Cedar Crest College

Cedar Crest College is a less selective private nonprofit college in Allentown, Pennsylvania. It admits most applicants, graduates 60% of its students within six years, and its former students earn a median $59,460 ten years after starting college, more than 42% of the Pennsylvania colleges we cover.

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Acceptance rate
84%

More selective than 46% of Pennsylvania colleges we cover.

College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class

What your family pays
$18,659 /yr

Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.

Sticker price $57,206. College Scorecard.

Graduation rate
60%

Higher than 52% of Pennsylvania colleges we cover and 62% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.

Within 6 years · College Scorecard

Earnings after college
$59,460

Higher than 42% of Pennsylvania colleges we cover and 68% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.

Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard

Cedar Crest College acceptance rate & admissions

Of 1,152 applicants, Cedar Crest College admitted 1,142 and 155 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class).

1,152
Applied
1,142
Admitted
155
Enrolled

IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class

First-years who sent SAT scores18%
First-year students who return71%
Pell Grant recipients44%
First-generation students43%
Women / men91% / 9%

Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS

Cedar Crest College tuition, cost & net price

What families actually pay per year, by income

Average net price after grants and scholarships for students who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.

College Scorecard, latest reported year (federal aid recipients)

Sticker price (before aid)

Tuition & fees$46,314
Housing & meals, on campus$13,001
Books & supplies$3,000
Total cost of attendance$57,206

IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard

Median debt at graduation$23,044
Loan default rate2.3%3-year rate, 2017 repayment cohort

College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal

Full cost breakdown, in-state vs out-of-state →

State aid: Pennsylvania residents with financial need may receive a PA State Grant: up to $6,000 a year in 2026-27 at approved colleges, depending on need and the college. Not included in the prices above. Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA), PA State Grant

What Cedar Crest College costs to finish, and how fast it pays back

Graduates of Cedar Crest College took 4.3 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Pennsylvania. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.

Family incomeNet price / yrCost to finishYears to pay back
$0–30k$21,044$89,4373.8 years
$30–48k$24,250$103,0634.4 years
$48–75k$21,490$91,3333.9 years
$75–110k$19,909$84,6133.6 years
$110k+$11,008$46,7842.0 years

Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.3 years, the average time graduates took (47% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($59,460) minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in PA (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $23,663 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method

College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.

Best-value colleges in Pennsylvania for your income →

Cedar Crest College majors, earnings & careers

Cedar Crest College offers 40 bachelor's majors across 8 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.

  • Science & Math · 9
  • Health & Medicine · 7
  • Humanities & Languages · 6
  • Social Sciences & Public Service · 5
  • Education · 4
  • Arts & Design · 3
  • Business & Finance · 3
  • Communications & Media · 3

Highest-earning majors at Cedar Crest College

MajorEarnings, 4 yrsMedian debt
Nursing$84,041$33,518
Quick list of all 40 majors
  • Accounting—
  • Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)—
  • Biochemistry—
  • Biology—
  • Broadcasting / Digital Media—
  • Business Administration—
  • Chemistry—
  • Communications—
  • Criminology—
  • Dance—
  • Ecology and Evolutionary Biology—
  • Education—
  • Education (Elementary / Secondary)—
  • Education, Other—
  • English—
  • Environmental Science / Conservation—
  • Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services—
  • Genetics—
  • Health Sciences—
  • History—
  • International / Global Studies—
  • Kinesiology / Exercise Science—
  • Liberal Arts / General Studies—
  • Marketing—
  • Mathematics—
  • Neuroscience—
  • Nursing$84,041
  • Physical Sciences, Other—
  • Political Science—
  • Psychology—
  • Public Health—
  • Public Relations and Advertising—
  • Rehabilitation / Therapy Sciences—
  • Security / Homeland Security—
  • Social Work—
  • Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
  • Special Education—
  • Studio Art—
  • Theatre—
  • Writing—

— means too few graduates to report earnings.

College Scorecard field of study, latest release

All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →

Nursing → Registered nurse

$101,440
Allentown
$96,430
Pennsylvania
$97,550
U.S.

Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 5.6% from 2025 to 2035.

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35

Environmental Science / Conservation → Environmental scientist

$75,400
Allentown
$76,110
Pennsylvania
$82,220
U.S.

Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 6.1% from 2025 to 2035.

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35

Living in Allentown

Cost of living
about the U.S. average for prices

Overall prices in the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ area.

BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024

Off-campus rent, 1 bedroom
$1,519/mo

2 bedrooms $1,839. Housing costs 6% above the U.S. average.

HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027

Weather
38° / 86°

January and July average highs. 47 inches of rain a year, 33 inches of snow.

NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020

Natural hazard risk
Relatively Moderate

Highest: river flooding (relatively high); winter weather (very high).

FEMA National Risk Index, Lehigh County

Campus & students

Total enrollment (incl. graduate)1,248
First-year students from Pennsylvania67%
Next most common home statesNew Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware
AthleticsNCAA Division III without football · 10 sports
Undergraduate degrees awarded, 2023-2492% bachelor's · 8% certificates
Campus typePrimarily residential
Student bodyWhite 47% · Hispanic 18% · Black 10% · Asian 4%International 7%

IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute

Lehigh County at a glance

Population378,792
Median household income$80,079
Adults with a bachelor's degree34%
Median age40

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024

Compare Cedar Crest College with similar schools

Similar private colleges in Pennsylvania by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.

SchoolAcceptanceYou'd payGraduationEarnings, 10 yrsPrice gap
Cedar Crest College84%$18,65960%$59,460This school
Cairn University-Langhorne88%$27,64260%$44,172
Mount Aloysius College82%$22,34457%$46,165
Carlow University87%$20,78660%$51,051
Lebanon Valley College84%$26,97965%$62,621

College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.

Why the price is different

Cedar Crest College would cost you $8,983 less per year than Cairn University-Langhorne, on average.

  • Higher sticker price at Cedar Crest College, mostly from higher tuition & fees (+$12,305).
  • Cedar Crest College gives aided families $19,956 more in grants, on average.
Per year, Pennsylvania residentCedar Crest CollegeCairn University-LanghorneDifference
Tuition & fees$46,314$34,009+$12,305
Books & supplies$3,000$1,145+$1,855
Housing & meals$13,001$12,234+$767
Personal & travel$850$2,103−$1,253
Living-at-home adjustment−$5,959−$3,258−$2,701
Sticker price$57,206$46,233+$10,973
Average grants−$38,547−$18,591−$19,956
You pay$18,659$27,642−$8,983

“+” means Cedar Crest College costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.

Common questions about Cedar Crest College

What is the Cedar Crest College acceptance rate?

Cedar Crest College accepts 84% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 1,142 of 1,152 applicants were admitted.

How much does Cedar Crest College cost per year?

The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $57,206 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $18,659 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $21,044 and families earning $110k+ pay $11,008.

How much do Cedar Crest College graduates earn?

Former Cedar Crest College students earn a median $59,460 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.

What is the Cedar Crest College graduation rate?

60% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 71% return for their second year.

How long does a Cedar Crest College degree take to pay off?

For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Cedar Crest College costs about $91,333 after grants ($21,490 a year for 4.3 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $59,460 ten years after starting, $23,663 more than high school graduates in Pennsylvania ($35,797), so the cost is repaid in 3.9 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).

Is Cedar Crest College the right fit for your family?

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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “Cedar Crest College: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/cedar-crest-college (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).