Immaculata University Acceptance Rate, Admissions & Graduation

What kind of university it is

Immaculata University is a private, nonprofit institution offering programs of four years or more. It is in the town of Immaculata, Pennsylvania, within Chester County, and its location falls within the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington metropolitan area, although its census code classifies it as suburban: within the urbanized area but outside the city center. What that feels like—how close to or far from big-city life it is—is something you can learn only by going there. If your child plans to live at home and drive every day, do not trust the map: drive the route yourself on a weekday at the time your child would have class. Actual traffic is almost never what Google Maps promises.

The Carnegie system, which classifies United States colleges and universities according to what they do, places Immaculata among doctoral and professional institutions. It is a small school and, according to its profile based on 2019-20 data, primarily residential: at the time, between 25 and 49 out of every 100 degree-seeking undergraduate students lived in institution-operated housing. On the other hand, the most recent Carnegie profile places it among universities that enroll a substantial number of transfer students. That does not say how many credits they bring with them or how many are lost along the way. If your child plans to enroll here after attending another school, this is for you: before enrolling, ask in writing exactly which courses will count and which will not. A classification label does not answer that question; a letter from the admissions office does.

IPEDS reports that a doctorate is the highest level the institution says it offers and classifies it as a degree-granting school offering primarily bachelor’s degrees or higher. That is institutional information, not a program map: it does not tell you whether the exact major your child is interested in exists here or whether it connects to a graduate program. Ask about the major by name, not in general terms.

One point worth making clear from the start: Immaculata is not listed as a historically Black college or university (HBCU), a tribal college or university, or a land-grant institution. Of the 3,012 colleges and universities in this federal directory, 138 have at least one of those three designations; Immaculata is not among them. That does not say which students it serves or how your child will feel on that campus, nor does it imply the opposite. Investigate that by asking directly which cultural centers and student organizations exist today and by speaking with someone who is already there.

How many students there are and who they are

Immaculata had 2,407 students enrolled in the most recent official fall count: 1,529 undergraduates and 878 graduate students. It is a medium-sized school, in the range of 1,000 to 4,999 students, and compared with the 941 selective private four-year schools in this census that report the figure, its size falls right in the middle of the group. Here is something that matters when comparing figures across colleges: the total includes graduate students. If your child is entering a bachelor’s degree program, the number that actually applies is 1,529, not 2,407.

Among undergraduates, 10 out of every 100 students are Hispanic or Latino. That is a small minority, although compared with those same 941 selective private schools, the percentage ranks above the group’s midpoint but below its highest quartile. Put plainly: Latino students are few at this school. That should not automatically remove it from your list, but it gives you something specific to ask during a visit: what resources exist for Latino students, whether there is a student group or cultural center, and whether anyone in the offices speaks Spanish. And keep this comparison’s limitation in mind: it is organized by school type, not by state, so it does not account for the part of the country where Immaculata is located, and that matters.

Women are a clear majority: 71 out of every 100 undergraduate students. Of the total, 17 out of every 100 are between the ages of 25 and 64, so this is not a campus made up entirely of teenagers fresh out of high school; there is a real mix of ages. And among first-time students, 71 out of every 100 reported a permanent address in Pennsylvania when they applied. Most of their classmates in the entering class come from the same state.

How academics work

The year at Immaculata is organized into semesters: two long terms of about 15 weeks each. That matters for your family’s payment and vacation schedules, and also because the school reported that it accepts prior credit through two routes: AP exams and what IPEDS calls “credit for life experiences”—independent study, work experience, portfolios, licenses, certifications, or prior military training. It also enrolls high school students in college-credit courses, both within and outside a formal dual-enrollment program.

Here is the hard truth behind that good news: the fact that the school reports those options does not mean your child will receive credit for every exam or experience. It does not say what AP scores are required, how many credits are awarded, or whether those credits will count toward your child’s specific major. Before your child assumes this will save a semester, request a written transfer-credit evaluation. Do not budget for the savings until you have it in hand.

In the most recently reported year, Immaculata awarded 282 bachelor’s degrees across 18 program families. But that distribution is uneven: 111 of those 282 degrees—39 out of every 100—were in health professions. That is a strong concentration. It does not measure the quality of any program or the current offerings; it only shows where the weight of the degrees already awarded is concentrated. If your child wants something outside that field, do not assume anything: verify the exact program of interest.

The ratio of students to instructional staff, with both measured as full-time equivalents, is 10 to 1. Compared with those same 941 similar schools, it falls below the median: it is a low aggregate ratio. But be careful about what this does not say: it is not a class size. IPEDS does not disclose the method used to calculate it or the actual size of first-year classes. It is an indicator, not a promise of personal attention.

The institution also reports several structured academic options worth knowing about: study abroad, undergraduate research outside the classroom, a complete program that can be taken only during evenings or weekends, and teacher-preparation and certification pathways, including state approval for initial teacher certification.

What it takes to get in: admissions and who actually enrolls

Immaculata does not have open admissions. It reviews several components before saying yes, and of the nine considerations measured in this count, five are required: the high school record, high school GPA, personal essay, letters of recommendation, and an English-proficiency exam for applicants who need one. Put simply, submitting paperwork is not enough here. The essay is required, so your child has to write.

Other components are not required but are considered if submitted: class rank, completion of the college-preparatory curriculum recommended by the university, a portfolio or competency exam, work experience, and whether a family member attended the institution. That last factor—legacy status—is the only one your child cannot change through effort. If it does not apply, do not spend energy on it. Spend it on what is within your child’s control.

The published undergraduate application fee is $0. That is something concrete and useful to know before building the college list.

How difficult is it to get in? Of the 1,958 first-time applicants in the most recent cycle, 1,536 received an offer of admission. That is 78 out of every 100. Compared with 942 similar selective private schools, that figure ranks slightly above the group’s midpoint: neither among the hardest nor among the easiest. Seven or eight out of every ten applicants receive a yes. That does not make admission automatic, but it does give your child real reason to apply early rather than leaving it until the last minute. And remember: that figure comes from a single cycle. When it is your child’s turn, check the number again for the relevant year.

Here is something that surprises many families. Out of every 100 admitted students, only 18 ultimately enrolled at Immaculata. The other 82 had an offer in hand and decided to go elsewhere. Compared with its peers, that proportion is among the most typical: neither high nor low. Do not read it as a mark against the school—the federal record does not explain why each person made that choice—and do not let other families’ decisions predict yours. What matters is waiting for your own letter with the actual net price. With that number in hand, your family can decide whether Immaculata stays on the list.

Regarding standardized tests, the SAT and ACT are not required. If your child submits them, they are considered; if not, the application proceeds just the same. Among enrolled first-time students, 26 out of every 100 submitted SAT scores, and among those students, the middle half scored between 530 and 640 in reading and writing and between 520 and 620 in mathematics. Those figures apply only to students who enrolled and submitted scores—not to all applicants—and they do not prove that the scores determined any admission decision. That 530 is not a minimum, and that 640 is not a guarantee of anything either.

Regarding transfers, there is a reality worth confronting directly. Of the cohort of full-time students who entered in 2017 seeking a bachelor’s degree, 25 out of every 100 transferred to another school without completing their degree at Immaculata. That is a large share, and the report does not say why they left. Compared with similar schools, that transfer-out proportion ranks slightly above the group’s midpoint. At the same time, in the most recent fall term, 92 new students arrived as transfers from another institution—these are two different counts that should not be added together or compared with each other.

Here is something almost nobody notices, and it matters here: a student who transfers does not count as an Immaculata graduate, even if that student completes a degree at another school. Keep that in mind when you reach the graduation-rate section later in this article. And the fact that many students left does not mean they did poorly: the report tracks the movement, not the outcome.

The sticker price and what students actually pay

At Immaculata University, among 17 first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid and whose EFC records showed family income below $30,000, the average net price was $21,180. Among 14 students in the same population with EFC family income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $27,527; among 79 students with EFC family income above $110,000, it was $32,793. For dependent students, the income band combines their parents’ income with their own.

The difference between the average for the lowest-income band (17 students) and the average for the highest-income band (79 students) is $11,613. Among first-year students who received any grant or scholarship aid, the average was $29,499.

Even after grants and scholarships were deducted, the average net price for the lowest-income families was $21,180 in academic year 2022-23. If that number does not fit your budget, it is better to see it today than in August.

An average does not show how much individual cases varied within that band; these data do not support saying that some families were far below or above the published figure. The income bands in this profile describe first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal Title IV aid; at public institutions, they use the in-state or in-district rate. The overall average with grant or scholarship aid, when shown, describes first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional grants or scholarships.

How students pay: grants, loans, and options

Out of every 100 degree-seeking students at Immaculata, 82 received some form of grant or scholarship aid that does not have to be repaid. That is a large majority. But compared with 942 similar selective private schools, that proportion falls in the group’s lowest quartile: grant or scholarship aid reaches fewer students here than at most peer institutions. Among the students who received it, the annual average was $14,716.

The federal Pell Grant—for lower-income students with demonstrated need—reached 26 out of every 100 students. That figure is considerably lower than the 82 out of every 100 who received any aid overall. The difference between those figures could come from state, institutional, or other sources of aid; the data do not allow that gap to be attributed to a specific program. When your financial aid letter arrives, separate it yourself, by hand, into three piles: money that does not have to be repaid, money that must be repaid with interest, and money that must be earned through work. Many letters combine all three in a single column as though they were the same.

Regarding loans, in the most recently reported year, 54 out of every 100 undergraduate students received a federal student loan. Financing an education with debt is common here, not the exception. Among those who borrowed, the annual average was $7,113. If your child borrowed a similar amount in each of the four years of the degree, the total would be around $28,452—before interest. That figure should be considered before the first signature, not at the end of the degree.

An important clarification: that average includes only federal loans in the student’s name. It does not include PLUS loans that parents sometimes end up signing for, bank debt, or credit cards. Nor is it the total debt with which someone graduates—to calculate that, all four years would have to be added together, and that specific figure is not in this report.

The institution also offers an installment tuition-payment plan as a formal way to manage the cost over the course of the year.

The campus: housing, athletics, library, and support

Immaculata does have institution-controlled housing, with a reported maximum capacity of 576 students. Not all first-time, full-time students are required to live there—the school explicitly confirmed that—although this does not say whether a specific program might require it. The school also offers meal plans, with a fixed number of meals per week in its largest plan. The existence of this option does not guarantee a space: ask in writing for the year’s rate, the application deadline, and whether housing is guaranteed or you could be placed on a waiting list.

Regarding ROTC, Immaculata did not mark any ROTC opportunity in its most recent report, either in the general field or for any of the three branches. Among the four-year schools in this directory, 926 out of 1,786 marked one. The fact that none is marked here does not prove that no nearby option exists; it only means none was reported in that field. If that scholarship or career path matters to your family, ask admissions about it directly before ruling it out.

In athletics, Immaculata competes at the intercollegiate level and is affiliated with the NCAA—not the NAIA or other associations. It reports membership for basketball, baseball, and cross-country or track and field. This does not say which division each sport competes in or whether athletic scholarships are offered; ask the coach of the sport your child is interested in directly, preferably in writing.

Regarding study format, Immaculata offers distance education at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Among undergraduates, 13 out of every 100 students took their entire course load through distance education, while the other 87 had at least one in-person class. The school also reported offering at least one complete program that can be completed entirely through distance education, although the report does not specify with certainty whether that program is undergraduate or graduate. If distance education is important to your family, confirm the level and program directly.

The library operates with paid staff, and its annual expenditures exceeded the $100,000 threshold recorded by the federal government. It has physical and digital collections and participates in interlibrary lending. That threshold is merely the minimum the government asks about; it does not guarantee that specific databases are available for your child’s major. Ask about that by program name.

Finally, the institution reports the following support services: combined academic and career counseling, employment services for current students, placement services for graduates, participation in the Yellow Ribbon Program, a dedicated point of contact for veterans and military families, and a published web address for disability services. The fact that these services are reported does not show how accessible, effective, or robust they are in practice: learn that by visiting, asking questions, and, if possible, speaking with current students.

What happens after enrollment: retention and graduation

Here we come to the question that truly matters to a family: if my child enrolls, how likely is it that my child will stay and finish?

Of a cohort of 200 first-time, full-time, bachelor’s-degree-seeking students, 159—80 out of every 100—met the official retention criterion: they were still enrolled there or had already graduated one year later. Compared with its peers, that percentage ranks slightly above the group’s midpoint. Keep in mind two things this number does not say: it counts only those who began as bachelor’s-degree-seeking students, and not returning is not the same as leaving higher education—a student who transfers to another university and continues studying there is counted the same way as someone who leaves school entirely.

For graduation within the expected time frame, IPEDS tracked 197 first-time, full-time students who entered in 2017. After six years, 127 had graduated from Immaculata: 64 out of every 100. At four years, the figure was already 57 out of every 100—only seven percentage points lower, which suggests that students who graduate here generally do so close to the expected time. Compared with its peers, this rate ranks above the group’s median.

It is worth seeing the complete breakdown for that same cohort of 197 students because it tells a fuller story than a single percentage:

Here again is the reality discussed in the admissions section: 50 of those 197 students transferred to another school. We do not know whether they completed their degrees elsewhere—Immaculata’s report does not count them as graduates, whether or not they graduated somewhere else. That matters when interpreting the rate of 64 out of every 100: it does not mean the rest failed; it means the accounting for “graduates of this school” does not follow students who leave.

There is a third and broader view: the eight-year outcome measure, which tracks a larger cohort—481 students who entered between 2015 and 2016, including both first-time students and those with prior college experience, attending full time or part time. As of August 2023, 64 out of every 100 had earned a degree or certificate from Immaculata. Among those who specifically received a Pell Grant, that figure fell to 59 out of every 100—seven percentage points lower than among those who did not receive one. Compared with its peers, this eight-year figure also ranks above the group’s median.

The rest of that cohort is divided among categories that do not resolve neatly: 19 out of every 100 appear in a “still without a credential” category whose definition contains an internal contradiction acknowledged by the report itself, and 17 out of every 100—exactly 81 people—were left with an “unknown” enrollment status, which does not mean they stopped studying, only that the system could not determine where they were. These two figures do not add up to one hundred with each other or with the figure for graduates; they are separate categories that should be read separately.

What this means for your plan

You have already taken your child a good part of the way: you now know precisely what kind of university Immaculata is, how selective it is in practice, what it actually costs at different income levels, how students pay, and what happens to the students who enroll there. That is a real piece of the map, not an intuition or an attractive brochure photo.

But it is only one piece. This information does not know what your child wants to study, whether staying close to home or moving far away is urgent, or how much your family can or is willing to pay each year without being overwhelmed. You know those things, not a federal data file.

If your child is deciding which colleges to include on the list, place this information alongside what your child wants to study and the life your child imagines. If your child is already preparing an application here, use this information to prepare the questions for the admissions officer and financial aid team before making a commitment. And if your family still does not know how much it can pay each year, that figure—the one based on your own circumstances, not a national average—is the one to define before anything else.

Your child’s job is to write the essay, submit the application, decide which field to pursue, and take responsibility for that part of the journey. Your job is to understand the family finances, read the aid letter carefully, compare the actual net price—not the sticker price—and support the decision without carrying it alone. Neither of you does the other’s work. You do it together.

With this piece in hand, you can take the next step: request your own family’s aid letter, ask the questions this article left open, and see whether what Immaculata offers fits what your child wants and what your family can afford. A plan grows from that combination, not from a single article.

Source note: The information in this article comes from data reported by Immaculata University to the United States Department of Education’s IPEDS system, corresponding primarily to the 2022-23 and 2023-24 cycles, as indicated in each section. Best College Aid does not represent Immaculata University or any government agency; this article is an independent explanation of public information.