Private Nonprofit · Allentown, Pennsylvania

Cedar Crest College

Cedar Crest College is a private nonprofit institution in Allentown, Pennsylvania. as a private nonprofit, published Scorecard outcomes cover federal-aid recipients at this campus — endowment and sticker price sit outside those cohort fields.

$59,460
10-yr median earnings
84.1%
Acceptance rate
$18,659
Avg net price / yr
59.3%
150%-time completion

The verdict

Cedar Crest College pairs top-quartile former-student earnings with open admission.

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

Top 16%
former-student earnings, US
84.1%
acceptance rate
59.3%
150%-time completion
+23%
earnings, 6→10 yrs
City: Midsize Carnegie: Master's (S)
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Institution data retrieved July 2026; field-of-study data retrieved March 2026.

How to read this Cedar Crest College profile

Figures above come from IPEDS institution records published through the College Scorecard (retrieved July 2026 for institution fields; March 2026 for field-of-study). Peer groups and cost cohorts follow IPEDS ownership sector, Carnegie class ("Master's Colleges & Universities: Small Programs"), and locale, not an editorial shortlist.

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; income-band fields add context but do not replace the school's current net-price calculator.

Earnings use Treasury-linked records for federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year (completers and noncompleters). IPEDS completion and retention use separate first-time, full-time cohorts, so those denominators are not the earnings cohort. Read cost, completion, and earnings as distinct historical measures, not a causal verdict or individual forecast.

College Value Score

C-
College Value Score
51/100
Cedar Crest College

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 A-
$59,460
10-year median former-student earnings
Net Price D
$18,659
Average annual cost after grants and aid
Completion Rate C-
59.3%
Completion within 150% of normal time
Debt F
$27,000
Median federal debt at graduation
Loan Repayment C+
64.8%
Borrowers repaying loans within 3 years
Retention F
71.0%
First-year students returning for year two
Cedar Crest College 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

$59,460

Federal aid recipients only

Avg net price

$18,659

After grants and scholarships

150%-time completion

59.3%

Full-time, first-time cohort

150%-time completion vs portal median (57.1%) 59.3%

Four-year-institution cohort

College ROI Quadrant - Cedar Crest College vs peers

Cedar Crest College 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. Cedar Crest College positioned by earnings v… Carnegie Classification: Master's (S) Master's (… COST CHALLENGE PREMIUM COMMUNITY BEST VALUE $30K $73K Median Earnings 10 Years After Enrollment ($) $10K $30K Avg Net Price ($) Cedar Crest College (you are here): $59K earn · $19K net · 59% grad You are here - Cedar Crest College Chestnut Hill College: $52K earn · $28K net · 53% grad Chestnut Hill Coll… Pennsylvania Institute of Technology: $36K earn · $18K net · 27% grad Pennsylvania Insti… Wilson College: $43K earn · $22K net · 50% grad Wilson College Peirce College: $51K earn · $12K net · 6% grad Peirce College Harcum College: $47K earn · $25K net · 41% grad Harcum College Thiel College: $50K earn · $22K net · 46% grad Muhlenberg College: $69K earn · $29K net · 81% 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 Cedar Crest College 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.

Cedar Crest College: former-student earnings vs. every US college

10-year median earnings, College Scorecard

$59,460 Top 16% higher than 84% 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

Metric Cedar Crest College National rank Percentile
10-yr median earnings $59,460 #823 of 5103 84th
Average net price $18,659 #2817 of 5020 44th (lower is better)
150%-time completion 59.3% #2269 of 4858 53rd
Undergraduate enrollment 834 #2362 of 5462 57th

National ranks count every operating US college reporting each metric to the College Scorecard, separate from the earnings histogram above.

Quick Facts

834
Undergraduate enrollment
84.1%
Acceptance rate
-
SAT average
59.3%
150%-time completion
$59,460
10-yr median earnings
71.0%
First-year retention

How Cedar Crest College ranks in Pennsylvania

State rank among 270 reporting Pennsylvania colleges with College Scorecard data, a separate lens from the national distribution above.

Metric Cedar Crest College State rank Percentile
10-yr median earnings $59,460 #90 of 270 67th
Average net price $18,659 #108 of 264 59th (lower is better)
150%-time completion 59.3% #155 of 259 40th
Undergraduate enrollment 834 #109 of 282 61st

Highest former-student earnings in Pennsylvania

#School10-yr earningsNet price
1Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine$138,767-
2Carnegie Mellon University$114,862$31,944
3University of Pennsylvania$111,371$28,699
4Lehigh University$105,584$36,931
5Villanova University$100,423$43,756
6Bucknell University$93,807$40,766
7Lafayette College$91,410$34,433
8Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia$86,881$29,689
9Saint Joseph's University - Lancaster$86,881$42,478
10Joseph F McCloskey School of Nursing$86,138-
11Drexel University$84,648$38,509
12Swarthmore College$80,257$23,149
90Cedar Crest CollegeThis school$59,460$18,659

Admissions

Admission Rate 84.1%
ACT Average 25
0%100%84.1%
Share of applicants admitted

Costs & Financial Aid

Net price by family income at Cedar Crest College

Average annual net price after grants; Title IV recipient cohort by income bracket

net price / yr

What this shows Need-based aid pulls net price down at lower brackets at Cedar Crest College - compare the bar for your income band, not the overall average alone.

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

Tuition & Net Price

In-State Tuition $46,314
Out-of-State Tuition $46,314
Average Net Price $18,659
43.6%
Pell Grant Rate
70.3%
Federal Loan Rate
$27,000
Median Debt
$286/mo
Monthly Payment

2013–2023: what Cedar Crest College costs has stayed close to flat

Average net price moved +19.6% over 10 years, from $19,156 to $22,909 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: $19,1562014: $17,4282015: $18,0722016: $18,8282017: $21,0602018: $21,2392019: $21,5202020: $21,7062021: $23,0052022: $23,1582023: $22,909
2013 · $19,1562023 · $22,909

Over the same years, enrollment went -31.5% (1,252 → 857 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

95.5%
Female
43.4%
First Generation

Outcomes

71.0%
Retention Rate
$48,295
Median Earnings (6yr)
72.2%
Earning Over $25K
64.8%
Loan Repayment, Completers (3yr)

Outcomes & debt snapshot

Measure Cohort / horizon Value
Completion within 150% of normal time First-time, full-time 59.3%
First-year retention First-time, full-time freshmen 71.0%
Median earnings 6 years after entry $48,295
Median earnings 10 years after entry $59,460
Share earning over $25,000 Working, not enrolled 72.2%
Loan repayment rate Completers, 3 years after leaving 64.8%
Median federal student debt At completion $27,000
Estimated monthly payment Standard 10-year plan $286/mo

Programs & Earnings

Field-of-study summary by credential

Credential Programs Award count Avg earnings Top earnings Avg debt
Bachelor's 7 144 $84,041 $84,041 $28,585
Master's 2 55 - - -
Graduate Certificate 1 27 - - $20,500

Program Credential Completers Median Earnings Median Debt
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing Bachelor's 56 $84,041 $29,170
Education, General Master's 30 - -
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods Bachelor's 10 - -
Foods, Nutrition, and Related Services Master's 25 - -
Psychology, General Bachelor's 28 - $28,000
Social Work Bachelor's 10 - -
Criminology Bachelor's 12 - -
Fine and Studio Arts Bachelor's 11 - -
Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services Graduate Certificate 27 - $20,500
Business Administration, Management and Operations Bachelor's 17 - -

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

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the acceptance rate at Cedar Crest College?
Cedar Crest College is a private nonprofit institution in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The acceptance rate is 84.1%. Undergraduate enrollment is 834 students.
How much do Cedar Crest College former students earn?
Federally aided former students at Cedar Crest College who were working and not enrolled had median earnings of $59,460 ten years after entry; the cohort is not limited to graduates. Six years after entry, the corresponding median is $48,295.
How much does Cedar Crest College cost?
The average net price at Cedar Crest College is $18,659. In-state tuition is $46,314 and out-of-state tuition is $46,314. Median student debt at graduation is $27,000.
What is the graduation rate at Cedar Crest College?
Cedar Crest College has a 59.3% 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 71.0%.
Is Cedar Crest College worth the student debt?
The median student debt at Cedar Crest College is $27,000, while former students earn a median of $59,460 ten years after enrollment. That debt represents about 45% of those annual earnings. Among borrowers who completed their program, 64.8% 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.

Where to go next from Cedar Crest College

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.