BaccalaureatePrivate nonprofit

Muhlenberg College

Allentown, Pennsylvania·Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above·Mid East·muhlenberg.edu
6-yr Graduation
82%
+4.0pp vs Baccalaureate
Total enrollment
1,788
peer median 2,020
Avg net price
$28,905
-$1.3k vs Baccalaureate
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AboutAdmissionsOutcomesProgram outcomesAccreditationCostFederal aidLoan defaultsAcademic programsEnrollment trendsAthleticsCampus safetyFacultyPeersIR OfficeCommon Data SetDocumentsGrantsAlumni

About

Muhlenberg College is a private liberal arts college in Allentown, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1848, Muhlenberg College is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and is named for Henry Muhlenberg, the German patriarch of Lutheranism in the United States.

Admissions & acceptance rate

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

IPEDS
Applied
4,963
4,963 candidates competed
Admitted
3,573
72.0% acceptance rate
Enrolled
466
13.0% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

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

IPEDS
Overall completion
82%+4.0pp vs Baccalaureate
4-year graduation
67%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
82%
Full-time retention
90%

Pell equity

0.9pp gap
Pell recipients
83%88 of 106
Non-Pell (all)
82%361 of 440
Subsidized loan, no Pell
80%129 of 161
No Federal Aid
83%232 of 279

Pell and non-Pell students graduate at nearly identical rates, a notably small equity gap.

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 46 Title IV programs, 12 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 34 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
46
Passing
12
26.1% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
0
0.0% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.0%
-0.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

46programs
  • Passing12 · 26.1%
  • No Data34 · 73.9%
  • Failing0 · 0.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
0
Watch
2
Safe
10
No data
34

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.

12
English Language and Literature General
Bachelor Degree · English Language And Literature/Letters
+15.4%
$40,161 vs $34,808
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+20.9%
$42,092 vs $34,808
Dance
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
+62.3%
$56,503 vs $34,808
Communication and Media Studies
Bachelor Degree · Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs
+68.0%
$58,473 vs $34,808
Psychology General
Bachelor Degree · Psychology
+74.6%
$60,778 vs $34,808
Political Science and Government
Bachelor Degree · Social Sciences
+91.2%
$66,540 vs $34,808
Business Administration Management and Operations
Bachelor Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
+125.1%
$78,360 vs $34,808
Biology General
Bachelor Degree · Biological And Biomedical Sciences
+139.1%
$83,215 vs $34,808

Debt vs earnings

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

11
English Language and Literature General
Bachelor Degree · English Language And Literature/Letters
67%
$27,000 debt · $40,161 earn
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
64%
$26,996 debt · $42,092 earn
Dance
Bachelor Degree · Visual And Performing Arts
48%
$27,000 debt · $56,503 earn
Communication and Media Studies
Bachelor Degree · Communication, Journalism, And Related Programs
45%
$26,241 debt · $58,473 earn
Psychology General
Bachelor Degree · Psychology
42%
$25,412 debt · $60,778 earn
Political Science and Government
Bachelor Degree · Social Sciences
41%
$27,000 debt · $66,540 earn
Business Administration Management and Operations
Bachelor Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
30%
$23,500 debt · $78,360 earn
Biology General
Bachelor Degree · Biological And Biomedical Sciences
29%
$24,165 debt · $83,215 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 1921Next review Jan 2033

Action history · 4

  1. Jun 2025Renewal of Accreditation
    Middle States Commission on Higher Education
  2. Jan 2021Approved for Distance Education
    Middle States Commission on Higher Education
  3. Jan 2020Grant Substantive Change: Degree
    Middle States Commission on Higher Education
  4. Jan 2020Grant Substantive Change: Other
    Middle States Commission on Higher Education

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$12,302
$30–48k$16,629
$48–75k$19,717
$75–110k$25,452
$110k+$37,603

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

Avg net price (private)
$28,905
-$1,274vs Baccalaureate median $30,179
Federal loans
52.7%
In-state tuition
$62,805
Out-of-state
$62,805

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, 510 students received $3.0M in Pell grants, alongside $9.8M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
510
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$3.0M
$3,040,196 total
Direct Loans
$9.8M
1,647 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

0k
’20
0k
’21
0k
’22
0k
’23
1k
’24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$3.0M
663 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$3.0M
834 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$488K
21 loan awards
Parent PLUS$3.3M
129 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 410 borrowers who entered repayment, 3 (0.7%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
0.7%
-1.6pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
410
Defaulted
3
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
1.5%
2017
3.5%
2018
1.9%
2019
0.7%
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 Muhlenberg College

Top program areas ranked by completions.

IPEDS
Distinct CIP programs46
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

530 total completions
01Business
14527.4%
02Visual/Performing Arts
12022.6%
03Psychology
5911.1%
04Communication
499.2%
05Social Sciences
478.9%
06Biological Sciences
458.5%
07Computer Sciences
183.4%
08Health Professions
163.0%
09History
163.0%
10Physical Sciences
152.8%

Enrollment trends & demographics

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

IPEDS
Fall total
1,788
12-mo unduplicated
1,868
Undergraduate
1,812
Graduate
56

Gender split

Men
42%787
Women
58%1,081

Race / ethnicity composition

White
68.2%
Hispanic
12.8%
Black
7.1%
Two or more
4.0%
Asian
3.8%
Unknown
2.9%
Non-resident
1.1%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.1%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

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

EADA
Athletes
534
350 M · 184 W
Women athletes
34.5%
Athletic aid
$0
Total student aid
Budget
$5.0M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$0
$0
Recruiting expense
$61K
$27K
Head-coach salaries
$47K
$42K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 12

Football
128 M · —
$765K
Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
61 M · 63 W
$267K
Lacrosse
48 M · 34 W
$567K
Soccer
33 M · 27 W
$362K
Wrestling
37 M · 9 W
$346K
Baseball
41 M · —
$295K

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
3.85
7 offenses · 1,818 students

3-year trend

1.912 yrs ago2.551 yr ago3.85Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
16
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
12
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
1
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
3

Criminal offenses by type

Burglary
2
Fondling
2
Rape
1
Arson
1
Motor vehicle theft
1

By location

7total
  • On campus7

Includes 5 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

0
Domestic violence
0
Dating violence
1
Stalking
1 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

No hate crimes reported.

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons00
Drugs014
Liquor119

Residence-hall fires

  • Prosser Hall2 fires
    ElectricalDamage $0-$99
  • Prosser Hall2 fires
    Arson- Intentional burning of paper on doorDamage $0-$99
  • Keck House1 fire
    CookingDamage $0-$99

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

IPEDS
Student-to-faculty
9.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
158

Muhlenberg College vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions Muhlenberg College 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
SubjectMuhlenberg College
82%—1,788$28,905Baccalaureate
Allegheny College
73%54.6%1,171$22,940Baccalaureate
Dickinson College
80%42.1%2,314$37,607Baccalaureate
Drew University
70%67.8%2,232$24,280Baccalaureate
Franklin and Marshall College
84%28.2%1,808$36,425Baccalaureate
Gettysburg College
83%38.9%2,812$31,490Baccalaureate
Ithaca College
76%69.0%4,767$33,926Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Kalamazoo College
76%75.3%1,166$19,072Baccalaureate
Lafayette College
88%31.4%2,775$34,433Baccalaureate
Skidmore College
83%21.1%2,704$32,297Baccalaureate
Susquehanna University
82%81.4%2,255$28,819Baccalaureate
The College of Wooster
74%59.5%1,738$23,458Baccalaureate
Ursinus College
73%91.8%1,502$30,536Baccalaureate
Wheaton College
73%67.7%1,785$29,822Baccalaureate
Peer group median78%59.5%2,020$30,179

Institutions like Muhlenberg College

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

IPEDS

Muhlenberg College Institutional Research office

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

Office
Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Analytics
Phone
484-664-3100
Address
2400 Chew St., Allentown, PA 18104

The purpose of our office is to collect and disseminate information about the operations of our college to internal and external stakeholders. We value academic equity and information dissemination to inform and support program improvement.

Visit IR office page
Team
1 member
  • Nathan Wright
    Director, Institutional Research & Enrollment Strategy

Common Data Set

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

Source publications

Reports & documents (1)

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

Grants & funding (1)

Federal grant awards and open funding opportunities awarded to this institution.

USA Spending

Notable alumni of Muhlenberg College (31)

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

  • George O. Bierkoe
    Academia
  • Herbert Needleman
    Science and Medicine
  • Leonard I. Zon
    Science and Medicine
  • Frankie Grande
    Arts
  • David Fricke
    Journalism
  • Frank Buchman
    Religion and theology
  • Mahlon Hellerich
    Academia
  • Amy B. Jordan
    Academia
  • Frederick Busch
    Arts
  • Andrea Clearfield
    Arts
  • Madison Ferris
    Arts
  • Matthew Hittinger
    Arts
Showing 1–12 of 31
1 / 3

Frequently asked questions about Muhlenberg College

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Muhlenberg College.

What is the graduation rate at Muhlenberg College?

Muhlenberg College reports a 6-year graduation rate of 82% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend Muhlenberg College?

Muhlenberg College reports a total enrollment of 1,788 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at Muhlenberg College?

The average net price at Muhlenberg College is $28,905 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at Muhlenberg College?

Muhlenberg College's yield rate is 13.0%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is Muhlenberg College located?

Muhlenberg College is located in Allentown, Pennsylvania 18104.

Who runs Institutional Research at Muhlenberg College?

Muhlenberg College's IR work is done by the Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Analytics.

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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