West Chester University of Pennsylvania — College Profile

About

As the largest institution in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, West Chester University is widely recognized for its strong pre-professional preparation, boasting standout programs in education, nursing, business, and the renowned Wells School of Music. Located just 25 miles west of Philadelphia, the university offers a vibrant campus culture anchored by competitive NCAA Division II athletics and the nationally acclaimed "Incomparable" Golden Rams Marching Band. Students enjoy an active, close-knit college-town atmosphere with walkable access to historic downtown West Chester, alongside direct internship and career pipelines throughout the greater Philadelphia metropolitan area.

Wikipedia: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.

Location

West Chester, PA, 19383 · Suburb campus

✈

Nearest airport from college

PHL · Philadelphia

20 mi away

Open in Google Maps

Cost & aid

Cost of attendance

In-stateOut-of-state

Tuition & fees$10,775$22,599

Housing & food (on campus)$14,828$14,828

Books & supplies$1,200$1,200

Cost of attendance$28,394$40,814

Average net price$23,331Not published

Out-of-state prices

Tuition & fees$22,599

In-state: $10,775

Housing & food (on campus)$14,828

Books & supplies$1,200

Cost of attendance$40,814

In-state: $28,394

Average net priceNot published

In-state: $23,331

Source: U.S. College Scorecard · published total: www.wcupa.edu

How it’s made up · out-of-state

Tuition$19,290

Housing$8,624

Food$3,850

Books & supplies$1,200

Personal expenses$1,800

Transportation$2,940

Total published by the school$40,814

Source: www.wcupa.edu · checked Sep 28, 2026

Net price by family income · in-state students, 2023-24

$0–30k

$17,018

$30–48k

$17,414

$48–75k

$20,417

$75–110k

$24,715

$110k+

$27,160

Your family's actual price → West Chester University of Pennsylvania net price calculator

Source: U.S. College Scorecard

Merit aid · 2025-26

Awarded without financial need. Students with financial need can get merit awards too; they're counted as need-based aid.

Average award$2,093

Share of first-years who get one25%

Source: West Chester University of Pennsylvania's Common Data Set — the school's own yearly report of its admissions and aid figures (PDF).

Outcomes

Completion

Within 6 yrs

70%

Entered 2017–18

Within 4 yrs

53%

Back for yr 2

83%

Transferred

17%

8 yrs after starting · first-time, full-time students

73% graduated · 19% transferred · 8% left or unknown · none still enrolled

Earnings · measured 2020 & 2021

6 yrs after entry$51,013

10 yrs after entry$61,258

Debt

Median at graduation$23,500

Monthly payment$249

Middle 50% owe$9.5k–$27k

90th percentile$31,500

Green marks a figure above the typical Doctoral University: 70% graduate within 6 yrs.

Admissions

Getting in · applied for fall 2024

Admit rate

78%

Test policy

Test optional

Checked Sep 2026

SAT average

1187

R 560–650 · M 540–620

ACT midpoint

Comp 24–28 · E 22–27 · M 21–26

SAT middle 50%: 1100–1270

40080012001600

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Essay prompts

If West Chester University of Pennsylvania asks for supplemental essays, the prompts are in the Common App.

The personal essay is separate: see the Common App essay prompts.

Student Body

Gender

Men 42%Women 58%

Who enrolls

Faculty ratio

20 : 1

Pell grant

25%

First-gen

28%

Family income

$75,332

Independent

14%

Veterans

Age at entry

21.0

Part-time

Race & ethnicity

White

73%

Hispanic

Black

10%

Asian

Two or more

Unknown

Varsity sports

NCAA Division II with football · EADA 2024-25

Baseball
Men's
Basketball
Men's · Women's
Field Hockey
Women's
Football
Men's
Golf
Men's · Women's
Gymnastics
Women's
Lacrosse
Women's
Other Sports
Women's
Soccer
Men's · Women's
Softball
Women's
Swimming and Diving (combined)
Men's · Women's
Tennis
Men's · Women's
Track and Field and Cross Country (combined)
Men's · Women's
Volleyball
Women's

Programs & Earnings

Bachelor's degrees by annual completions · 4yr national median earnings

Median earnings, all programs · measured 2020 & 2021

After 6 yrs

$51,013

After 10 yrs

$61,258

Business Administration, Management and Operations296

Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods256

Psychology, General256

General Sales, Merchandising and Related Marketing Operations229

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing224

Finance and Financial Management Services202

Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness156

Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities141

Criminal Justice and Corrections129

Biology, General120

Computer and Information Sciences, General118

Accounting and Related Services117

Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies106

Business/Managerial Economics92

Communication and Media Studies85

Music79

Type your major above to highlight and detail relevant programs.

Institutional

Resources

Endowment

$69M

Full-time faculty

72%

Faculty salary

$11,216/mo

Teaching spend

$8,968

per student

Federal loans

54%

Classification

Carnegie type

Doctoral University

Research activity

R2 — high research

$7M research spending · 44 research doctorates a year

Undergraduate profile

Four-year, selective admissions