Private Nonprofit Graduate Good 63/100

Saint Joseph's University - Lancaster

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

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Lancaster, Pennsylvania

About Saint Joseph's University - Lancaster

Thinking about Saint Joseph's University - Lancaster, 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.

Saint Joseph's University - Lancaster is a private nonprofit institution offering graduate degrees based in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. It enrolls 1,280 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.

Acceptance
41.2%
Graduation
72.7%
Net Price
$42,478
Median Earnings (10yr)
$86,881
Enrollment
1,280
Student : Faculty
13:1

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
63/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes 54
Value 22
Affordability 46
Selectivity 88

Admissions & Acceptance Rate

Saint Joseph's University - Lancaster admits 41.2% of applicants, which makes it genuinely competitive, so your application needs to be strong.

Acceptance Rate
41.2%
Selective
SAT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
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 Saint Joseph's University - Lancaster is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.

Getting more selective ↓ 34.1 pts since 2019
78.2%201954.2%202049.1%202145.7%202244.1%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 $42,478 a year on average, it sits above what private nonprofit colleges charge nationally. That is a serious number, so the earnings further down matter more here than usual. 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
$42,478
Per year, after typical aid
Receive Pell Grants
55%
Need-based federal aid
Receive Federal Loans
53%
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
$32,933
Room & Board (off-campus)
$16,240
Books & Supplies
$1,160
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$1,450
Total Cost of Attendance
$47,879

Application fee: $35 (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
    $37,532
  • $30,001 – $48,000
    $38,376
  • $48,001 – $75,000
    $41,420
  • $75,001 – $110,000
    $44,745
  • Over $110,000
    $47,879

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
$9,737
25% percentile
$25,500
Median percentile
$27,000
75% percentile
$28,000
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 $24,250 ↓ $1,250
No Pell $20,000 ↓ $5,500
Dependent students $21,463 ↓ $4,037
Independent students $21,992 ↓ $3,508
Female students $21,500 ↓ $4,000
Male students $21,000 ↓ $4,500
Pell recipients: 18.6% (4,749 students)No Pell: 15.4% (3,917 students)Dependent students: 16.5% (4,203 students)Independent students: 16.9% (4,307 students)Female students: 16.5% (4,211 students)Male students: 16.1% (4,113 students)Overall Median$25,500
Worth knowing: Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $8,750, less than completers ($25,500), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.

Graduation Rate & Retention

73% 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
73%
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 $86,881 a year, well above the national median. Strong earnings, though the field studied drives much of that. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.

Median Earnings (10 yrs)
$86,881
Earning > $25K
92%
10 yrs after entry

Earnings Growth After Graduation

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

$65,000$70,000$75,000$85,000$90,0006 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
$59,900

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

Male graduates
$71,900

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


By Family Income at Entry

Family income (lowest third)
$49,500

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

Family income (middle third)
$64,400

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

Family income (highest third)
$69,500

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

The gender gap: Male graduates earn $12,000, about 17% 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 ↑ 8.8 pts across 6 years
84.4%1yr88%3yr90%5yr93.2%7yr
What this signals: Excellent. 93% of graduates were paying down at least $1 of principal seven years out.

Who Studies Here

Who you would actually be sitting next to: 1,280 students, a small, close-knit community. Worth knowing: 63% study part-time, so many are working alongside classes.

Total Enrolled
1,280
Part-Time
63%
First-Generation
18%

Race & Ethnicity Breakdown

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

GroupShareStudents
White 60.8% 778
Hispanic 17.9% 229
Black 12.0% 154
Asian 5.2% 66
Other 3.2% 41
White: 60.8% (778 students)Hispanic: 17.9% (229 students)Black: 12.0% (154 students)Asian: 5.2% (66 students)Other: 3.2% (41 students)Total1,280

Student Life & Campus Culture

Where students live, learn, and connect at Saint Joseph's University - Lancaster. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.

Setting
Rural: Fringe Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Housing
Commuter campus No on-campus housing
Adult Learners
57% of students are 25 or older
Athletics
NAIA athletic-conference member
Academic Calendar
Semester scheduling structure
Designation
Religiously affiliated
Designation
Branch campus

What You Can Study

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

Saint Joseph's University - Lancaster offers a varied set of programs: 13 distinct programs across 2 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.

12 Programs
1 Program

Faculty & Resources

There are 13 students for every instructor here: about average, so expect a mix of small seminars and big lectures.

Student : Faculty
13:1
Students per instructional faculty member
Endowment
$3.5M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$70,115
9-month equivalent across all ranks

Faculty by Rank

74 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 4% $81,679
Associate Professors 8 11% $80,675
Assistant Professors 12 16% $62,656
Instructors 45 61% $70,818
Lecturers 6 8% $59,897

Pros & Cons of Saint Joseph's University - Lancaster

No college is right for everyone. Here is where Saint Joseph's University - Lancaster 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
  • Reasonable class sizes
  • Tight-knit, close community feel
  • Above-average graduation rate
  • Above-average post-graduation earnings
  • Wide reach of need-based federal aid
  • Flexible part-time enrollment options
CONS
  • High net price compared to most US colleges
  • Selective admissions, solid academic profile expected
  • Fewer clubs, activities, and social options
  • Modest first-year retention
  • Narrow program catalog compared to mid-sized peers
Best for: Based on the data, Saint Joseph's University - Lancaster is a fit for working adults or students needing part-time study options; students prioritizing post-graduation earnings; students who thrive in small, close-knit environments.

Frequently Asked Questions about Saint Joseph's University - Lancaster

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

Is Saint Joseph's University - Lancaster hard to get into?
Saint Joseph's University - Lancaster is selective but not extremely competitive. Its acceptance rate is 41.2%. Strong academic credentials and a thoughtful application materially improve your odds.
What is the acceptance rate at Saint Joseph's University - Lancaster?
41.2% of applicants are admitted. Around half get in, so a solid application has a real chance. Source: College Scorecard 2023-24.
How much does Saint Joseph's University - Lancaster cost?
Budget around $42,478 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 Saint Joseph's University - Lancaster worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $86,881 a year against a net price of $42,478, 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 Saint Joseph's University - Lancaster known for?
Mostly Nursing, Nursing, 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 Saint Joseph's University - Lancaster graduates earn?
About $86,881 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 Saint Joseph's University - Lancaster accredited?
Yes. Saint Joseph's University - Lancaster is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
How many students attend Saint Joseph's University - Lancaster?
1,280 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 Saint Joseph's University - Lancaster?
73% 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 Saint Joseph's University - Lancaster 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 Saint Joseph's University - Lancaster located?
Saint Joseph's University - Lancaster is located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
What programs does Saint Joseph's University - Lancaster offer?
13 different programs, most commonly Nursing, Nursing, 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 Saint Joseph's University - Lancaster?
13 students per instructor. About average, so a mix of seminars and larger lectures. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.

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