Arcadia University
A good fit for students who want accessible admissions and students who want small classes and close faculty access. no major red flags in the data. financial aid brings net price below sticker.
About This School
Arcadia University is a private nonprofit institution located in Glenside, Pennsylvania with approximately 1,948 undergraduate students enrolled. Arcadia University has an open or accessible admissions process, with an acceptance rate of 80%. The average net price after financial aid is $29,466 per year. The graduation rate is 67%, and the typical graduate earns $48,000 within 10 years of enrollment.
Arcadia University is a private university in Cheltenham Township, Pennsylvania, United States, with a Glenside mailing address. The university enrolls approximately 3,200 undergraduate, master's, and doctoral students. The 94-acre Glenside campus features Grey Towers Castle, a National Historic Landmark; the university also includes a campus in Christiana, Delaware, as well as several centers around the world.
The numbers tell a mixed story here: a 64% graduation rate is below average for a private university, meaning roughly 1 in 3 students who start don't finish — worth asking why. On the positive side, median debt at graduation is a manageable $21,852, and the Philadelphia-area location plus strong study abroad programs (Grey Towers Castle is a genuinely distinctive campus) give it real appeal for students drawn to international focus or health sciences. Worth considering if you're confident in your fit and have a clear major in mind, but visit and ask hard questions about student support before committing.
Popular Programs
Percentage of degrees awarded. Source: College Scorecard.
Notable Alumni
Source: Wikidata. Used for context only.
Admissions
SAT Scores
ACT Scores
Cost & Financial Aid
Net Price by Family Income
Average annual cost after grants/scholarships, by household income. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Financial Aid
Full Cost
After Graduation
Earnings 6 Years After Enrollment, by Gender
Gap: 8% less for female graduates. National avg ~16%.
What Each Major Actually Earns
Median earnings four years after graduation, by major, next to the national median for that same major at every college. The school-wide average hides this: at most schools the spread between the best- and worst-paying majors is far wider than the gap between schools.
Arcadia University graduates earn most above the national rate in Biology, General ($73,377 vs $57,214 nationally), and most below it in Communication and Media Studies ($40,740 vs $56,359).
| Major | Grads | Here | National | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Biology, General | 66 | $73,377 | $57,214 | +$16,163 |
| Psychology, General | 44 | $55,517 | $50,706 | +$4,811 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | 16 | $37,489 | $41,367 | −$3,878 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | 16 | $39,087 | $39,775 | −$688 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | 15 | $86,116 | $92,374 | −$6,258 |
| Communication and Media Studies | 14 | $40,740 | $56,359 | −$15,619 |
| Criminology | 14 | $47,772 | $55,556 | −$7,784 |
| Mathematics | 8 | $66,995 | $69,562 | −$2,567 |
| Health and Medical Administrative Services | 7 | $59,441 | $58,716 | +$725 |
| International/Globalization Studies | 7 | $53,307 | $59,972 | −$6,665 |
| English Language and Literature, General | 5 | $40,802 | $48,590 | −$7,788 |
| History | 4 | $56,331 | $50,680 | +$5,651 |
U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard field-of-study data. Median earnings of graduates working and not enrolled four years after completing a bachelor's degreehere. Majors with too few graduates to report are omitted for privacy, so this is not the school's full program list.
Will This School Pay Off?
Solid return. Earnings outpace debt, though major choice matters.
Earnings data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. These are means across all graduates, not specific to any major.
Student Body
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (1,948 undergraduates).
Contact & Location
Official Links
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See How Colleges Compare
Arcadia University is one of thousands of colleges in our data studies, each built from the same U.S. Department of Education data shown on this page. Compare schools head to head:
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the acceptance rate at Arcadia University?
Arcadia University has an acceptance rate of 80%, based on the most recent data from the U.S. Department of Education.
Is Arcadia University hard to get into?
Not especially. Arcadia University has an acceptance rate of 80%, so admissions are relatively accessible for applicants who meet the requirements.
How much does Arcadia University cost?
The average net price at Arcadia University is about $29,466 per year after grants and scholarships, based on federal data. Your actual cost depends on your family's finances and aid package.
What is the graduation rate at Arcadia University?
Arcadia University has a graduation rate of 67%, according to U.S. Department of Education data.
Sources & Methodology
Primary data source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Accessed via automated sync. Latest values may come from different reporting years depending on the metric.
School overview from Wikipedia. Used for context only, not as a primary data source for admissions, cost, or outcomes claims.
- Earnings figures are institution-level averages, not major-specific.
- Some metrics are based on Title IV financial aid recipients only.
- Some values may be privacy-suppressed or rolled up by the Department of Education.
- Contact the school directly for current admissions requirements and costs.
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