Widener University
About
Widener University is a private university in Chester, Pennsylvania, United States. Established in 1821, the university was known as the Pennsylvania Military College until 1972. Widener enrolls approximately 3,500 undergraduate students across six colleges and schools. The university also operates two distinct law schools in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and Wilmington, Delaware. Widener is named in honor of Eleanor Elkins Widener.
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 16.5-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.
Of 137 Title IV programs, 34 pass the federal Gainful Employment test and 0 fail. 103 have graduate earnings too small to publish, so they carry no pass/fail verdict.
Pass / fail distribution
- Passing34 · 24.8%
- No Data103 · 75.2%
- 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 · 15
Action history · 10
- Jul 2025Initial AccreditationAmerican Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology · Speech-Language Pathology (SLP) - Graduate degree programs
- Oct 2024Loss of Accreditation or Preaccreditation: Voluntary WithdrawalAcademy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics · Dietetics (DIET) - Coordinated Program in Dietetics
- Aug 2024Voluntary Withdrawal ReceivedAcademy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics · Dietetics (DIET) - Coordinated Program in Dietetics
- Dec 2021Initial AccreditationAmerican Occupational Therapy Association, Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education · Occupational Therapy (OTD) - Programs leading to a Doctoral Degree
- Apr 2020Renewal of AccreditationAmerican Psychological Association, Commission on Accreditation · Clinical Psychology (CLPSYD) - PsyD Doctoral programs
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, 1,373 students received $8.0M in Pell grants, alongside $90.2M 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 1,646 borrowers who entered repayment, 16 (0.9%) 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 Widener
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 · 12
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 property2
Includes 9 in residence halls (a subset of on-campus, not added to the total).
VAWA offenses
Hate crimes by bias
- Race1
- Religion1
- Sexual orientation1
Arrests vs disciplinary referrals
Residence-hall fires
Student-faculty ratio
Student-to-faculty ratio and instructional staff counts.
Widener vs Peer comparison
The peer institutions Widener 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 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SubjectWidener University | 68% | — | 5,713 | $25,759 | Doctoral/Professional |
| 67% | 65.9% | 7,603 | $30,783 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 68% | 74.3% | 5,434 | $31,495 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 60% | 75.9% | 13,634 | $30,892 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 62% | 86.5% | 4,605 | $18,397 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 61% | 78.6% | 4,003 | $24,792 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs | |
| 76% | 76.9% | 7,189 | $34,662 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 69% | 73.3% | 9,571 | $31,446 | R2 Research | |
| 61% | 82.3% | 6,356 | $29,618 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 57% | 95.7% | 6,015 | $30,282 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 56% | 66.5% | 5,000 | $21,602 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 63% | 71.2% | 5,021 | $20,161 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| 63% | 60.4% | 9,229 | $34,192 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs | |
| 67% | 82.7% | 3,087 | $30,031 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs | |
| 80% | 81.2% | 4,724 | $32,568 | Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger Programs | |
| 68% | 86.4% | 5,501 | $32,997 | Doctoral/Professional | |
| Peer group median | 65% | 76.9% | 5,607 | $30,533 |
Institutions like Widener
Explore the federal data for institutions in Widener's comparison group.
- Doctoral/ProfessionalNew York
Adelphi University
Grad rate67%Admit rate65.9%Enrollment7,603Net price$30,783View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalCalifornia
Biola University
Grad rate68%Admit rate74.3%Enrollment5,434Net price$31,495View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalNew York
Pace University
Grad rate60%Admit rate75.9%Enrollment13,634Net price$30,892View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalColorado
Regis University
Grad rate62%Admit rate86.5%Enrollment4,605Net price$18,397View data - Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsNew Jersey
Rider University
Grad rate61%Admit rate78.6%Enrollment4,003Net price$24,792View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalWashington
Seattle University
Grad rate76%Admit rate76.9%Enrollment7,189Net price$34,662View data - R2 ResearchNew Jersey
Seton Hall University
Grad rate69%Admit rate73.3%Enrollment9,571Net price$31,446View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalMassachusetts
Suffolk University
Grad rate61%Admit rate82.3%Enrollment6,356Net price$29,618View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalConnecticut
University of Hartford
Grad rate57%Admit rate95.7%Enrollment6,015Net price$30,282View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalIndiana
University of Indianapolis
Grad rate56%Admit rate66.5%Enrollment5,000Net price$21,602View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalCalifornia
University of La Verne
Grad rate63%Admit rate71.2%Enrollment5,021Net price$20,161View data - Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsConnecticut
University of New Haven
Grad rate63%Admit rate60.4%Enrollment9,229Net price$34,192View data - Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsCalifornia
University of Redlands
Grad rate67%Admit rate82.7%Enrollment3,087Net price$30,031View data - Masters Colleges & Universities: Larger ProgramsPennsylvania
University of Scranton
Grad rate80%Admit rate81.2%Enrollment4,724Net price$32,568View data - Doctoral/ProfessionalOhio
Xavier University
Grad rate68%Admit rate86.4%Enrollment5,501Net price$32,997View data
Widener Institutional Research office
The IR team responsible for the institution's federal reporting.
The Office of Institutional Research & Effectiveness at Widener University provides timely analysis and information to support the decision-making, planning, and policy-formulation processes of the university. In addition, the office coordinates the university's response to external requests for information.
Visit IR office page- Stephen ThorpeDirector of Institutional Research
- David L Strickland, Jr.Director of Institutional Research
Common Data Set
Widener's own annual Common Data Set: the most detailed self-reported reference for selectivity, cost, outcomes, and the student body.
Selectivity & Admissions
Admissions funnel
C19,350 applied → 6,632 admitted (71.0%) → 916 enrolled.
Selectivity
C1Accessible — 71.0% acceptance rate.
Admit rate by gender
C1Admit rate varies by gender.
SAT range (middle 50%)
C9Middle 50% SAT 1060–1283 (median 1200).
High-school class rank
C10Share of enrolled first-years by HS class-rank band.
What matters in admission
C7Relative importance of each admission factor.
Affordability & Value
Cost of attendance
GTotal sticker cost of attendance is $78,454 (2025-2026).
Sticker vs. net price
G+HSticker $78,454 → about $30,952 net for aided students after the average need-based grant ($47,502); 80% of demonstrated need is met.
Where grant aid comes from
H10% of need-based grant dollars come from the institution itself.
Graduate debt
H4/H583% of graduates borrowed; those who did owed $51,002 on average.
Outcomes & Equity
Graduation & retention
B6-year graduation rate 68%; first-year retention 68%.
Equity: Pell graduation gap
B4Pell-grant recipients graduate 13 pts below the overall rate (55% vs 68%).
Academic Experience
Class-size distribution
I379% of classes have under 20 students; 0% have 50+.
Faculty profile
IKey faculty indicators.
Degrees by discipline
JSTEM-dominant: ~26% of bachelor's degrees are in computing, engineering, math & sciences.
Student Body & Diversity
Undergraduate race/ethnicity
B2Undergraduate enrollment by race/ethnicity.
International students
B22% of undergraduates are international (nonresident).
Undergrad vs graduate
B12,975 undergraduates and 2,738 graduate students.
Transfer Path
Transfer admissions
D1835 transfer applicants → 265 admitted (31.8%) → 81 enrolled — more selective than first-year admission.
Source publications
Reports & documents (2)
Dashboards, factbooks, data dictionaries, and other reference material published by the IR office.
- DFR reportIPEDS Data Feedback Report 20242024nces.ed.gov
- Strategic planA Unique Approach to StrategyWidener University has launched a transformative strategic initiative called 'Agility Experienced', centered on innovation and institutional agility. This approach emphasizes design thinking and user experience to enhance the student experience and ensure the university can adapt to change effectively. By embodying flexibility and continuous improvement, Widener University aims to remain competitive and successful in an ever-evolving educational landscape.widener.edu
Notable alumni of Widener (4)
A curated list of alumni recognized for notable achievements across industries.
- Brent StaplesLiterature and journalism
- John H. Tilelli Jr.Military
- Billy "White Shoes" JohnsonSports
- Phil MartelliSports
Frequently asked questions about Widener University
Quick answers to the questions most often asked about Widener.
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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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