Acceptance Rate
18.5%
Very Selective
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
Test PolicyTest OptionalApplicants choose whether to submit SAT or ACT scores.
5-Year Admission Trend
Acceptance rate over the last five admission cycles. The trend tells you whether Central Penn College is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Getting more selective ↓
58.4 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 $18,953 a year on average, it sits below what private for-profit colleges charge nationally. That still leaves most families a gap to cover, but a manageable one. 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
$19,854
Room & Board (on-campus)
$7,581
Room & Board (off-campus)
$5,750
Books & Supplies
$2,000
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$2,000
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$1,200
Total Cost of Attendance
$27,116
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
$15,859
$30,001 – $48,000
$19,164
$48,001 – $75,000
$17,011
$75,001 – $110,000
$18,973
Over $110,000
$23,656
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.
$3,05010%percentile
$5,50025%percentile
$23,194Medianpercentile
$25,00075%percentile
$37,07990%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 $13,151
↓ $10,043
No Pell $12,958
↓ $10,236
Dependent students $11,000
↓ $12,194
Independent students $14,887
↓ $8,307
Female students $13,443
↓ $9,751
Male students $12,653
↓ $10,541
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $7,667, less than completers ($23,194), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
23% of students who start here finish within six years, and 64% come back after first year. Most students who start here do not finish. That is the single most important number on this page. 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
23%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
64%
Returning for their second year
What this means:
Lower than typical completion. Worth asking the school how they support students who fall behind.
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $45,370 a year, close to the national median. Typical for most colleges, so what you study will matter more than where. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$45,370
Earning > $25K
72%
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
$32,100
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$48,400
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$34,300
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$35,800
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$42,300
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $16,300, about 34% 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 ↑
25.9 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Strong. 74% of graduates are actively reducing their debt seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 662 students, a small, close-knit community. Worth knowing: 51% are the first in their family to go to college, and 80% study part-time, so many are working alongside classes.
Total Enrolled
662
Part-Time
80%
First-Generation
51%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 55.1%365
Black 18.0%119
Hispanic 9.5%63
Other 6.1%40
International 3.9%26
Asian 3.0%20
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Central Penn College. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Central Penn College offers
a varied set of programs:
17 distinct programs across
6 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 8 students for every instructor here: small classes, and staff who are likely to know your name.
Student : Faculty
8:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Avg Faculty Salary
$48,191
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
38 instructional faculty across 5 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
3
8%
$66,563
Associate Professors
5
13%
$52,555
Assistant Professors
14
37%
$47,708
Instructors
8
21%
$43,690
Lecturers
8
21%
$43,918
Pros & Cons of Central Penn College
No college is right for everyone. Here is where Central Penn College is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.
Highly competitive admissions, many strong applicants are rejected
Fewer clubs, activities, and social options
Low completion rate, many students don't graduate within six years
First-year retention is below typical
Most students take on federal loans
Best for:
Based on the data, Central Penn College is a fit for
working adults or students needing part-time study options; students seeking a highly selective peer group; students who thrive in small, close-knit environments.
Frequently Asked Questions about Central Penn College
The questions families ask most about Central Penn College, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
Is Central Penn College hard to get into?
Central Penn College is highly selective. Its acceptance rate is 18.5%, so admitted students generally have strong grades, competitive test scores, and a well-rounded application.
What is the acceptance rate at Central Penn College?
18.5% of applicants are admitted. Fewer than a third of applicants get in, so treat it as a stretch rather than a safe bet. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
How much does Central Penn College cost?
Budget around $18,953 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 Central Penn College worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $45,370 a year against a net price of $18,953, about 2.4 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 Central Penn College known for?
Mostly Medical Assisting, Business Administration, Criminal Justice. 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 Central Penn College graduates earn?
About $45,370 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 Central Penn College accredited?
Yes. Central Penn College is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
How many students attend Central Penn College?
662 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 Central Penn College?
23% finish within six years. That means most students do not finish in six years. Ask the school directly what support exists for students who fall behind. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Is Central Penn College a public or private college?
It is Private For-Profit. Private for-profit, so compare completion and earnings carefully against a public alternative.
Where is Central Penn College located?
Central Penn College is located in Summerdale, Pennsylvania.
What programs does Central Penn College offer?
17 different programs, most commonly Medical Assisting, Business Administration, Criminal Justice. 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 Central Penn College?
8 students per instructor. Low enough that staff are likely to know who you are. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
Related Colleges in Pennsylvania
Other colleges in Pennsylvania share the same applicant pool, regional economy, and academic landscape. Comparing nearby options puts admissions, costs, and outcomes in context, useful when weighing your fit against local alternatives.
Free, data-backed guides to help you decide, built on the same federal data as this profile.
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