DeSales University is a private nonprofit institution offering graduate degrees based in Center Valley, Pennsylvania. It enrolls 2,128 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.
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
60/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes74
Value17
Affordability20
Selectivity55
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
DeSales University admits 77.1% of applicants, which makes it open to most qualified applicants, so admission is unlikely to be the hurdle.
Acceptance Rate
77.1%
Easy
SAT Range (25th–75th)
1090 – 1260
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
27 – 28
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 DeSales University is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Stable ↓
0.2 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 $31,643 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
$46,800
Room & Board (on-campus)
$13,800
Room & Board (off-campus)
$9,800
Books & Supplies
$1,485
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$3,477
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$6,954
Total Cost of Attendance
$62,745
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
$24,007
$30,001 – $48,000
$25,400
$48,001 – $75,000
$26,096
$75,001 – $110,000
$29,982
Over $110,000
$34,878
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.
$3,53810%percentile
$7,67025%percentile
$25,788Medianpercentile
$27,00075%percentile
$31,00090%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 $21,705
↓ $4,083
No Pell $19,500
↓ $6,288
Dependent students $20,500
↓ $5,288
Independent students $19,000
↓ $6,788
Female students $20,500
↓ $5,288
Male students $19,500
↓ $6,288
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $9,500, less than completers ($25,788), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
60% of students who start here finish within six years, and 82% 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
82%
Returning for their second year
After Graduation: Earnings & Outcomes
Ten years after starting here, the median student earns $61,295 a year, above the national median. That is a healthy return for most cost levels. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$61,295
Earning > $25K
83%
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
$52,500
Median earnings for female grads ten years after first enrolling here.
Male graduates
$57,800
Median earnings for male grads ten years after first enrolling here.
By Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$49,800
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$54,800
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$56,200
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
The gender gap:
Male graduates earn $5,300, about 9% more than female graduates ten years out. The gap reflects industry mix, role choice, and structural pay differences that exist across most US colleges.
What this means:
Moderate return on investment. Every dollar of net annual cost is matched by ~$1.9 of median earnings 10 years out. Compare carefully against your funding plan.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 2,128 students, a mid-sized community.
Total Enrolled
2,128
Part-Time
11%
First-Generation
30%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 68.1%1,449
Hispanic 16.2%345
Black 5.7%121
Asian 5.4%114
Other 2.6%56
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at DeSales University. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
DeSales University offers
an extensive catalog of programs:
48 distinct programs across
16 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 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
$188M
Solid financial position
Avg Faculty Salary
$79,575
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
133 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
14
11%
$100,519
Associate Professors
45
34%
$86,392
Assistant Professors
65
49%
$73,196
Instructors
9
7%
$58,980
Pros & Cons of DeSales University
No college is right for everyone. Here is where DeSales University is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.
Predominantly serves middle- and upper-income families
Best for:
Based on the data, DeSales University is a fit for
students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier.
Frequently Asked Questions about DeSales University
The questions families ask most about DeSales University, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
Is DeSales University hard to get into?
Not especially. DeSales University admits most qualified applicants, with an acceptance rate of 77.1%. Plan around cost and whether students finish, not your odds of getting in.
What is the acceptance rate at DeSales University?
77.1% 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 DeSales University?
Aim for 1260 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 1090 and 1260 (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 DeSales University?
Aim for 28 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 27 and 28 on the composite, so the upper half of that band is where you want to land. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
How much does DeSales University cost?
Budget around $31,643 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 DeSales University worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $61,295 a year against a net price of $31,643, about 1.9 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 DeSales University known for?
Mostly Nursing, Business Administration, Allied Health Diagnostic. 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 DeSales University graduates earn?
About $61,295 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 DeSales University accredited?
Yes. DeSales University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
How many students attend DeSales University?
2,128 students. Big enough for a wide course catalogue without feeling anonymous. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
What is the graduation rate at DeSales 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 DeSales 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 DeSales University located?
DeSales University is located in Center Valley, Pennsylvania.
What programs does DeSales University offer?
48 different programs, most commonly Nursing, Business Administration, Allied Health Diagnostic. 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 DeSales University?
11 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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Original data analyses built on the same federal data as this profile. Rankings, outliers, and patterns, no opinions.
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