Doctoral/ProfessionalPrivate nonprofit

DeSales University

Center Valley, Pennsylvania·Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above·Mid East·desales.edu
6-yr Graduation
72%
-0.5pp vs Doctoral/Professional
Total enrollment
2,972
peer median 2,577
Avg net price
$31,643
+$2.8k vs Doctoral/Professional
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About

DeSales University (DSU) is a private Catholic university in Center Valley, Pennsylvania, United States. The university offers traditional, online, and hybrid courses and programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Named for St. Francis de Sales, the university was founded in 1964 as Allentown College of Saint Francis de Sales by the Oblates of St. Francis de Sales.

Admissions & acceptance rate

First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.

IPEDS
Applied
3,977
3,977 candidates competed
Admitted
3,066
77.1% acceptance rate
Enrolled
511
16.7% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.

IPEDS
Overall completion
72%-0.5pp vs Doctoral/Professional
4-year graduation
64%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
72%
Full-time retention
83%

Pell equity

7.1pp gap
Pell recipients
67%86 of 129
Non-Pell (all)
74%275 of 371
Subsidized loan, no Pell
71%137 of 192
No Federal Aid
77%138 of 179

Non-Pell students graduate at a 7.1-point higher rate than Pell recipients.

Source: IPEDS Graduation Rates (GR) — Pell/SSL cohort, 2024 cohort.

Program outcomes

Federal Program Performance Data: how each program's graduate earnings and debt measure up under Financial Value Transparency and Gainful Employment.

FVT/GE

Of 75 Title IV programs, 19 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 56 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
75
Passing
19
25.3% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
0
0.0% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.0%
-0.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

75programs
  • Passing19 · 25.3%
  • No Data56 · 74.7%
  • Failing0 · 0.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
1
Watch
1
Safe
17
No data
56

Tiers band programs by how far graduate earnings sit above or below the benchmark, from Critical (below −15%) through Safe (above +25%). No data means earnings were privacy-suppressed.

Earnings premium gap

Graduate earnings versus the federal benchmark, worst gaps first.

19
Dance
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+3.5%
$36,515 vs $35,274
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+20.7%
$42,571 vs $35,274
Film/Video and Photographic Arts
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+32.8%
$46,847 vs $35,274
Education Other
Master's Degree · Education
+40.4%
$65,153 vs $46,391
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions
Doctoral Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
+48.7%
$87,358 vs $58,761
Psychology General
Bachelor Degree · Psychology
+70.1%
$60,001 vs $35,274
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Bachelor Degree · Security And Protective Services
+81.5%
$64,020 vs $35,274
Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness
Bachelor Degree · Parks, Recreation, Leisure, And Fitness Studies
+81.9%
$64,161 vs $35,274

Near the line (±5%)

Programs within five points of the pass line, one cohort year from flipping.

1
Dance
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+3.5%
+$1,241

Debt vs earnings

Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.

16
Rehabilitation and Therapeutic Professions
Doctoral Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
134%
$117,037 debt · $87,358 earn
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
63%
$27,000 debt · $42,571 earn
Allied Health Diagnostic Intervention and Treatment Professions
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
46%
$61,500 debt · $134,207 earn
Criminal Justice and Corrections
Bachelor Degree · Security And Protective Services
42%
$26,904 debt · $64,020 earn
Computer and Information Sciences General
Bachelor Degree · Computer And Information Sciences And Support Services
42%
$27,000 debt · $64,556 earn
Psychology General
Bachelor Degree · Psychology
42%
$25,000 debt · $60,001 earn
Sports Kinesiology and Physical Education/Fitness
Bachelor Degree · Parks, Recreation, Leisure, And Fitness Studies
41%
$26,000 debt · $64,161 earn
Registered Nursing Nursing Administration Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
Master's Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
36%
$44,086 debt · $121,835 earn

Accreditation status & history

Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.

DAPIP
AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Accredited since 1970Next review Jan 2026

Programmatic accreditations · 9

Action history · 6

  1. Aug 2023Grant Substantive Change: Other
    Middle States Commission on Higher Education
  2. Oct 2022Accreditation Reaffirmed: Probation Removed
    American Physical Therapy Association, Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education · Physical Therapy (PT) - Professional programs for the physical therapist
  3. Sep 2020Renewal of Accreditation
    Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education · Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the baccalaureate degree levels
  4. Sep 2020Renewal of Accreditation
    Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education · Nursing (CNURED) - Nursing education programs at the graduate degree levels
  5. Sep 2020Renewal of Accreditation
    Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education · Nursing (CNDNP) - Nursing education programs at the doctorate degree levels

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Tuition & cost

What families actually pay, broken down by family income.

College Scorecard

Net price by family income

Aid exceeds costFamily pays
$0–30k$24,007
$30–48k$25,400
$48–75k$26,096
$75–110k$29,982
$110k+$34,878

Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.

Avg net price (private)
$31,643
+$2,781vs Doctoral/Professional median $28,862
Federal loans
63.8%
In-state tuition
$46,800
Out-of-state
$46,800

Federal aid volume & trends

Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.

Federal Student Aid

In AY 2024–25, 730 students received $3.9M in Pell grants, alongside $26.0M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
730
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$3.9M
$3,870,792 total
Direct Loans
$26.0M
3,182 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

1k
’20
1k
’21
1k
’22
1k
’23
1k
’24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$4.3M
1,045 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$5.6M
1,362 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$8.2M
402 loan awards
Parent PLUS$5.7M
286 loan awards
Grad PLUS$2.3M
87 loan awards

Loan awards count each loan type a student holds, not unique borrowers; one student may carry several (e.g. subsidized and unsubsidized), so the per-type figures are the reliable detail.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student loan default rate

The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.

Cohort Default Rate

Of 781 borrowers who entered repayment, 8 (1.0%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
1.0%
-1.3pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
781
Defaulted
8
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
4.9%
2017
4.6%
2018
2.8%
2019
1.0%
2020*
0.0%
This institutionNational rate

* Cohorts 2020 and later read near 0% because the federal COVID-19 payment pause (CARES Act) suspended defaults nationwide. These years reflect a national policy, not institutional performance; the 2019 cohort is the last measured under normal repayment.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Academic programs at DeSales

Top program areas ranked by completions.

IPEDS
Distinct CIP programs80
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

823 total completions
01Health Professions
31237.9%
02Business
20024.3%
03Education
759.1%
04Security/Protective
516.2%
05Biological Sciences
465.6%
06Visual/Performing Arts
415.0%
07Psychology
313.8%
08Computer Sciences
293.5%
09Parks/Recreation
283.4%
10English Language
101.2%

Enrollment trends & demographics

Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.

IPEDS
Fall total
2,972
12-mo unduplicated
4,244
Undergraduate
3,076
Graduate
1,168

Gender split

Men
39%1,671
Women
61%2,573

Race / ethnicity composition

White
68.1%
Hispanic
16.2%
Black
5.7%
Asian
5.4%
Two or more
2.4%
Unknown
2.0%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.1%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.

EADA
Athletes
367
196 M · 171 W
Women athletes
46.6%
Athletic aid
$0
Total student aid
Budget
$3.6M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$0
$0
Recruiting expense
$25K
$40K
Head-coach salaries
$37K
$35K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 11

Soccer
35 M · 32 W
$322K
Track and Field (Outdoor)
38 M · 26 W
$248K
Lacrosse
41 M · 19 W
$366K
Baseball
38 M · —
$265K
Basketball
20 M · 15 W
$348K
Cross Country
22 M · 13 W
$163K

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Campus safety & crime statistics

Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.

Clery Act
Criminal offenses · per 1,000 students
0.34
1 offenses · 2,919 students

3-year trend

0.002 yrs ago0.001 yr ago0.34Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
1
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
9
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
0
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
0

Criminal offenses by type

Fondling
1

By location

1total
  • On campus1

Includes 1 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

0
Domestic violence
0
Dating violence
9
Stalking
9 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

No hate crimes reported.

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons00
Drugs03
Liquor03

Residence-hall fires

No residence-hall fires reported.

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

IPEDS
Student-to-faculty
12.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
136

DeSales vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions DeSales selected for federal comparison reporting.

IPEDS
GraduationRetentionSelectivityEnrollmentAffordabilityYield
This institutionPeer median

A larger shape on any axis means this institution outperforms its peers on that dimension. For acceptance rate and net price, lower raw values are inverted so "more selective" and "more affordable" appear larger.

Carnegie
SubjectDeSales University
72%—2,972$31,643Doctoral/Professional
Arcadia University
67%80.2%3,404$29,466Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Drew University
70%67.8%2,232$24,280Baccalaureate
Elizabethtown College
76%77.9%2,283$26,598Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham Campus
66%95.2%2,885$22,829Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Gettysburg College
83%38.9%2,812$31,490Baccalaureate
Juniata College
74%78.9%1,321$23,988Baccalaureate
King's College
60%93.1%1,939$23,093Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
La Salle University
58%96.6%3,153$19,409Doctoral/Professional
Lebanon Valley College
65%83.8%2,146$26,979Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
Loyola University Maryland
79%75.5%4,897$30,574Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Messiah University
75%79.0%3,373$26,502Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Moravian University
72%54.2%2,745$30,670Masters Colleges & Universities: Small Programs
Mount St. Mary's University
65%73.8%2,408$22,655Masters Colleges & Universities: Medium Programs
Muhlenberg College
82%72.0%1,788$28,905Baccalaureate
Saint Joseph's University - Lancaster
69%41.2%1,439$42,478—
Susquehanna University
82%81.4%2,255$28,819Baccalaureate
University of Scranton
80%81.2%4,724$32,568Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Ursinus College
73%91.8%1,502$30,536Baccalaureate
Villanova University
92%27.0%10,041$43,756R2 Research
Peer group median73%78.9%2,577$28,862

Institutions like DeSales

Explore the federal data for institutions in DeSales's comparison group.

IPEDS

DeSales Institutional Research office

The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.

Office
Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Research
Email
Lisa.Plummer [at] desales.edu
Phone
610-282-1100
Address
2755 Station Avenue, Center Valley, PA 18034

The Office of Institutional Effectiveness & Research (OIER) serves the entire University community in achieving its mission by collecting, coordinating, analyzing, and disseminating data for University decision-making.

Visit IR office page
Team
2 members
  • Louisa Eismann
    Assistant Director of Effectiveness and Research
  • Lisa Plummer, Ed.D.
    Director of Institutional Effectiveness and Research

Common Data Set

DeSales's own annual Common Data Set: the most detailed self-reported reference for selectivity, cost, outcomes, and the student body.

Acceptance rate
77.1%
Accessible
Yield
16.7%
of admitted students enroll
Total enrollment
2,986
2,172 UG · 814 grad
6-yr graduation rate
72%
First-year retention
83%
Student–faculty ratio
12 to 1
Est. net price (aided)
$33,255
after avg need-based grant
01

Selectivity & Admissions

Admissions funnel

C1
Applied
3,977
Admitted
3,066
Enrolled
511

3,977 applied → 3,066 admitted (77.1%) → 511 enrolled.

Selectivity

C1
Acceptance rate
77.1%

Accessible — 77.1% acceptance rate.

Admit rate by gender

C1
men74.4%
women78.8%
unknown25.0%

Admit rate varies by gender.

SAT range (middle 50%)

C9
25th
1100
Median
1180
75th
1240

Middle 50% SAT 1100–1240 (median 1180).

What matters in admission

C7
Very Important2
Rigor of secondary school recordAcademic GPA
Important3
Class rankTalent/abilityCharacter/personal qualities
Considered8
Standardized test scoresApplication EssayRecommendation(s)Extracurricular activitiesFirst generationAlumni/ae relationVolunteer workWork experience
Not Considered5
InterviewGeographical residenceState residencyReligious affiliation/commitmentLevel of applicant’s interest

Relative importance of each admission factor.

02

Affordability & Value

Cost of attendance

G
Total$64,687
Tuition
$45,00070%
Fees
$2,0503%
Room & board
$13,80021%
Books
$1,4852%
Other
$2,3524%

Total sticker cost of attendance is $64,687 (2025-2026).

Sticker vs. net price

G+H
Sticker COA
$64,687
Net (aided)
$33,255
Avg need grant
$31,432

Sticker $64,687 → about $33,255 net for aided students after the average need-based grant ($31,432); 75% of demonstrated need is met.

Where grant aid comes from

H1
Institutional78.7%
Federal12.4%
State8.2%
External0.7%

79% of need-based grant dollars come from the institution itself.

Graduate debt

H4/H5
Grads with debt
76%
Avg debt
$42,458

76% of graduates borrowed; those who did owed $42,458 on average.

03

Outcomes & Equity

Graduation & retention

B
6-yr grad rate
72%
Retention
83%

6-year graduation rate 72%; first-year retention 83%.

Equity: Pell graduation gap

B4
All students72%
Pell recipients67%

Pell-grant recipients graduate 6 pts below the overall rate (67% vs 72%).

04

Academic Experience

Class-size distribution

I3
2-9 students148
10-19 students164
20-29 students160
30-39 students64
40-49 students14
50-99 students4
100+ students0

56% of classes have under 20 students; 1% have 50+.

Faculty profile

I
Student–faculty ratio
12 to 1
Faculty with terminal degree
90%
Women faculty
59%

Key faculty indicators.

05

Student Body & Diversity

Undergraduate race/ethnicity

B2
White, non-Hispanic67.9%
Hispanic/Latino16.1%
Black or African American, non-Hispanic5.6%
Asian, non-Hispanic5.4%
Two or more races, non-Hispanic2.4%
Race and/or ethnicity unknown2.1%
Nonresidents0.2%
American Indian or Alaska Native, non-Hispanic0.1%
Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, non-Hispanic0.0%

Undergraduate enrollment by race/ethnicity.

International students

B2
International UG
4
Share
0%

0% of undergraduates are international (nonresident).

Undergrad vs graduate

B1
Undergraduate
2,17273%
Graduate
81427%

2,172 undergraduates and 814 graduate students.

Source publications

Reports & documents (2)

Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.

Notable alumni of DeSales (19)

A curated list of alumni recognized for notable achievements across industries.

  • Lisa Banta
  • Steve Burns
  • Jim Chern
  • Jennifer Davenport
  • Ilia Delio
  • Alexie Gilmore
  • Michele Knotz
  • Bryan Kohberger
  • Peter Lawler
    Academia
  • Joseph F. Leeson Jr.
    Law
  • Roger MacLean
  • Alexander MacNicoll
Showing 1–12 of 19
1 / 2

Frequently asked questions about DeSales University

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about DeSales.

What is the graduation rate at DeSales University?

DeSales University reports a 6-year graduation rate of 72% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend DeSales University?

DeSales University reports a total enrollment of 2,972 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at DeSales University?

The average net price at DeSales University is $31,643 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at DeSales University?

DeSales University's yield rate is 16.7%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is DeSales University located?

DeSales University is located in Center Valley, Pennsylvania 18034-9568.

Who runs Institutional Research at DeSales University?

DeSales University's IR work is done by the Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Research.

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDS2025 provisional data (Fall 2025–26 release, July 28, 2026)
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Department of Education
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
U.S. Department of Education
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.
U.S. Department of Education
DAPIP accreditationContinuously refreshed
Accreditation status for institutions and programs, reported by recognized accrediting agencies.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Federal Pell Grant volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Pell Grant recipient counts, award amounts, and disbursements by institution and award year.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Federal student loan volumeAY 2025–26 (through Q3), through March 31, 2026
Federal Direct Loan recipient counts and disbursement volume by institution and award year.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Cohort Default RatesFY 2022 official rates
Institution-level federal student loan default rates, measuring borrowers who default within three years of entering repayment.
U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid
Equity in Athletics (EADA)Academic year 2024–25
Athletics participation, coaching, revenues, and expenses by sport and gender for Title IV institutions.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Campus Safety & SecurityData through reporting year 2024
Criminal offenses, arrests, disciplinary actions, VAWA offenses, and fire statistics reported by campus under the Clery Act.
U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education
Last reviewed July 2026All data sources & release dates →

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