R2 ResearchPublic

West Chester University of Pennsylvania

West Chester, Pennsylvania·Public, 4-year or above·Mid East·wcupa.edu
6-yr Graduation
71%
+17.5pp vs R2 Research
Total enrollment
17,171
peer median 10,934
Avg net price
$23,331
+$7.1k vs R2 Research
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AboutAdmissionsOutcomesProgram outcomesAccreditationCostFederal aidLoan defaultsAcademic programsEnrollment trendsAthleticsCampus safetyFacultyPeersIR OfficeCommon Data SetDocuments

About

West Chester University of Pennsylvania (WCUPA), commonly known as West Chester University (WCU), is a public research university in West Chester, Pennsylvania, United States. The university is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity". With 17,275 undergraduate and graduate students as of 2022, WCU is the largest of the 10 state-owned universities belonging to the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) and the sixth largest university in Pennsylvania. It also maintains a Center City Philadelphia satellite campus on Market Street.

Admissions & acceptance rate

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

IPEDS
Applied
17,193
17,193 candidates competed
Admitted
13,479
78.4% acceptance rate
Enrolled
3,022
22.4% yield

Graduation rate & outcomes

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

IPEDS
Overall completion
71%+17.5pp vs R2 Research
4-year graduation
53%
6-year graduation (bachelor’s)
71%
Full-time retention
83%

Pell equity

12.5pp gap
Pell recipients
61%422 of 687
Non-Pell (all)
74%1531 of 2083
Subsidized loan, no Pell
73%625 of 860
No Federal Aid
74%906 of 1223

Non-Pell students graduate at a 12.5-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 164 Title IV programs, 2 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 162 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.

Total programs
164
Passing
2
1.2% of portfolio
Failing (GE)
0
0.0% of portfolio
Fail rate
0.0%
-0.6pp vs 0.6% national

Pass / fail distribution

164programs
  • Passing2 · 1.2%
  • No Data162 · 98.8%
  • Failing0 · 0.0%

Severity spectrum

Critical
0
Severe
0
Recoverable
0
At Risk
0
Watch
0
Safe
2
No data
162

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.

2
Business Administration Management and Operations
Master's Degree · Business, Management, Marketing, And Related Support Services
+151.2%
$147,635 vs $58,761
Registered Nursing Nursing Administration Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing
Bachelor Degree · Health Professions And Related Clinical Sciences
+177.9%
$98,013 vs $35,274

Accreditation status & history

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

DAPIP
AccreditedInstitutional accreditor

Middle States Commission on Higher Education

Accredited since 1946Next review Jan 2029

Programmatic accreditations · 15

Action history · 18

  1. Nov 2025Loss of Accreditation or Preaccreditation: Voluntary Withdrawal
    Council on Education for Public Health · Public Health Programs (PHPG) - Graduate level program offered outside a school of public health
  2. Apr 2025Renewal of Accreditation
    Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics · Didactic Program in Dietetics
  3. Apr 2024Initial Accreditation
    American Psychological Association, Commission on Accreditation · Clinical Psychology (CLPSYD) - PsyD Doctoral programs
  4. Mar 2024Deny Substantive Change: Other
    Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics · Dietetics (DIETI) - Dietetic Internship
  5. Dec 2023Renewal of Accreditation
    Council on Education for Public Health · Public Health Programs (PHPG) - Graduate level program offered outside a school of public health

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$17,018
$30–48k$17,414
$48–75k$20,417
$75–110k$24,715
$110k+$27,160

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

Avg net price
$23,331
+$7,142vs R2 Research median $16,190
Federal loans
54.4%
In-state tuition
$10,775
Out-of-state
$22,599

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, 4,693 students received $27.2M in Pell grants, alongside $94.2M in federal Direct Loans.

Pell recipients
4,693
AY 2024–25
Pell disbursed
$27.2M
$27,211,020 total
Direct Loans
$94.2M
15,153 loan awards

Pell recipients · 5-year trend

4k
’20
4k
’21
4k
’22
4k
’23
5k
’24

Loan volume by type · AY 2024–25

Subsidized$22.1M
5,402 loan awards
Unsubsidized · UG$29.2M
7,279 loan awards
Unsubsidized · Grad$17.0M
1,033 loan awards
Parent PLUS$22.7M
1,261 loan awards
Grad PLUS$3.3M
178 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 4,044 borrowers who entered repayment, 49 (1.2%) defaulted within three years — below the 2.3% national rate.

Default rate
1.2%
-1.1pp vs 2.3% national
Borrowers in repayment
4,044
Defaulted
49
Measurement window
3 years
Federal CDR standard

Default rate vs national, by cohort

2016
4.9%
2017
4.4%
2018
3.4%
2019
1.2%
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 WCUPA

Top program areas ranked by completions.

IPEDS
Distinct CIP programs120
UndergraduateOffered
GraduateOffered

Top program families by completions

3,353 total completions
01Business
1,07932.2%
02Health Professions
58017.3%
03Education
47314.1%
04Psychology
3089.2%
05Public Admin
1915.7%
06Parks/Recreation
1695.0%
07Security/Protective
1574.7%
08English Language
1474.4%
09Visual/Performing Arts
1334.0%
10Biological Sciences
1163.5%

Enrollment trends & demographics

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

IPEDS
Fall total
17,171
12-mo unduplicated
19,015
Undergraduate
15,682
Graduate
3,333

Gender split

Men
40%7,641
Women
60%11,374

Race / ethnicity composition

White
73.2%
Black
10.4%
Hispanic
8.2%
Two or more
3.9%
Asian
2.9%
Unknown
1.1%
Non-resident
0.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.1%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.0%

Athletics & Title IX gender equity

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

EADA
Athletes
612
304 M · 308 W
Women athletes
50.3%
Athletic aid
$1.6M
Total student aid
Budget
$9.7M
Total expenses

Men vs women · spending splits

Athletic student aid
$750K
$826K
Recruiting expense
$17K
$12K
Head-coach salaries
$66K
$65K
Men Women

Sport-by-sport · 14

Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
117 M · 102 W
$416K
Football
122 M · —
$1.2M
Soccer
32 M · 34 W
$570K
Swimming and Diving (combined)
23 M · 22 W
$1.1M
Other Sports
— · 36 W
$243K
Baseball
34 M · —
$306K

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
1.52
26 offenses · 17,076 students

3-year trend

2.382 yrs ago2.201 yr ago1.52Latest
Offenses · 3-yr
106
Last three years
VAWA · 3-yr
63
DV, dating, stalking
Hate crimes · 3-yr
3
Res-hall fires · 3-yr
9

Criminal offenses by type

Burglary
7
Rape
6
Aggravated assault
5
Fondling
4
Robbery
2
Arson
1
Motor vehicle theft
1

By location

26total
  • On campus21
  • Non-campus1
  • Public property4

Includes 16 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).

VAWA offenses

0
Domestic violence
7
Dating violence
15
Stalking
22 total under the Violence Against Women Act.

Hate crimes by bias

  • Race1

Arrests vs disciplinary referrals

CategoryArrestsReferrals
Weapons30
Drugs595
Liquor224545

Residence-hall fires

  • Allegheny Hall1 fire
    Machinery/IndustrialDamage $1,000-$9,999

Source: U.S. Dept. of Education

Student-faculty ratio

Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.

IPEDS
Student-to-faculty
20.0:1
Instructional staff (full-time equivalent)
671

WCUPA vs Peer comparison

The peer institutions WCUPA 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
SubjectWest Chester University of Pennsylvania
71%—17,171$23,331R2 Research
Bridgewater State University
53%87.8%9,727$16,383Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Central Connecticut State University
48%73.3%9,997$16,857Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Cheyney University of Pennsylvania
41%—617$14,265Baccalaureate
College of Staten Island CUNY
46%92.3%11,033$5,579Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania
56%93.1%11,092$15,699—
CUNY Bernard M Baruch College
72%47.5%20,081$3,033Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
CUNY Brooklyn College
54%58.4%14,390$3,103Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
CUNY City College
57%60.0%15,544$3,776R2 Research
CUNY Hunter College
57%53.8%22,538$2,984Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice
56%57.1%13,763$3,203Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
CUNY Lehman College
51%56.6%13,324$3,148Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
CUNY Queens College
53%64.3%15,965$4,195Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania
43%92.1%5,633$18,134Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Indiana University of Pennsylvania-Main Campus
54%90.8%9,073$16,804R2 Research
Kean University
47%75.9%13,905$12,447Doctoral/Professional
Kutztown University of Pennsylvania
54%90.8%7,467$21,331Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Millersville University of Pennsylvania
58%86.2%6,975$20,787Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Montclair State University
65%87.9%23,375$15,566R2 Research
Pennsylvania Western University
52%94.3%10,834$18,256Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Rowan University
67%77.7%21,026$22,408R2 Research
Salem State University
50%95.9%6,230$15,996Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania
56%86.5%5,161$23,726Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania
66%71.5%8,376$19,608Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Southern Connecticut State University
50%91.5%9,377$20,857Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
SUNY Buffalo State University
33%72.9%6,188$11,346Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Towson University
69%82.0%19,401$17,413Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
University of Maryland Global Campus
20%—63,012$22,063Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
University of Southern Maine
40%79.2%7,604$13,596Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
William Paterson University of New Jersey
44%90.1%9,942$18,745Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs
Peer group median54%82.0%10,934$16,190

Institutions like WCUPA

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

IPEDS

WCUPA Institutional Research office

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

Office
Office of Institutional Research
Reports to Deputy Provost
Email
InstitutionalResearch [at] wcupa.edu
Phone
610-436-2835
Address
887 S. Matlack St. West Chester, PA 19383

The Office of Institutional Research advances the University’s mission and institutional goals by providing data and analytics for institutional decision making, assessment, and strategic planning. We are committed to providing timely, accurate, and actionable data that empowers campus decision makers and supports student success and institutional improvement.

Visit IR office page
Team
12 members
  • Lisa Yannick
    Senior Associate Vice President, Institutional Effectiveness and Planning
  • Sandi Unger
    Project Manager
  • Soozie Davidson
    Administrative Assistant
  • Nilima Inamdar
    Director of Quantitative Analysis and Decision Support
  • Adam Kenarangi
    Data Scientist
  • David Cook
    Data Scientist
  • Evette Alliston
    Research Analyst
  • Megan Lauletta
    Research Analyst
  • Rommel Guadalupe
    Director of Data Management and Business Intelligence
  • Barbara Dyroff
    Senior Data Engineer
  • Christina Quinlan
    Data Coordinator
  • Sajjan Lamichhane
    Business Intelligence Developer

Common Data Set

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

Acceptance rate
75.8%
Accessible
Yield
22.1%
of admitted students enroll
Total enrollment
17,400
14,657 UG · 2,743 grad
6-yr graduation rate
68%
First-year retention
84%
Student–faculty ratio
20 to 1
01

Selectivity & Admissions

Admissions funnel

C1
Applied
18,009
Admitted
13,657
Enrolled
3,024

18,009 applied → 13,657 admitted (75.8%) → 3,024 enrolled.

Selectivity

C1
Acceptance rate
75.8%

Accessible — 75.8% acceptance rate.

Admit rate by gender

C1
male71.6%
female78.5%

Admit rate varies by gender.

SAT range (middle 50%)

C9
25th
1110
Median
1170
75th
1260

Middle 50% SAT 1110–1260 (median 1170).

ACT range (middle 50%)

C9
25th
22
Median
25
75th
27

Middle 50% ACT 22–27 (median 25).

High-school class rank

C10
top tenth13.79%
top quarter35.49%
top half69.62%
bottom half30.38%
bottom quarter8.97%

Share of enrolled first-years by HS class-rank band.

Waitlist outcome

C2
Offered
4,571
Accepted spot
2,405
Admitted
1,036

4,571 offered a waitlist spot, 2,405 accepted it, 1,036 admitted (43.1% of those who stayed on).

What matters in admission

C7
Very Important2
Rigor of secondary school recordAcademic GPA
Considered6
Class rankStandardized test scoresApplication EssayRecommendationTalent/abilityCharacter/personal qualities
Not Considered10
InterviewExtracurricular activitiesFirst generationAlumni/ae relationGeographical residenceState residencyReligious affiliation/commitmentVolunteer workWork experienceLevel of applicant’s interest

Relative importance of each admission factor.

02

Affordability & Value

Where grant aid comes from

H1
Federal45.4%
State27.1%
Institutional20.2%
External7.4%

20% of need-based grant dollars come from the institution itself.

Graduate debt

H4/H5
Grads with debt
71%
Avg debt
$41,196

71% of graduates borrowed; those who did owed $41,196 on average.

03

Outcomes & Equity

Graduation & retention

B
6-yr grad rate
68%
Retention
84%

6-year graduation rate 68%; first-year retention 84%.

Equity: Pell graduation gap

B4
All students68%
Pell recipients56%

Pell-grant recipients graduate 12 pts below the overall rate (56% vs 68%).

04

Academic Experience

Class-size distribution

I3
2-9 students91
10-19 students290
20-29 students598
30-39 students399
40-49 students140
50-99 students63
100+ students47

23% of classes have under 20 students; 7% have 50+.

Faculty profile

I
Student–faculty ratio
20 to 1
Faculty with terminal degree
68%
Women faculty
57%

Key faculty indicators.

Degrees by discipline

J
Business/marketing25.4%
Health professions and related programs14.5%
Education10.1%
Psychology9.2%
Parks and recreation5.2%
Homeland Security, law enforcement, firefighting, and protective services4.8%
English4.5%
Visual and performing arts4%

STEM-dominant: ~9% of bachelor's degrees are in computing, engineering, math & sciences.

05

Student Body & Diversity

Undergraduate race/ethnicity

B2
White, non-Hispanic72.5%
Black or African American, non-Hispanic10.1%
Hispanic/Latino8.8%
Two or more races, non-Hispanic4.0%
Asian, non-Hispanic2.9%
Race and/or ethnicity unknown1.2%
Nonresidents0.3%
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
44
Share
0%

0% of undergraduates are international (nonresident).

Undergrad vs graduate

B1
Undergraduate
14,65784%
Graduate
2,74316%

14,657 undergraduates and 2,743 graduate students.

06

Transfer Path

Transfer admissions

D1
Applied
1,959
Admitted
1,779
Enrolled
1,046

1,959 transfer applicants → 1,779 admitted (90.9%) → 1,046 enrolled

Source publications

Reports & documents (5)

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

Frequently asked questions about West Chester University of Pennsylvania

Quick answers to the questions most often asked about WCUPA.

What is the graduation rate at West Chester University of Pennsylvania?

West Chester University of Pennsylvania reports a 6-year graduation rate of 71% per the latest IPEDS.

How many students attend West Chester University of Pennsylvania?

West Chester University of Pennsylvania reports a total enrollment of 17,171 students per the latest IPEDS.

What is the average net price at West Chester University of Pennsylvania?

The average net price at West Chester University of Pennsylvania is $23,331 per the latest College Scorecard. Net price is the published cost of attendance minus grant aid.

What is the yield rate at West Chester University of Pennsylvania?

West Chester University of Pennsylvania's yield rate is 22.4%, the share of admitted students who enrolled, per the latest IPEDS.

Where is West Chester University of Pennsylvania located?

West Chester University of Pennsylvania is located in West Chester, Pennsylvania 19383.

Who runs Institutional Research at West Chester University of Pennsylvania?

West Chester University of Pennsylvania's IR work is done by the Office of Institutional Research, which reports to Deputy Provost.

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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