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Alvernia University: Franco Library at Alvernia University 02
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National university

Alvernia University

Reading, PA · Private nonprofit · 4-year

Your real cost

Average price after aid $28,138 a year

Median debt at graduation: $27,000 (all students)

Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator

Campus tour

Virtual Campus Tour · From the college’s official YouTube channel. Plays from YouTube when you tap it.

Academic Excellence

BAcademic Excellence: Good (grade B): 70 to 100 points out of 100, from federal data.
Good · Top 47%
From federal data, on fixed published scales.

Each measure counts for the share shown.

  • Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.56%
  • First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.72%
  • Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,170
  • Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.14 to 1
  • Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$8,245

Bars show points on each measure’s scale. How Academic Excellence is computed.

Source: College Scorecard (College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026))

What families pay, by income

Average yearly price after grants and scholarships, for students who receive federal aid.

Average net price by family income
Family incomePrice after aid
Up to $30,000$23,436
$30,001–$48,000$23,701
$48,001–$75,000$24,131
$75,001–$110,000$28,016
Over $110,000$32,152

Full cost of attendance before aid: $57,565 a year.

Use the college’s net price calculator for your own estimate.

Cost and value

Federal data: what families pay after aid, what graduates earn, and what they owe.

Value and outcomes
Undergraduate students
Fall enrollment (IPEDS)
2,050
Men and women
Undergraduates, fall 2023 (College Scorecard)
Men 36% · Women 65%
First-generation students
Share of students who are first-generation, by the College Scorecard’s definition
45%
First-year students from another state
Of first-time students whose home is a U.S. state, fall 2023 (IPEDS)
28%
Total students2,485
Average net price (per year)
After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid
$28,138
Cost of attendance (per year)$57,565
Median federal debt at graduation$27,000
Graduation rate
First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time
56%
Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients
Finishing within 6 years (College Scorecard)
58%
Graduation rate for first-generation students
Finishing within 6 years (College Scorecard)
57%
Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years
Borrowers who repaid at least $1 of principal within 3 years (College Scorecard)
62%
First-year retention72%
Median earnings 10 years after entry$55,055
Admission rate58%
Application fee
Undergraduate application fee, 2023–24 (IPEDS)
No application fee
Students receiving Pell grants36%
Admitted students’ middle range:SAT 1093–1286
Admission test scores (middle 50% of admitted students who submitted scores)
Average SAT1170
SAT reading & writing570–658
SAT math523–628
ACT composite—
Test policyConsidered but not required

Value: Solid (how it’s computed)

Sources: College Scorecard · IPEDS College Navigator · Net price calculator
College Scorecard, most recent cohorts (data release 06/10/2026); IPEDS 2024-25 directory and institutional characteristics; fall 2023 enrollment.

Earnings by major

Median earnings of bachelor’s graduates a few years after finishing, by major (College Scorecard).

Median earnings by major
MajorMedian earnings
Nursing$94,679
Business administration$75,705
Accounting$67,562
Criminal justice$58,810
Kinesiology and exercise science$58,231
Social work$56,243
Health sciences$56,203
Psychology$52,044
Counseling and mental health$48,809

Also offered (no earnings published yet): Allied health, Biochemistry, Biological and physical sciences, Biology, Broadcasting, Chemistry, Communication studies, Computing and information science, Electrical engineering, English, Finance, History, Human resources, Industrial Engineering, Liberal arts, Managerial economics, Marketing, Mathematics, Mechanical engineering, Natural resources and conservation, Other biological and biomedical sciences, Other health professions and related clinical sciences, Philosophy, Political science, Public health, Religious studies, Secondary education, Security science, Special education, Teacher education, Theatre.

What students study most

Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).

Most common bachelor’s fields
FieldShare of degrees
Health professions46%
Business15%
Criminal justice and security7%
Biology7%
Education6%

Campus life

School colors
SettingCity
Part-time undergraduates19%
Undergraduates aged 25 and older19%
On-campus room and board (per year)$15,460
SportsNCAA Division III · Middle Atlantic States Athletic Corporation
ROTCArmy
Study abroadOffered
Students per faculty member14 to 1
Faculty who are full-time100%Of instructional faculty, fall 2023 (College Scorecard)
Endowment per student$7,512Endowment at the end of fiscal year 2023, per full-time-equivalent student (IPEDS)
Dorm spaceFor about 47% of studentsCampus beds divided by undergraduate enrollment. Not how many students live on campus (IPEDS)
Nearest airport with scheduled flightsLancaster Airport (LNS)About 23 miles away in a straight line (OurAirports)
Town population95,2422020–2024 five-year estimate (U.S. Census Bureau)
Nearest city of 250,000 people or morePhiladelphiaAbout 47 miles away in a straight line (U.S. Census Bureau)
Average temperature in January31°F1991–2020 normal, from READING SPAATZ FLD, PA US, about 4 miles away (NOAA)
Average temperature in July76°F1991–2020 normal, from READING SPAATZ FLD, PA US, about 4 miles away (NOAA)

Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard), except school colors.

Campus safety reports

On-campus crimes reported in 2024, per 1,000 students.

On-campus crimes per 1,000 students
CategoryThis campusU.S. rate
Rape0.000.07
Robbery0.000.01
Aggravated assault0.000.04
Burglary0.000.08
Motor vehicle theft0.000.15

Numbers reflect what each campus reported. They differ with campus size and how reporting is done, so compare with care. U.S. rate: total reported offenses divided by total students at every institution in the report.

Source: Official data: U.S. Department of Education

Questions families ask

What is Alvernia University’s Compass Score?
Good (grade B). It ranks in the top 46% of rated colleges. The grade comes from outcomes (40%: graduation, retention and earnings), entering students (40%: test scores and selectivity), cost (15%: debt and price after aid) and teaching (5%: class size), all from federal data.
How much does Alvernia University cost after financial aid?
The average net price is $28,138 a year for students who receive federal aid, after grants and scholarships. What your family pays depends on income; the college’s net price calculator gives your own estimate.
How hard is it to get into Alvernia University?
Alvernia University admitted 58% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
How do Alvernia University’s graduates do?
56% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $55,055; the median federal debt at graduation is $27,000.

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