More selective than 76% of Pennsylvania colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $70,621. College Scorecard.
Higher than 66% of Pennsylvania colleges we cover and 76% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 83% of Pennsylvania colleges we cover and 86% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
Widener University acceptance rate & admissions
Of 7,167 applicants, Widener University admitted 6,022 and 894 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1080–1290 on the SAT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
Widener University 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)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
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 Widener University costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of Widener University took 4.2 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 income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $21,200 | $87,980 | 2.5 years |
| $30–48k | $22,275 | $92,441 | 2.6 years |
| $48–75k | $22,514 | $93,433 | 2.7 years |
| $75–110k | $25,900 | $107,485 | 3.1 years |
| $110k+ | $32,296 | $134,028 | 3.8 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.2 years, the average time graduates took (56% 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 ($70,920) minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in PA (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $35,123 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.
Widener University majors, earnings & careers
Widener University offers 56 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Business & Finance · 10
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 10
- Humanities & Languages · 8
- Engineering · 7
- Science & Math · 6
- Education · 4
- Health & Medicine · 4
- Communications & Media · 3
- Technology & Computing · 3
- Arts & Design · 1
Highest-earning majors at Widener University
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services | $98,777 | $26,739 |
| Nursing | $98,272 | $27,000 |
| Computer Science | $96,427 | $27,000 |
| Electrical Engineering | $95,901 | $26,500 |
| Chemical Engineering | $91,145 | $27,000 |
| Biomedical Engineering | $89,794 | $27,000 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $88,358 | $27,000 |
| Civil Engineering | $80,117 | $27,000 |
Quick list of all 56 majors
- Accounting$77,426
- Allied Health (Imaging / Therapy / Tech)—
- Allied Health and Medical Assisting Services$98,777
- Anthropology—
- Biochemistry—
- Biology$73,535
- Biomedical Engineering$89,794
- Business—
- Business Administration$62,434
- Business Economics—
- Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other$73,790
- Chemical Engineering$91,145
- Chemistry—
- Civil Engineering$80,117
- Communications—
- Computer and Information Sciences$58,159
- Computer Science$96,427
- Criminal Justice$60,555
- Education—
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$54,136
- Education (Subject Teaching)—
- Electrical Engineering$95,901
- Engineering—
- English—
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- Ethnic / Gender Studies—
- Finance$78,817
- Health Administration—
- History—
- Hospitality Management$56,345
- Information Science / Studies—
- International Business—
- International Relations—
- Journalism$53,724
- Legal Support Services—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Linguistics—
- Management Science / Analytics—
- Marketing—
- Mathematics—
- Mechanical Engineering$88,358
- Mechatronics, Robotics, and Automation Engineering—
- Multi / Interdisciplinary Studies, Other—
- Nursing$98,272
- Physics—
- Political Science$52,765
- Psychology$61,205
- Psychology, Other$79,923
- Public Relations and Advertising$53,906
- Social Sciences—
- Social Work$59,654
- Sociology—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Special Education—
- Studio Art—
- 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
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
Mechanical Engineering → Mechanical engineer
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 11.2% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Philadelphia
Overall prices in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $1,860. Housing costs 13% above the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 42 inches of rain a year, 23 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: tornado (relatively high); river flooding (relatively high); heat wave (relatively high); winter weather (very high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Delaware County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Delaware County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare Widener University with similar schools
Similar private colleges in Pennsylvania by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Widener University | 71% | $25,759 | 68% | $70,920 | This school |
| York College of Pennsylvania | 74% | $18,556 | 64% | $61,012 | |
| Holy Family University | 71% | $13,143 | 61% | $62,235 | |
| Gannon University | 74% | $22,553 | 66% | $58,845 | |
| Misericordia University | 71% | $37,485 | 72% | $64,313 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
Widener University would cost you $7,203 more per year than York College of Pennsylvania, on average.
- Higher sticker price at Widener University, mostly from higher tuition & fees (+$30,142).
- Widener University gives aided families $26,099 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Pennsylvania resident | Widener University | YCP | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $55,730 | $25,588 | +$30,142 |
| Books & supplies | $1,408 | $1,200 | +$208 |
| Housing & meals | $15,530 | $12,780 | +$2,750 |
| Personal & travel | $1,890 | $2,100 | −$210 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$3,937 | −$4,349 | +$412 |
| Sticker price | $70,621 | $37,319 | +$33,302 |
| Average grants | −$44,862 | −$18,763 | −$26,099 |
| You pay | $25,759 | $18,556 | +$7,203 |
“+” means Widener University 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 Widener University
What is the Widener University acceptance rate?
Widener University accepts 71% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 6,022 of 7,167 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1080–1290 on the SAT.
How much does Widener University cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $70,621 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $25,759 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $21,200 and families earning $110k+ pay $32,296.
How much do Widener University graduates earn?
Former Widener University students earn a median $70,920 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the Widener University graduation rate?
68% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 78% return for their second year.
How long does a Widener University degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at Widener University costs about $93,433 after grants ($22,514 a year for 4.2 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $70,920 ten years after starting, $35,123 more than high school graduates in Pennsylvania ($35,797), so the cost is repaid in 2.7 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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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: “Widener University: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/widener-university (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).