West Chester University of Pennsylvania
West Chester, PA · Public · Large suburb · Carnegie R1/R2 · WCU · WCUP
Public institution in West Chester, PA · 14,067 undergraduates · 79% acceptance rate · $61,258 median earnings 10 years after entry.
- Top 8%Undergraduates
- Top 21%Graduation rate (4-year)
- Top 25%Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- Top 25%Full-time retention
Stats
College Scorecard figures, each with where this school sits nationally among institutions that report the same measure. A dash means the school does not report it.
Cost
- Average net price
- $22,6731,322nd cheapest of 1,985 reporting
- In-state tuition & fees
- $10,687654th cheapest of 2,042 reporting
- Out-of-state tuition & fees
- $22,511995th cheapest of 2,042 reporting
- Cost of attendance
- $27,559838th cheapest of 1,985 reporting
- Median graduate debt
- $23,5001,090th lowest of 1,880 reporting
Outcomes
- Median earnings, 10 years after entry
- $61,258503rd highest of 1,969 reporting
- Median earnings, 6 years after entry
- $51,013491st highest of 1,964 reporting
- Graduation rate (4-year)
- 69.8%433rd highest of 2,031 reporting
- Full-time retention
- 84.4%460th highest of 1,853 reporting
Admissions
- Acceptance rate
- 79.2%885th most selective of 1,608 reporting
- Average SAT
- 1184447th highest of 1,024 reporting
- Median ACT
- 26270th highest of 954 reporting
Campus
- Undergraduates
- 14,067180th largest of 2,162 reporting
- Student-faculty ratio
- 20.0:11,878th smallest of 2,159 reporting
- Pell Grant share
- 24.5%1,495th highest of 2,140 reporting
Nearest large-hub airport: 20 mi (PHL)
On 1 of our 111 lists
Every published ranking this school appears on, with its rank there.
Applying
- Common App member
- Yes
- Application fee
- $45
- Personal essay
- Required
- Writing supplement
- Yes
Deadlines and essay flags come from the Common App Requirements Grid, joined by school name. Always confirm against the school’s own admissions page before applying.
Best-paying fields of study
Median earnings one and two years after graduating, by field. Showing 12 of 45 reported programs.
| Field | Level | 1 yr | 2 yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingHealth Professions | bachelors | $68,993 | $66,653 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, GeneralComputer Science | bachelors | $65,131 | $70,863 |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, GeneralHealth Professions | bachelors | $58,221 | $57,589 |
| Accounting and Related ServicesBusiness | bachelors | $57,405 | $59,253 |
| Finance and Financial Management ServicesBusiness | bachelors | $53,914 | $53,508 |
| Business/Managerial EconomicsBusiness | bachelors | $52,299 | $50,856 |
| Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and AdministrationHealth Professions | bachelors | $51,482 | $53,608 |
| MathematicsMathematics & Statistics | bachelors | $46,999 | $49,832 |
| General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing OperationsBusiness | bachelors | $46,774 | $45,435 |
| ChemistryPhysical Sciences | bachelors | $46,087 | $48,432 |
| Business Administration, Management and OperationsBusiness | bachelors | $45,383 | $44,235 |
| Special Education and TeachingEducation | bachelors | $45,094 | $45,867 |
Campus facts
- Founded in 1871source
- Athletic nickname: "Golden Rams"source
- Farrell Stadium seats about 7,500source
- Competes in NCAA Division IIsource
- Formerly known as "West Chester Normal School" (1871–1927)source
- Formerly known as "West Chester State Teachers College" (1927–1960)source
- Formerly known as "West Chester State College" (1960–1983)source
- A [[National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program institutionsource
- A Space-grant]] institutionsource
- Fight song: ""Rams Fight""source
- Notable alum: Jill Bidensource
- Notable alum: Matthew McGrorysource
- Notable alum: Jessica Barthsource
- Notable alum: Victoria Zdroksource
Athletics — 14 sports
NCAA Division II with football · NCAA Division II
Athletic scholarships allowed · Athletic aid $1,576,141 (M $749,784 · W $826,357)
- Baseball
- Basketball
- Field Hockey
- Football
- Golf
- Gymnastics
- Lacrosse
- Other Sports
- Soccer
- Softball
- Swimming and Diving (combined)
- Tennis
- Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
- Volleyball
- Baseball: 2012
- Field Hockey: 2019, 2012, 2011
- Lacrosse: 2008
Self-reported EADA participants (2024-2025). Athletic aid is institution-level, not per sport.
Key links
- Official websitewcupa.edu
- College ScorecardFederal source for every figure above (UNITID 216764)
- Compare colleges in PARe-score with your weights
- The Most Selective Colleges in PennsylvaniaEvery eligible four-year in this state, ranked by published admission rate
- Showdown: West Chester University of Pennsylvania vs Drexel UniversityHigher-or-lower on real Scorecard metrics — round 1 is these two
- Sports directoryAll 14 EADA programs at this school
- Build an admissions plan8th–12th grade actions for this college — sports, activities, timeline
- MethodologyWhat these figures do and do not capture
- How to read a school page end to endStats, standings, lists, athletics, news — one profile, many jobs. Know which panel answers which question.
- Sticker price is a trapPublished tuition is a starting rumor. Net price is closer to what families actually pay.
- What acceptance rate actually measuresSelectivity is a competition statistic — not a quality score, and not your personal odds.
- A plan from eighth grade — without fake certaintySchool-anchored milestones, sports scarcity honesty, and EC playbooks — not invented admit odds.