Saint Francis University vs Alvernia University

Saint Francis University and Alvernia University, both rooted in the Franciscan tradition, offer distinct educational experiences. Saint Francis, nestled in the scenic Allegheny Mountains, boasts a higher acceptance rate, welcoming a more diverse student body. Alvernia, located in the vibrant city of Reading, Pennsylvania, has a smaller student population and a higher graduation rate. While both universities excel in liberal arts and sciences, Saint Francis is known for its strong business and nursing programs, while Alvernia shines in health sciences and education. Explore the detailed comparison table to discover more about these institutions' unique strengths and make an informed decision that aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
Alvernia University logo

Alvernia University

Saint Francis University logo

Saint Francis University

Overview

Location Reading, Pennsylvania Loretto, Pennsylvania
Campus setting City: Small Town: Fringe
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% 85.0%
Common app member Yes Yes
Religious affiliation Catholic Catholic

Admission

Acceptance rate 57.8% 73.3%
Application fees $50 $30
SAT range N/A N/A
ACT range N/A N/A
Students submitting SAT score
Students submitting ACT score
Total number of applicants 5,371 2,063
Total number of admissions given out 3,103 1,513
Admitted students who chose to enroll 403 398
Yield rate 13.0% 26.3%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Required Required
Recommendation letters Not required Not required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Not required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $49,480 $61,110
Average net price $24,917 $28,883
Tuition $37,780 $38,852
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $6,930

Meal plan: $6,750
Room/dormitory: $6,532

Meal plan: $7,076
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

95.0%
Average amount $26,065
100.0%
Average amount $26,960
Students receiving federal student loan 94.0%
Average amount $4,652
61.0%
Average amount $5,240
Students taking out private loans 20.0%
Average amount $18,154
29.0%
Average amount $19,827

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 2,032
Men 34.0% Women 66.0%
2,552
Men 38.0% Women 62.0%
Graduate students 504
Men 31.0% Women 69.0%
482
Men 29.3% Women 70.7%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Low
Very Low
Out-of-state students 27.8% N/A
International students 4.0% 0.4%
Campus local/setting City: Small Town: Fringe
Dormitory capacity 1,079 1,284
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
  • Health Professions
  • Business
  • Education
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Multidisciplinary Studies
Students to faculty ratio 13:1 14:1
Institutional accreditation Middle States Commission on Higher Education Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Outcome

Graduation rate 65.3% 74.0%
Dropout rate 6.2% 26.0%
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
Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $101,462
  • Year 2: $103,821
  • Year 3: $107,108
Accounting and Related Services (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $43,301
  • Year 2: $46,087
  • Year 3: $49,231
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $36,674
  • Year 3: N/A
Education, General (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $44,560
  • Year 2: $45,696
  • Year 3: N/A
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $90,172
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $56,679
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $64,580
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $60,723
  • Year 2: $58,866
  • Year 3: N/A
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $38,218
  • Year 2: $33,993
  • Year 3: N/A
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $45,629
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: N/A

Compare Similar Colleges

The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page. There, you can search for the specific colleges and initiate your comparison.
Alvernia University Alvernia University vs Fresno Pacific University Fresno Pacific University
Alvernia University Alvernia University vs Benedictine College Benedictine College
Alvernia University Alvernia University vs Washington Adventist University Washington Adventist University
Alvernia University Alvernia University vs Hood College Hood College
Alvernia University Alvernia University vs Curry College Curry College
Alvernia University Alvernia University vs Aquinas College Aquinas College
Alvernia University Alvernia University vs Bloomfield College Bloomfield College
Alvernia University Alvernia University vs Georgian Court University Georgian Court University
Alvernia University Alvernia University vs Dominican College of Blauvelt Dominican College of Blauvelt
Alvernia University Alvernia University vs LIM College LIM College
Alvernia University Alvernia University vs Trocaire College Trocaire College
Alvernia University Alvernia University vs Tiffin University Tiffin University
Alvernia University Alvernia University vs Walsh University Walsh University
Alvernia University Alvernia University vs DeSales University DeSales University
Alvernia University Alvernia University vs Cedar Crest College Cedar Crest College
Alvernia University Alvernia University vs Eastern University Eastern University
Alvernia University Alvernia University vs Elizabethtown College Elizabethtown College
Alvernia University Alvernia University vs Franklin and Marshall College Franklin and Marshall College
Alvernia University Alvernia University vs Haverford College Haverford College
Alvernia University Alvernia University vs Juniata College Juniata College
Alvernia University Alvernia University vs King's College King's College
Alvernia University Alvernia University vs La Salle University La Salle University
Alvernia University Alvernia University vs Lackawanna College Lackawanna College
Alvernia University Alvernia University vs Lafayette College Lafayette College
Alvernia University Alvernia University vs Lebanon Valley College Lebanon Valley College
Alvernia University Alvernia University vs Lycoming College Lycoming College
Alvernia University Alvernia University vs Moravian University Moravian University
Alvernia University Alvernia University vs Mount Aloysius College Mount Aloysius College
Alvernia University Alvernia University vs Muhlenberg College Muhlenberg College
Alvernia University Alvernia University vs Rosemont College Rosemont College
Alvernia University Alvernia University vs Saint Joseph's University Saint Joseph's University
Alvernia University Alvernia University vs Susquehanna University Susquehanna University
Alvernia University Alvernia University vs Ursinus College Ursinus College
Alvernia University Alvernia University vs Villanova University Villanova University
Alvernia University Alvernia University vs West Chester University of Pennsylvania West Chester University of Pennsylvania
Alvernia University Alvernia University vs Marian University Marian University
Alvernia University Alvernia University vs DeVry University-Pennsylvania DeVry University-Pennsylvania
Saint Francis University Saint Francis University vs California State University-Northridge California State University-Northridge
Saint Francis University Saint Francis University vs Hawaii Pacific University Hawaii Pacific University
Saint Francis University Saint Francis University vs Benedictine College Benedictine College
Saint Francis University Saint Francis University vs Hood College Hood College
Saint Francis University Saint Francis University vs Mount St. Mary's University Mount St. Mary's University
Saint Francis University Saint Francis University vs Stevenson University Stevenson University
Saint Francis University Saint Francis University vs Georgian Court University Georgian Court University
Saint Francis University Saint Francis University vs Canisius College Canisius College
Saint Francis University Saint Francis University vs Elmira College Elmira College
Saint Francis University Saint Francis University vs Marist College Marist College
Saint Francis University Saint Francis University vs College of Mount Saint Vincent College of Mount Saint Vincent
Saint Francis University Saint Francis University vs Heidelberg University Heidelberg University
Saint Francis University Saint Francis University vs Mount Saint Joseph University Mount Saint Joseph University
Saint Francis University Saint Francis University vs Franciscan University of Steubenville Franciscan University of Steubenville
Saint Francis University Saint Francis University vs Walsh University Walsh University
Saint Francis University Saint Francis University vs Alvernia University Alvernia University
Saint Francis University Saint Francis University vs Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania
Saint Francis University Saint Francis University vs California University of Pennsylvania California University of Pennsylvania
Saint Francis University Saint Francis University vs Carlow University Carlow University
Saint Francis University Saint Francis University vs Chatham University Chatham University
Saint Francis University Saint Francis University vs Clarion University of Pennsylvania Clarion University of Pennsylvania
Saint Francis University Saint Francis University vs Duquesne University Duquesne University
Saint Francis University Saint Francis University vs East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania
Saint Francis University Saint Francis University vs Edinboro University of Pennsylvania Edinboro University of Pennsylvania
Saint Francis University Saint Francis University vs Gannon University Gannon University
Saint Francis University Saint Francis University vs Geneva College Geneva College
Saint Francis University Saint Francis University vs Kutztown University of Pennsylvania Kutztown University of Pennsylvania
Saint Francis University Saint Francis University vs La Roche University La Roche University
Saint Francis University Saint Francis University vs Lock Haven University Lock Haven University
Saint Francis University Saint Francis University vs Mansfield University of Pennsylvania Mansfield University of Pennsylvania
Saint Francis University Saint Francis University vs Marywood University Marywood University
Saint Francis University Saint Francis University vs Millersville University of Pennsylvania Millersville University of Pennsylvania
Saint Francis University Saint Francis University vs Misericordia University Misericordia University
Saint Francis University Saint Francis University vs Point Park University Point Park University
Saint Francis University Saint Francis University vs West Chester University of Pennsylvania West Chester University of Pennsylvania