Local Colleges: How Hard Is It to Get in?

With more than 50 colleges and universities in and around the city, Philadelphia is one of the largest college towns in the nation. 

Each year, these colleges and universities receive more applications for admission than they have places available. 

Below are the acceptance rates for many of the institutions of higher education in the Delaware Valley. 

Ardmore/ Bryn Mawr/ Haverford

St. Joseph's University

• St. Joseph's University has an undergraduate enrollment of 5,500.
• Acceptance Rate: 77.7 percent

Bryn Mawr College

• Bryn Mawr College receives approximately 2,200 undergraduate admission applications.
• Acceptance Rate: 48 percent

Rosemont College

• Rosemont College has an undergraduate enrollment of approximately 519.
• Acceptance Rate: 54 percent

Harcum College 

• Harcum College has more than 1,500 undergraduate students enrolled.
• Acceptance Rate: 80 percent

Haverford College

• Haverford College has an undergraduate enrollment of approximately 1,200.
• Acceptance Rate: 25 percent

Radnor

Villanova University

• Villanova University has more than 7,000 undergraduate students enrolled.
• Acceptance Rate: 44 percent

Cabrini College

• Over 1,300 undergraduates are enrolled at Cabrini College.
• Acceptance Rate: 72 percent

Eastern University

• Eastern University has a total undergraduate enrollment of nearly 2,800.
• Acceptance Rate: 70 percent

Delaware County

Delaware County Community College

• Over 13,000 students are enrolled at Delaware County Community College.
• Acceptance Rate: 100 percent

Neumann University

• Neumann University has an enrollment of more than 2,600 undergraduates. 
• Acceptance Rate: 90 percent

Penn State Brandywine Campus

• Approximately 1,600 undergraduate students attend Penn State Brandywine.
• Acceptance Rate: 83 percent

Pennsylvania College of Technology

• Pennsylvania College of Technology has a undergraduate enrollment of nearly 6,000.
• Acceptance Rate: 92 percent

Swarthmore College

• Approximately 1,545 undergraduate students attend Swarthmore College.
• Acceptance Rate: 15 percent

Widener University

• Widener University has a undergraduate enrollment of 3,347.
• Acceptance Rate: 67 percent

Chester County

Immaculata University

• Immaculata University has more than 3,000 undergraduate students enrolled. 
• Acceptance Rate: 79 percent

West Chester University

• West Chester University has a total undergraduate enrollment of approximately 12,834.
• Acceptance Rate: 46 percent

Montgomery County

Ursinus College

• Ursinus College has more than 1,750 undergraduate students. 
• Acceptance Rate: 70 percent

Philadelphia

Chestnut Hill College

• Chestnut Hill College has an undergraduate enrollment of more than 1,500.
• Acceptance Rate: 64 percent

Drexel University

• Drexel University has an undergraduate enrollment of nearly 12,000.
• Acceptance Rate: 58 percent

LaSalle University

• Nearly 4,500 undergraduate students are enrolled at LaSalle University.
• Acceptance Rate: 73 percent

Temple University

• Temple is a public university with a total undergraduate enrollment of 27,702.
• Acceptance Rate: 62 percent

University of Pennsylvania

• Penn has more than 10,000 undergraduate students.
• Acceptance Rate: 12.4 percent

Regional

Penn State

• Approximately 38,954 undergraduates are enrolled at Penn State University. 
• Acceptance Rate: 53 percent

*The above data was gathered from the various institutions' websites and/or U.S. News & World Report college rankings and reviews. All figures are approximate.