Alvernia University vs Muhlenberg College

Alvernia University and Muhlenberg College, both esteemed institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Alvernia, a Catholic university, boasts a higher acceptance rate (84%) compared to Muhlenberg's selective admissions (49%). While Muhlenberg's student body is slightly larger, both universities share a similar graduation rate of around 75%. When it comes to academics, Alvernia excels in nursing, business, and education, while Muhlenberg shines in the liberal arts, sciences, and social sciences. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more about these institutions' unique strengths, student demographics, and financial aid opportunities, and make an informed decision that aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.

	Alvernia University	Muhlenberg College
Overview
Location	Reading, Pennsylvania	Allentown, Pennsylvania
Campus setting	City: Small	City: Midsize
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Private (Non Profit)	Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	73.0%	92.0%
Common app member	Yes	Yes
Religious affiliation	Catholic	Evangelical

Admission
Acceptance rate	57.8%	67.8%
Application fees	$50	$50
SAT range	N/A	1200 - 1370
ACT range	N/A	27 - 32
Students submitting SAT score		34.0%
Students submitting ACT score		12.0%
Total number of applicants	5,371	4,118
Total number of admissions given out	3,103	2,790
Admitted students who chose to enroll	403	450
Yield rate	13.0%	16.1%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Required
High school transcript	Not required	Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Not required	Not required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	$49,480	$71,880
Average net price	$24,917	$30,920
Tuition	$37,780	$55,095
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $6,930 Meal plan: $6,750	Room/dormitory: $7,035 Meal plan: $5,765
Available payment plans	Tuition payment plan	Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	95.0% Average amount $26,065	97.0% Average amount $37,483
Students receiving federal student loan	94.0% Average amount $4,652	62.0% Average amount $5,381
Students taking out private loans	20.0% Average amount $18,154	7.0% Average amount $24,182

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	2,032 Men 34.0% Women 66.0%	2,074 Men 40.5% Women 59.5%
Graduate students	504 Men 31.0% Women 69.0%	21 Men 47.6% Women 52.4%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Low	Low
Out-of-state students	27.8%	N/A
International students	4.0%	1.4%
Campus local/setting	City: Small	City: Midsize
Dormitory capacity	1,079	1,922
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	Pennsylvania New Jersey Maryland New Mexico Virginia	N/A

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Business Education Public Administration and Social Service Psychology	Biological and Biomedical Sciences Visual & Performing Arts Business Communication and Journalism Social Sciences
Students to faculty ratio	13:1	9:1
Institutional accreditation	Middle States Commission on Higher Education	Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Outcome
Graduation rate	65.3%	82.0%
Dropout rate	6.2%	17.9%
Transferred out	27.9%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $66,956 Year 2: $64,553 Year 3: $70,009 Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $66,528 Year 2: $63,600 Year 3: $69,944 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $65,042 Year 2: $60,878 Year 3: $68,491 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $66,259 Year 2: $42,682 Year 3: $54,161 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $45,308 Year 2: $45,500 Year 3: $50,326 Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $39,968 Year 2: $42,682 Year 3: $47,691 Criminal Justice and Corrections (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $36,786 Year 2: $39,832 Year 3: $46,290 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $31,572 Year 2: $31,941 Year 3: $42,891 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $29,208 Year 2: $38,289 Year 3: $40,464 Social Work (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $36,850 Year 2: $35,060 Year 3: $39,539	Finance and Financial Management Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $48,892 Year 2: $65,387 Year 3: $76,365 Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $59,174 Year 2: $63,430 Year 3: $70,575 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $46,828 Year 2: $50,105 Year 3: $56,960 Economics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $48,684 Year 2: $54,644 Year 3: $56,688 Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $41,496 Year 2: $52,941 Year 3: $52,763 Dance (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $24,541 Year 2: $35,420 Year 3: $47,919 English Language and Literature, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,225 Year 2: $36,848 Year 3: $44,789 Psychology, General (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $28,411 Year 2: $31,133 Year 3: $44,431 Communication and Media Studies (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $34,407 Year 2: $34,298 Year 3: $39,267 Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $19,426 Year 2: $19,749 Year 3: $24,340

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