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Arcadia University: Church Rd 2005, Arcadia University, Glenside PA
Photo: Shuvaev, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Regional university

#15 Colleges with the most faculty per student in Pennsylvania

Arcadia University

Glenside, PA · Private nonprofit · 4-year

Your real cost

Average price after aid $29,466 a year

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

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

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Rankings

Where this college places on our top lists. Lists are worked out from official data and our own research; places in the top quarter of each list are shown. See every list

In America

In Pennsylvania

Academic Excellence

B+Academic Excellence: B+ (grade B+): 0 to 100 points out of 100, from federal data.
Very good · Top 24%
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.67%
  • First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.79%
  • Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.SAT 1,190
  • Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.10 to 1
  • Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$10,749

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$23,127
$30,001–$48,000$25,388
$48,001–$75,000$25,978
$75,001–$110,000$28,654
Over $110,000$34,339

Full cost of attendance before aid: $64,645 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)
1,890
Men and women
College Scorecard, fall 2023
Men 37% · Women 63%
First-generation students
College Scorecard
31%
First-year students from another state
IPEDS, fall 2023
33%
Total students3,142
Average net price (per year)
After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid
$29,466
Cost of attendance (per year)$64,645
Median federal debt at graduation$27,000
Graduation rate
First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time
67%
Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients
College Scorecard, within 6 years
54%
Graduation rate for first-generation students
College Scorecard, within 6 years
57%
Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years
College Scorecard, within 3 years
68%
First-year retention79%
Median earnings 10 years after entry$58,336
Admission rate80%
Application fee
IPEDS, 2023–24
$30
Typical rent
HUD fair market rent, FY2026
About $1,520 a month for a one-bedroom
Students receiving Pell grants28%
Admitted students’ middle range:SAT 1065–1265
Admission test scores (middle 50% of admitted students who submitted scores)
Average SAT1190
SAT reading & writing550–650
SAT math515–615
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
Computing and information science$86,116
Accounting$73,901
Biology$73,377
Mathematics$66,995
Health administration$59,441
International business$58,788
History$56,331
Psychology$55,517
Global studies$53,307
Criminology$47,772
English$40,802
Communication studies$40,740
Theatre$39,087
Fine arts$37,489

Also offered (no earnings published yet): Anthropology, Area studies, Biological and physical sciences, Broadcasting, Business administration, Chemistry, Data Science, Design, Education (general), Film and video, Finance, General studies, Interdisciplinary studies, International relations, Kinesiology and exercise science, Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies, Literature, Management science, Managerial economics, Marketing, Medical Illustration and Informatics, Other physical sciences, Philosophy, Political science, Public health, Public relations, Rehabilitation and therapy, Romance languages, Secondary education, Sociology, Special education, Specialized Sales, Merchandising and Marketing Operations, Teacher education, Writing and rhetoric.

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
Biology18%
Business14%
Psychology11%
Social sciences9%
Education8%

Campus life

School colors
SettingSuburb
Part-time undergraduates7%
Undergraduates aged 25 and older4%
On-campus room and board (per year)$17,180
SportsNCAA Division III · Middle Atlantic States Athletic Corporation
Study abroadOffered
Students per faculty member10 to 1
Undergraduates registered with the disability officeAbout 12%IPEDS, 2023–24
Disability servicesVisit the office’s pageThe college’s own page
Faculty who are full-time37%College Scorecard, fall 2023
Endowment per student$26,817IPEDS, 2023, per student
Dorm spaceFor about 57% of studentsBeds per undergraduate; not who lives on campus
Nearest airport with airline servicePhiladelphia International Airport (PHL)About 16 miles away · about 40 minutes by car
Town population7,659Census, 2020–2024
Nearest city of 250,000 people or morePhiladelphiaAbout 6 miles away · about 15 minutes by car
Typical weather32°F in January · 76°F in JulyNOAA, 1991–2020, from Willow Grove Nas, PA, about 7 miles away

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
Rape0.440.07
Robbery0.000.01
Aggravated assault0.000.04
Burglary0.000.08
Motor vehicle theft0.440.15

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 Arcadia University’s Compass Score?
Very good (grade B+). It ranks in the top 34% 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 Arcadia University cost after financial aid?
The average net price is $29,466 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 Arcadia University?
Arcadia University admitted 80% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
How do Arcadia University’s graduates do?
67% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $58,336; the median federal debt at graduation is $27,000.

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