I am not going to answer that for you. No one outside your family can. But I can calmly show you, without embellishment, exactly what Susquehanna University is according to its own official reports to the United States government. With that information in hand, you can decide whether it is worth investigating further.
What kind of school it is, and where it stands
Susquehanna University is a private, nonprofit, four-year institution located in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, in Snyder County. The federal system that classifies universities describes it as a small, highly residential baccalaureate college focused on the arts and sciences: at least half of its undergraduate students live in institution-owned housing, and at least 80 out of every 100 attend full time. It also places the university in its selective admissions group.
The area around the campus is classified as a town, far from large urban areas. That does not tell you how far away your family lives or how long it would take your child to get home for a weekend. If you do not live nearby, calculate that separately: where your child would live, how they would get around, and how often they could return home.
In terms of academic level, the institution offers programs through the master's level and is classified as a school primarily offering bachelor's degrees or higher. That is general institutional information, not a promise that the specific major your child is interested in connects undergraduate and graduate study. That must be asked program by program.
One point worth clarifying from the start: Susquehanna University has none of three special designations—it is not a historically Black college or university, a tribal college or university, or a land-grant institution. Of the 3,012 universities in this federal directory, 138 have at least one of those three designations. Susquehanna's not having them says nothing about which communities it serves or how your child would feel there. You investigate that by asking about cultural centers and student organizations and by speaking with someone who already attends the university.
The size of the community, and who makes it up
Susquehanna had 2,247 students enrolled in the most recent official count. It is a medium-sized school—neither among the large schools nor the small ones—compared with the other 941 selective private four-year schools in this census. Nearly all of that total, 2,241 students, are undergraduates; only 6 are graduate students. Above all, it is an undergraduate institution.
Here is a figure that every Latino family deserves to see clearly: of the undergraduate students reported in the fall of 2023, 7 out of every 100 are Hispanic or Latino. It is a small minority, and the share is below the midpoint among similar schools, though not in the lowest quartile.
I am not going to tell you that this figure makes the school good or bad. It does not. But if your child will be one of only a few, it is worth asking which student groups exist, whether there is a cultural center, and whether anyone in the admissions office speaks Spanish. And speak with a Latino student who is already there before deciding. The number you just read is for the entire school; your child's experience in their specific major may look different.
Other facts about the community: there are more women than men—57 out of every 100 are women—and there are almost no adult students: only 2 out of every 100 are between 25 and 64 years old. The school did not report where its incoming students came from for this cycle.
How academics work
The academic year at Susquehanna is organized into semesters, two long terms of about 15 weeks each. The school accepts credit for AP exams, but it did not indicate that it awards credit for life experience. Saying that it accepts AP does not mean it automatically awards credit for any exam: request a written equivalency evaluation before assuming that the credit will save your family money or time. Susquehanna also enrolls high school students in college courses for credit through a formal dual-enrollment program.
As for what students study there: in the most recent year reported, the school awarded 575 bachelor's degrees across 18 fields of study. The largest was business and management, with 25 out of every 100 degrees—a notable share, but far from accounting for everything. Compared with 942 similar schools, Susquehanna is in the top quartile for the number of degrees awarded each year. Eighteen fields with a row in the report do not necessarily mean 18 majors are active today: verify the exact program your child is interested in through the current catalog.
As for group size, the official ratio is 13 students per full-time-equivalent faculty member. It is a low figure in general terms, but compared with similar schools, it is above the median—in other words, other similar schools report even lower ratios. Be careful: this ratio does not tell you the actual size of a classroom. The federal file does not measure that.
The institution also reports structured opportunities: study abroad and several pathways to teacher certification, including state approval of the program. If this interests your child, it is a good starting point for asking more questions.
How admission works
Here is one of the most important pieces. Susquehanna does not have open admission: it reviews several things before saying yes. Of the nine considerations measured by the federal report, five are required: the high school record, grade point average, completion of the college-preparatory coursework the university requires, letters of recommendation, and an English-language proficiency exam for those to whom it applies. Other items are not required but are considered if submitted: your child's class rank, personal essay, a portfolio or competency exam, work experience, and whether a family member attended the university.
That last item—family legacy—is something your child cannot change. If it does not apply, do not spend energy worrying about it. Spend that energy on what is within your child's control: the essay, coursework, and letters.
One fact worth emphasizing: the undergraduate application fee is $0. There is no cost to apply.
Now, the numbers from the most recent cycle. Of 5,974 first-time applicants, 4,702 were offered admission. That is 79 out of every 100—an accessible acceptance rate, slightly above the midpoint among similar schools. With thousands of applicants and nearly 8 out of every 10 accepted, your child has a real reason to apply, provided they complete the application fully and on time. But remember: that 79 % comes from a single cycle, not a fixed rule. When it is your child's turn, check the figure again for the relevant year.
Here is something that surprises many families: out of every 100 admitted students, only 12 ultimately enroll. Put another way, of every 8 students who receive a “yes” from Susquehanna, about one decides to enroll there. Do not read that as a mark against the school—the federal record does not say why each person made their choice. What it does tell you is useful: the decisions other families made do not predict what your family will be offered. Wait for your own letter showing the net price, which is the real number that determines whether this school stays on the list.
As for tests, the SAT and ACT are not required. Among enrolled students who submitted SAT scores (45 out of every 100, a high proportion compared with similar schools), the middle half scored between 550 and 660 in reading and writing and between 540 and 630 in mathematics. These ranges describe students who had already enrolled, not all applicants: they are neither a minimum that must be reached nor a guarantee of anything.
As for transfers, in the fall of 2023, 41 students arrived at Susquehanna after studying at another institution. That is a count of people, not a percentage, and it places the school in the lower half compared with similar schools. How many credits were accepted for those 41 students is something to ask the school directly.
What it costs, in real numbers
At Susquehanna University, among 65 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 $20,251. Among 49 students from the same population with EFC family income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $24,048; among 214 students with EFC family income above $110,000, it was $30,833. For dependent students, the band combines their parents' income with their own.
The difference between the average for the lowest-income band (65 students) and that of the highest-income band (214 students) is $10,582. Among first-year students who received any grant or scholarship, the average was $27,258.
Even after grants and scholarships were deducted, the average net price for the lowest-income families was $20,251 in the 2022-23 academic year. If that number does not fit your budget, it is better to see it today than in August.
An average does not show how different the individual cases were within that band; these data do not support claiming 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 that bill gets paid
The good news, if it can be called that, is that almost no one at Susquehanna pays the full price without aid: 99 out of every 100 students receive some grant or scholarship aid that does not have to be repaid. Among recipients, the average was $43,264 for the year. That is a large figure, but it is not a promise of what your child would receive—some receive much more and some receive much less. The federal Pell Grant, reserved for families with demonstrated financial need, went to 25 out of every 100 students.
Now for the other side of the coin: loans. Of every 100 undergraduate students at Susquehanna, 68 received a federal student loan in the most recent school year reported. That is a majority, and it is a high proportion compared with similar schools—seven out of every ten similar schools had an equal or lower proportion.
Among those who borrowed, the average amount per borrower was $6,659 that year. If your child borrowed a similar amount in each of the four years, the total would be around $26,636, not counting interest. That number is decided before signing the first document, not at the end of the degree program.
Here, financing with debt is the norm, not the exception. Its being common does not determine whether your child will need it—that depends on the aid letter and the difference between the net price and what your family can pay out of pocket. If a loan appears in the offer, request an estimate of the monthly payment before accepting anything. And remember: that average covers only federal loans taken out in the student's name during one year—it does not include what parents borrow, credit cards, or the total debt your child would have upon graduating.
The institution also offers a prepaid tuition plan and an installment payment plan, in case those options help organize the family budget.
Campus life, athletics, and support
Susquehanna has its own housing, with a reported capacity of 2,092 students. Not everyone is required to live there, although that does not rule out the possibility that a specific program may require it—ask. The school also offers meal plans with a fixed number of meals per week.
As for ROTC, the only branch confirmed in writing is the Army. If your child is interested in the Navy or Air Force, that information is not confirmed in this report—not impossible, just unconfirmed.
Susquehanna competes in intercollegiate athletics and is affiliated with the NCAA. The report does not say which division each sport competes in or whether athletic scholarships are available—that should be asked directly of the coach for the sport your child is interested in, and you should request the answer in writing.
As for distance education, the school does offer undergraduate courses in that format, but in the most recent count, no student was taking their entire course load remotely. It also did not report having a complete program that could be finished that way. If this matters to your family, confirm it directly.
The library has employed staff, physical and digital materials, and interlibrary loan—a full set of services. The school also reports several additional forms of support: combined academic and career counseling, employment services, on-campus child care, a point of contact for veterans and military families, and a published address for disability services.
Who stays, and who graduates
This is perhaps the part that causes the most anxiety—and the one that deserves the most careful reading.
Of the full-time bachelor's-degree-seeking cohort that entered in 2022, 73 out of every 100 were still enrolled at Susquehanna or had already graduated one year later. That figure is slightly below the midpoint among similar schools. The other 27% are not explained by this figure: not returning is not the same as dropping out. In this number, someone who transferred and continues studying elsewhere is counted the same as someone who left higher education.
Now for graduation. Of the cohort that entered in 2017, which included 633 full-time students, 74 out of every 100 had earned their degree six years later. At four years, the figure was 67 out of every 100—only seven percentage points lower, a small difference. Compared with 920 similar schools, Susquehanna is in the top quartile: three out of every four similar schools reported an equal or lower proportion.
A high figure is not a promise for your child. It is what happened to the cohort that entered in 2017. What is within your control, and your child's, is making sure that your child begins the first semester with their credits in order and knows from day one who their academic advisor is and when to register for the courses required by their major.
A broader figure, measured at eight years, follows a cohort that entered between 2015 and 2016—including full-time and part-time students, first-time students, and those with prior college experience. By the August 2023 reporting date, 75 out of every 100 had earned a degree or certificate from Susquehanna. Among students who received a Pell Grant, the figure was 73 out of every 100, a difference of only two percentage points. Both figures place the school in the top quartile compared with similar schools. Again, this is a past cohort, not a prediction about your child. It is worth asking about the program's current support services and the outcomes of more recent cohorts.
What this article cannot tell you
We do not know what happens to Susquehanna graduates after they leave—what jobs they get, how much they earn, or how much debt they carry when they receive their diplomas. That information is not in the reports on which this article is based, and we are not going to invent it.
Putting it together with your own situation
You now know, through official data and without embellishment, one of the three pieces you need to make a decision: what Susquehanna University actually is and offers. You still need to combine it with what your child wants to study and has already accomplished, and with what your family can and is willing to pay. A plan comes from those three pieces together—not from just one.
If you live far from Pennsylvania, calculate the true cost of the distance separately. If a net price of $20,000 or more does not fit your budget, request it in writing before falling in love with the campus. If your child is concerned about being one of only a few Latino students there, ask someone who is already living that experience. None of these questions has a generic answer—only the answer you build together, with the aid letter in hand and your eyes open.
Source note: the data in this article come from official reports submitted by Susquehanna University to the United States Department of Education's IPEDS system, corresponding primarily to the 2022-23 and 2023-24 cycles. Best College Aid does not represent Susquehanna University or any government agency; this piece is informational.