Private Nonprofit · Reading, Pennsylvania

Alvernia University

Alvernia University is a private nonprofit institution in Reading, Pennsylvania. Former students earn a median of $55,055 ten years after enrollment at an average net price of $28,138/yr — as a private nonprofit, published Scorecard outcomes cover federal-aid recipients at this campus — endowment and sticker price sit outside those cohort fields.

$55,055
10-yr median earnings
58.1%
Acceptance rate
$28,138
Avg net price / yr
56.9%
150%-time completion

The verdict

Alvernia University pairs top-quartile former-student earnings with a moderately open admit.

According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.

Top 21%
former-student earnings, US
58.1%
acceptance rate
56.9%
150%-time completion
+10%
earnings, 6→10 yrs
City: Small Carnegie: Doctoral/Prof

Alvernia University is a private nonprofit institution in Reading, Pennsylvania enrolling 2,152 undergraduates, using College Scorecard institution data retrieved in July 2026. The acceptance rate is 58.1% with an average SAT of 1,170. Federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled had median earnings of $55,055 ten years after entry. Average net price for the reported Title IV-recipient cohort is $28,138. This profile combines source fields with separately labeled PlainCollege comparisons and derived metrics.

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Institution data retrieved July 2026; field-of-study data retrieved March 2026.

What the IPEDS & College Scorecard Data Shows for Alvernia University

Alvernia University operates as a private nonprofit institution located in Reading, Pennsylvania (city: small), with a reported undergraduate enrollment of 2,152 students. Institution-level records in the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) classify each school by Carnegie category, ownership sector, and urban/rural locale, which is how this profile's peer group and cost cohort are determined; Alvernia University is categorized as "Doctoral/Professional Universities" under the Carnegie classification system, a meaningful signal when comparing like-to-like institutions.

Admissions and cost fields are IPEDS-derived values published through the Scorecard and retain their source reporting periods. Average net price subtracts grant and scholarship aid from cost of attendance for full-time, first-time undergraduate Title IV recipients. It is a defined cohort average, not a personalized price; the income-band fields provide more context but still do not replace an institution's current net-price calculator.

Earnings use Treasury-derived records for federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year; the entry cohort includes completers and noncompleters. IPEDS completion and retention rates use separate first-time, full-time cohorts, so their denominator is not the earnings cohort. Read cost, completion, and earnings as distinct historical measures, not as a causal verdict or an individual forecast.

College Value Score

D
College Value Score
45/100
Alvernia University

A 6-metric composite of earnings, cost, and completion outcomes benchmarked against every reporting US college, not a ranking of teaching quality, campus life, or fit for any individual student. See the full methodology.

Earnings B+
$55,055
10-year median former-student earnings
Net Price F
$28,138
Average annual cost after grants and aid
Completion Rate D
56.9%
Completion within 150% of normal time
Debt F
$27,000
Median federal debt at graduation
Loan Repayment B+
72.6%
Borrowers repaying loans within 3 years
Retention F
72.0%
First-year students returning for year two
Alvernia University vs. the national benchmark
EarningsNet PriceCompletionDebtRepaymentRetention

Each axis is the percentile score shown in the breakdown at left; the shape shows this school's overall profile at a glance.

10-yr median earnings

$55,055

Federal aid recipients only

Avg net price

$28,138

After grants and scholarships

150%-time completion

56.9%

Full-time, first-time cohort

150%-time completion vs portal median (57.1%) 56.9%

Four-year-institution cohort

College ROI Quadrant - Alvernia University vs peers

Alvernia University positioned by earnings vs cost Two-by-two quadrant chart: x-axis median earnings 10 years after enrollment, y-axis average net price after financial aid. Each dot is a college, colored by completion within 150% of normal time (garnet ≥65%, amber 45-64%, red <45%). Net price increases upward, earnings increase rightward, so: bottom-right = best value (low cost, high earnings); top-right = premium (high cost, high earnings); bottom-left = community college tier (low cost, modest earnings); top-left = cost challenge (high cost, low earnings). Currently plotting 8 colleges. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard joined to Carnegie Classification. Alvernia University positioned by earnings v… Carnegie Classification: Doctoral/Prof Doctoral/P… COST CHALLENGE PREMIUM COMMUNITY BEST VALUE $33K $78K Median Earnings 10 Years After Enrollment ($) $8K $33K Avg Net Price ($) Alvernia University (you are here): $55K earn · $28K net · 57% grad You are here - Alvernia University Susquehanna University: $62K earn · $29K net · 78% grad Susquehanna Univer… DeSales University: $61K earn · $32K net · 72% grad DeSales University Mercyhurst University: $47K earn · $19K net · 59% grad Mercyhurst Univers… Gettysburg College: $72K earn · $31K net · 83% grad Gettysburg College Messiah University: $54K earn · $27K net · 77% grad Messiah University Reading Area Community College: $39K earn · $9K net · 30% grad Reading Hospital School of Health Sciences: $75K earn · $28K net · 30% grad Grad rate (4yr) ≥65% 45-64% <45%
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education

Each dot is a college plotted by 10-year median earnings (x-axis) vs average net price (y-axis), colored by completion within 150% of normal time. Bottom-right = high earnings/lower price; top-left = lower earnings/higher price.

How Alvernia University ranks nationally

Where this school's former-student earnings fall within the full national distribution of every US college that reports to the College Scorecard, not just its peer set.

Alvernia University: former-student earnings vs. every US college

10-year median earnings, College Scorecard

$55,055 Top 21% higher than 79% of 5,103 US colleges

$0–$20,000: 169 US colleges (3%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 2,245 US colleges (44%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 1,897 US colleges (37%). This entry sits in this band. $60,000–$80,000: 606 US colleges (12%). Above this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 134 US colleges (3%). Above this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 39 US colleges (1%). Above this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 11 US colleges (0%). Above this entry. $140,000–$160,000: 2 US colleges (0%). Above this entry. This college $0 $160,000 every US college, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US colleges. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

Quick Facts

2,152
Undergraduate enrollment
58.1%
Acceptance rate
1,170
SAT average
56.9%
150%-time completion
$55,055
10-yr median earnings
72.0%
First-year retention

Admissions

Admission Rate 58.1%
SAT Average 1,170
SAT Math (25th-75th) 523 – 628
SAT Reading (25th-75th) 570 – 658

Share of applicants admitted

0%100%58.1%
Share of applicants admitted

Costs & Financial Aid

Tuition & Net Price

In-State Tuition $45,000
Out-of-State Tuition $45,000
Average Net Price $28,138

Net Price by Family Income

$0 – $30,000 $23,436
$30,001 – $48,000 $23,701
$48,001 – $75,000 $24,131
Over $110,000 $32,152
36.2%
Pell Grant Rate
82.5%
Federal Loan Rate
$27,000
Median Debt
$286/mo
Monthly Payment

2013–2023: what Alvernia University costs has stayed close to flat

Average net price moved +8.0% over 10 years, from $26,227 to $28,329 in nominal dollars. The median college measured over the same span moved +14.6%.

Average net price, 2013–2023

11 reported years. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation.

2013: $26,2272014: $26,9752015: $24,2702016: $25,3982017: $26,3592018: $27,3622019: $27,8512020: $30,6412021: $26,7712022: $29,8812023: $28,329
2013 · $26,2272023 · $28,329

Over the same years, enrollment went -5.9% (2,169 → 2,042 students).

Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, per-year fields (2013–2023). Net price is the average cost after grant and scholarship aid for federally-aided undergraduates.

Student Demographics

Race & ethnicity

Student body at a glance

71.1%
Female
45.0%
First Generation

Outcomes

56.9%
150%-Time Completion
72.0%
Retention Rate
$49,938
Median Earnings (6yr)
$55,055
Median Earnings (10yr)
69.9%
Earning Over $25K
72.6%
Loan Repayment, Completers (3yr)

Programs & Earnings

Top programs at Alvernia University by completer earnings

Median earnings of program completers, College Scorecard field-of-study file

median earnings

What this shows The highest-earning programs at a school are not necessarily its most popular ones - a small specialized program can post strong median earnings without reflecting the outcome most students here actually see.

Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard As of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals

Independent Scorecard matches among reporting colleges — not recommendations from the institution or a counselor.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the acceptance rate at Alvernia University?
Alvernia University is a private nonprofit institution in Reading, Pennsylvania. The acceptance rate is 58.1%. The average SAT score is 1,170. Undergraduate enrollment is 2,152 students.
How much do Alvernia University former students earn?
Federally aided former students at Alvernia University who were working and not enrolled had median earnings of $55,055 ten years after entry; the cohort is not limited to graduates. Six years after entry, the corresponding median is $49,938.
How much does Alvernia University cost?
The average net price at Alvernia University is $28,138. In-state tuition is $45,000 and out-of-state tuition is $45,000. Median student debt at graduation is $27,000.
What is the graduation rate at Alvernia University?
Alvernia University has a 56.9% completion rate within 150% of normal time at a four-year institution (typically six years for a bachelor’s program). The first-year retention rate is 72.0%.
Is Alvernia University worth the student debt?
The median student debt at Alvernia University is $27,000, while former students earn a median of $55,055 ten years after enrollment. That debt represents about 49% of those annual earnings. Among borrowers who completed their program, 72.6% are repaying their loans within 3 years. Estimated monthly loan payment is $286.

Sources & methodology

Private-nonprofit profiles emphasize Scorecard cost-after-aid and completion alongside IPEDS Carnegie class. Endowment, gifts, and sticker price are not Scorecard fields on this page.

Figures are the Mar–Jul 2026 federal retrievals. Nonprofit campuses vary widely in aid practice — net price here is the Title-IV-recipient cohort average, not an individual award letter. Read the full methodology for how the data is sourced, computed, and verified.

What this means for Alvernia University

  • Alvernia University's reported 10-year former-student earnings land in the 79th percentile among reporting colleges.
  • The average net price after aid is $28,138 - compare it against schools with similar outcomes but a lower cost.Find similar schools that cost less
  • See how this school compares to every other college in Pennsylvania.Browse Pennsylvania

Nonprofit Scorecard medians describe federal-aid recipients who were working and not enrolled — they are not sticker-price ROI and not advice.

Every figure on PlainCollege is rendered directly from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard data, no number is typed in by an editor. Private-nonprofit profiles compile Scorecard net-price and earnings cohorts with IPEDS structure fields — no editor-typed figures. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Review the public data changelog. Data current as of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals.