Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia
About
Saint Joseph's University is a private Jesuit university in Philadelphia and Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania, United States. The university was founded by the Society of Jesus in 1851 as Saint Joseph's College, named after Saint Joseph. It is the seventh oldest Jesuit university in the United States and the sixth largest university in Philadelphia. The university has an additional campus in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Admissions & acceptance rate
First-time freshman admissions: how selective the college is, and how many admitted students choose to enroll.
Graduation rate & outcomes
Completion, retention, and the equity gap between Pell and non-Pell students.
Pell equity
Non-Pell students graduate at a 12.1-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.
Of 159 Title IV programs, 44 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 115 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.
Pass / fail distribution
- Passing44 · 27.7%
- No Data115 · 72.3%
- Failing0 · 0.0%
Severity spectrum
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.
Debt vs earnings
Median completer debt against median graduate earnings, highest burden first.
Accreditation status & history
Who accredits the institution, current standing, and any past actions.
Middle States Commission on Higher Education
Programmatic accreditations · 2
Action history · 4
- Jun 2024Renewal of AccreditationMiddle States Commission on Higher Education
- Sep 2023Grant Substantive Change: OwnershipMiddle States Commission on Higher Education
- Mar 2022Grant Substantive Change: OwnershipMiddle States Commission on Higher Education
- Jul 2018Grant Substantive Change: OtherMiddle States Commission on Higher Education
Tuition & cost
What families actually pay, broken down by family income.
Net price by family income
Negative values mean aid exceeds the published cost of attendance for that income band.
Federal aid volume & trends
Pell grants and federal Direct Loan volume disbursed to students, and how they've trended.
In AY 2024–25, 1,727 students received $9.3M in Pell grants, alongside $67.4M in federal Direct Loans.
Pell recipients · 5-year trend
Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25
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.
Student loan default rate
The share of student borrowers who default on federal loans within three years, against the national benchmark.
Of 1,732 borrowers who entered repayment, 21 (1.2%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.
Default rate vs national, by cohort
* 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.
Academic programs at SJU
Top program areas ranked by completions.
Top program families by completions
Enrollment trends & demographics
Fall headcount, 12-month unduplicated enrollment, and student body composition.
Gender split
Race / ethnicity composition
Athletics & Title IX gender equity
How athletic participation, aid, and spending are split between men and women.
Men vs women · spending splits
Sport-by-sport · 10
Campus safety & crime statistics
Reported on-campus crimes over the last three years, including violence and hate crimes.
3-year trend
Criminal offenses by type
By location
- On campus19
- Public property1
Includes 5 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).
VAWA offenses
Hate crimes by bias
No hate crimes reported.
Arrests vs disciplinary referrals
Residence-hall fires
Student-faculty ratio
Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.
SJU vs Peer comparison
The peer institutions SJU selected for federal comparison reporting.
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 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SubjectSaint Joseph's University - Philadelphia | 79% | — | 7,159 | $29,689 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs |
| 83% | 79.8% | 8,581 | $31,568 | R2 Research | |
| 77% | 83.6% | 8,234 | $37,730 | R2 Research | |
| 84% | 33.3% | 6,864 | $48,095 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 82% | 59.3% | 16,150 | $44,338 | R2 Research | |
| 86% | 81.7% | 7,470 | $35,119 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 79% | 75.5% | 4,897 | $30,574 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs | |
| 86% | 50.9% | 4,666 | $48,523 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs | |
| 76% | 72.2% | 9,424 | $40,675 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 80% | 81.2% | 4,724 | $32,568 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs | |
| 92% | 27.0% | 10,041 | $43,756 | R2 Research | |
| 68% | 86.4% | 5,501 | $32,997 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| Peer group median | 81% | 75.5% | 7,315 | $36,425 |
Institutions like SJU
Explore the federal data for institutions in SJU's comparison group.
- R2 ResearchNebraska
Creighton University
Grad rate83%Admit rate79.8%Enrollment8,581Net price$31,568View data - R2 ResearchPennsylvania
Duquesne University
Grad rate77%Admit rate83.6%Enrollment8,234Net price$37,730View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalConnecticut
Fairfield University
Grad rate84%Admit rate33.3%Enrollment6,864Net price$48,095View data - R2 ResearchNew York
Fordham University
Grad rate82%Admit rate59.3%Enrollment16,150Net price$44,338View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalWashington
Gonzaga University
Grad rate86%Admit rate81.7%Enrollment7,470Net price$35,119View data - Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsMaryland
Loyola University Maryland
Grad rate79%Admit rate75.5%Enrollment4,897Net price$30,574View data - Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsRhode Island
Providence College
Grad rate86%Admit rate50.9%Enrollment4,666Net price$48,523View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalConnecticut
Quinnipiac University
Grad rate76%Admit rate72.2%Enrollment9,424Net price$40,675View data - Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsPennsylvania
University of Scranton
Grad rate80%Admit rate81.2%Enrollment4,724Net price$32,568View data - R2 ResearchPennsylvania
Villanova University
Grad rate92%Admit rate27.0%Enrollment10,041Net price$43,756View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalOhio
Xavier University
Grad rate68%Admit rate86.4%Enrollment5,501Net price$32,997View data
Campuses
The 1 campus that make up Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia.
SJU Institutional Research office
The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.
Institutional Research and Enrollment Analytics provides decision support and analysis to the Saint Joseph’s University community.
Visit IR office page- Deanna M. AchornDirector of Institutional Research and Decision Support
- Becki Scola, PhDAssociate Provost, Office of Inclusive Excellence and Institutional Effectiveness
- Erika LohbauerProgram Specialist, Inclusive Excellence and Institutional Effectiveness
Common Data Set
SJU's own annual Common Data Set: the most detailed self-reported reference for selectivity, cost, outcomes, and the student body.
Source publications
Reports & documents (3)
Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.
- DashboardDashboardsdgdashboard.sju.edu
- DFR reportIPEDS Data Feedback Report 20242024nces.ed.gov
- Strategic planSaint Joseph's University's Strategic Plan 20262026Saint Joseph’s University's Strategic Plan 2026 charts a bold path for the institution by focusing on student success and transformative experiences. Building on its Jesuit mission, the plan emphasizes developing outstanding faculty, creating a vibrant community, and empowering students through experiential learning. The plan also addresses operational sustainability and adaptability, ensuring the university thrives in the evolving higher education landscape.sju.edu
Frequently asked questions about Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia
Quick answers to the questions most often asked about SJU.
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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.
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