Specialized school
#25 Best colleges in PennsylvaniaSaint Joseph's University - Lancaster
Lancaster, PA · Private nonprofit · 4-year
Your real cost
Average price after aid $42,478 a year
Median debt at graduation: $25,500 (all students)
Estimate your own price · the college’s net price calculator
Upcoming admissions events
- Visit Lancaster LocationOctober 29, 2026More about Visit Lancaster LocationAdd to calendar
- Visit Lancaster LocationNovember 21, 2026More about Visit Lancaster LocationAdd to calendar
View all upcoming events · From the college's admissions website.
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
- Best colleges for nursing in America#137 of 1,068
- Best small colleges in America#125 of 906
- Best colleges in America#349 of 1,829
- Most selective colleges in America#131 of 683
- Best colleges for biology and pre-med in America#268 of 1,358
- Best test-optional colleges in America#305 of 1,481
In Pennsylvania
Academic Excellence
Each measure counts for the share shown.
- Graduation rate 35% of scoreThis measure counts for 35% of the Academic Excellence score.69%
- First-year retention 20% of scoreThis measure counts for 20% of the Academic Excellence score.81%
- Entering students' test scores 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.Not reported
- Student-to-faculty ratio 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.11 to 1
- Instructional spending per student 15% of scoreThis measure counts for 15% of the Academic Excellence score.$8,676
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.
| Family income | Price after aid |
|---|---|
| Up to $30,000 | |
| $30,001–$48,000 | |
| $48,001–$75,000 | |
| $75,001–$110,000 | |
| Over $110,000 |
Full cost of attendance before aid: $47,879 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.
| Undergraduate students Fall enrollment (IPEDS) | 1,648 |
|---|---|
| Men and women Undergraduates, fall 2023 (College Scorecard) | Men 13% · Women 87% |
| First-generation students Share of students who are first-generation, by the College Scorecard’s definition | 18% |
| Total students | 1,770 |
| Average net price (per year) After grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid | $42,478 |
| Cost of attendance (per year) | $47,879 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $25,500 |
| Graduation rate First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time | 69% |
| Graduation rate for Pell grant recipients Finishing within 6 years (College Scorecard) | 65% |
| Graduation rate for first-generation students Finishing within 6 years (College Scorecard) | 69% |
| Borrowers paying down their loans within 3 years Borrowers who repaid at least $1 of principal within 3 years (College Scorecard) | 79% |
| First-year retention | 81% |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $86,881 |
| Admission rate | 41% |
| Application fee Undergraduate application fee, 2023–24 (IPEDS) | $35 |
| Students receiving Pell grants | 55% |
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).
| Major | Median earnings |
|---|---|
| Nursing | |
| Other health professions and related clinical sciences | |
| Biology |
Also offered (no earnings published yet): Health administration.
What students study most
Share of bachelor’s degrees by field, first majors in 2023–24 (IPEDS).
| Field | Share of degrees |
|---|---|
| Health professions |
Campus life
| Setting | Rural |
|---|---|
| Part-time undergraduates | 63% |
| Undergraduates aged 25 and older | 57% |
| Students per faculty member | 11 to 1 |
| Faculty who are full-time | 73%Of instructional faculty, fall 2023 (College Scorecard) |
| Endowment per student | $10,881Endowment at the end of fiscal year 2023, per full-time-equivalent student (IPEDS) |
| Nearest airport with scheduled flights | Lancaster Airport (LNS)About 5 miles away in a straight line (OurAirports) |
| Town population | 57,7192020–2024 five-year estimate (U.S. Census Bureau) |
| Nearest city of 250,000 people or more | BaltimoreAbout 56 miles away in a straight line (U.S. Census Bureau) |
| Average temperature in January | 31°F1991–2020 normal, from LANCASTER 2NE FLTR PLT, PA US, about 2 miles away (NOAA) |
| Average temperature in July | 76°F1991–2020 normal, from LANCASTER 2NE FLTR PLT, PA US, about 2 miles away (NOAA) |
Federal data (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Questions families ask
- What is Saint Joseph's University - Lancaster’s Compass Score?
- Excellent (grade A-). It ranks in the top 19% 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 Saint Joseph's University - Lancaster cost after financial aid?
- The average net price is $42,478 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 Saint Joseph's University - Lancaster?
- Saint Joseph's University - Lancaster admitted 41% of applicants in the most recent federal data.
- How do Saint Joseph's University - Lancaster’s graduates do?
- 69% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years; the median earnings of former students ten years after entry are $86,881; the median federal debt at graduation is $25,500.
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About this school’s data
- IPEDS unit ID 442356
- Carnegie classification: Special focus: health professions
- Accreditation: Middle States Commission on Higher Education (U.S. Department of Education DAPIP)
- Religious affiliation (IPEDS): Roman Catholic
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Colleges like this one
The same kind of school first, then the closest in selectivity, size and cost.
Compare side by side: Saint Joseph's University - Lancaster vs Mount Carmel College of Nursing · Saint Joseph's University - Lancaster vs Good Samaritan College of Nursing and Health Science
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