Wilson College is a private nonprofit institution offering graduate degrees based in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. It enrolls 865 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 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.
Fair
50/100
UCD Score · 4-Year Selective
Outcomes38
Value20
Affordability34
Selectivity12
Admissions & Acceptance Rate
Wilson College admits 92.1% of applicants, which makes it open to most qualified applicants, so admission is unlikely to be the hurdle.
Acceptance Rate
92.1%
Open
SAT Range (25th–75th)
930 – 1180
Reading + Math combined
ACT Range (25th–75th)
—
Not reported
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 Wilson College is getting harder, easier, or staying about the same.
Stable ↓
2.8 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 $21,741 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
$27,100
Room & Board (on-campus)
$12,296
Room & Board (off-campus)
$11,796
Books & Supplies
$1,104
Other Expenses (on-campus)
$1,701
Other Expenses (off-campus)
$2,593
Total Cost of Attendance
$39,344
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
$14,808
$30,001 – $48,000
$18,436
$48,001 – $75,000
$18,236
$75,001 – $110,000
$20,905
Over $110,000
$26,246
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.
$4,90010%percentile
$7,75025%percentile
$26,328Medianpercentile
$29,31575%percentile
$42,95390%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 $25,000
↓ $1,328
No Pell $17,125
↓ $9,203
Dependent students $19,125
↓ $7,203
Independent students $20,068
↓ $6,260
Female students $20,109
↓ $6,219
Male students $12,649
↓ $13,679
Worth knowing:
Students who don't finish leave with a median debt of $10,015, less than completers ($26,328), but still a meaningful obligation without a degree in hand.
Graduation Rate & Retention
32% of students who start here finish within six years, and 76% come back after first year. Fewer than half finish in six years. Ask what support exists for students who fall behind. 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
32%
Of students who graduate within six years
First-Year Retention
76%
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 $43,326 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)
$43,326
Earning > $25K
76%
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 Family Income at Entry
Family income (lowest third)
$29,700
Earnings of grads from the bottom-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (middle third)
$34,800
Earnings of grads from the middle-third of family incomes at entry.
Family income (highest third)
$37,300
Earnings of grads from the top-third of family incomes at entry.
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 ↑
22.9 pts
across 6 years
What this signals:
Excellent. 87% of graduates were paying down at least $1 of principal seven years out.
Who Studies Here
Who you would actually be sitting next to: 865 students, a small, close-knit community. Worth knowing: 43% are the first in their family to go to college.
Total Enrolled
865
Part-Time
28%
First-Generation
43%
Race & Ethnicity Breakdown
Undergraduate student body composition reported to the US Department of Education.
GroupShareStudents
White 75.7%655
Hispanic 10.1%87
Black 8.8%76
Other 2.7%23
Asian 1.0%9
International 0.8%7
Student Life & Campus Culture
Where students live, learn, and connect at Wilson College. The campus setting, housing profile, and signals that shape day-to-day life here.
Wilson College offers
a varied set of programs:
38 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 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
$95M
Modest endowment
Avg Faculty Salary
$63,646
9-month equivalent across all ranks
Faculty by Rank
46 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
8
17%
$76,405
Associate Professors
13
28%
$66,739
Assistant Professors
22
48%
$58,949
Instructors
1
2%
$54,000
Lecturers
2
4%
$49,000
Pros & Cons of Wilson College
No college is right for everyone. Here is where Wilson College is likely to suit you and where it may not, based on the same figures shown above.
Low completion rate, many students don't graduate within six years
Modest first-year retention
Predominantly serves middle- and upper-income families
Most students take on federal loans
Best for:
Based on the data, Wilson College is a fit for
students who want a clear path to start college without a competitive admissions barrier; students who thrive in small, close-knit environments.
Frequently Asked Questions about Wilson College
The questions families ask most about Wilson College, answered straight from the federal data rather than from the college's own marketing.
Is Wilson College hard to get into?
Not especially. Wilson College admits most qualified applicants, with an acceptance rate of 92.1%. Plan around cost and whether students finish, not your odds of getting in.
What is the acceptance rate at Wilson College?
92.1% 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 Wilson College?
Aim for 1180 or better. Half of admitted students scored between 930 and 1180 (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 Wilson College cost?
Budget around $21,741 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 Wilson College worth it?
On the numbers, yes: moderate return on investment. Ten years in, the median graduate earns $43,326 a year against a net price of $21,741, 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 Wilson College known for?
Mostly Nursing, Educational Assessment, Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/Technicians. 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 Wilson College graduates earn?
About $43,326 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 Wilson College accredited?
Yes. Wilson College is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
How many students attend Wilson College?
865 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 Wilson College?
32% 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 Wilson College 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 Wilson College located?
Wilson College is located in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania.
What programs does Wilson College offer?
38 different programs, most commonly Nursing, Educational Assessment, Veterinary/Animal Health Technologies/Technicians. 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 Wilson College?
12 students per instructor. Low enough that staff are likely to know who you are. Source: IPEDS 2023-24.
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