Valley Forge Military College Open Admissions & Graduation Outcomes

I am going to walk you through what the United States government reports about this institution: what it is, how many people are there, what it offers academically, how its admissions work, what it actually costs, how students pay for it, what is available on campus, and what happens to the students who enroll. Everything comes from IPEDS, the Department of Education's data system. This is not my opinion about Valley Forge Military College. It is what the school itself reported, organized so that you can understand it without having to learn the language of federal forms.

What Kind of School It Is, on the Map and on Paper

Let us start with the basics: what this institution is, where it is, and whom it serves.

Valley Forge Military College is a private, nonprofit, two-year institution. The highest credential level it reports offering is the associate degree. That places it, in Carnegie's terminology—the country's most widely used academic classification—as an "Associate's Colleges: High Transfer" school: a category Carnegie constructs not by measuring how many people transfer, but by using the fields of the associate degrees and short-term certificates awarded by the school as an indirect indicator. It is a real data point, but it is not a transfer rate or a promise that credits will transfer to another institution. If your child's plan is to start here and finish a bachelor's degree elsewhere, that data point does not confirm it. What you can do is ask in writing, before enrolling, which transfer agreements exist and which courses would be accepted.

Geographically, it is in Wayne, Delaware County, within the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington metropolitan area. The census code places it in a suburb: within the urbanized area, but outside the heart of the city. If your child would consider living at home and driving every day, do not rely on the map. Make the trip yourself on a weekday, at the exact time of their classes. The actual travel time is almost never what Google Maps says.

As for special designations, Valley Forge Military College is not listed as a historically Black college or university (HBCU), tribal college, or land-grant institution. Of the 3,012 colleges in this national directory, 138 have at least one of those three labels; this one does not. That says nothing about which students it serves today or how your child would feel there. If that question matters to you, ask it directly: which student organizations and centers currently exist, and speak with someone who is already studying there.

A Very Small and Very Distinctive Community

This is where the numbers begin to carry real weight, because this school's size changes everything else.

Valley Forge Military College had 86 students enrolled across the entire campus last fall. The full enrollment, at every level, could fit in one large room. Compared with the 255 private two-year schools included in this census that report this data, it is among the smallest: at least nine out of ten schools in that group have more students. There is no graduate enrollment; all 86 are undergraduates.

The composition of that small group has some pronounced characteristics. The undergraduate population is almost entirely male: out of every 100 students, only 16 are women. There are almost no adult students: only 1 out of every 100 is between 25 and 64 years old. Hispanic or Latino students are a small minority: 9 out of every 100, slightly below the midpoint of the group of comparable schools. None of these numbers makes the school good or bad. They describe who is enrolled today, and nothing more. If your child will be one of the few Latino students, or one of the few women, on that campus, that is a question worth asking directly during the visit: what groups and support systems exist, and what it feels like to be yourself there.

As for where new students came from, that data simply was not reported for this school in the most recent cycle. It is neither estimated nor filled in.

Academics: Semesters, Military Credits, and a Limited Range of Programs

The academic year at Valley Forge Military College is organized into semesters, two periods of about 15 weeks each. The school stated that it accepts credit for AP exams, but it did not check the box for credit for life experience. It also reported something specific to its military identity: it accepts credit for military training and enrolls high school students in college courses for credit through a formal dual-enrollment program.

Accepting AP does not mean the school awards credit for every exam. The data does not say what scores are required or whether those credits count toward your child's specific program. Ask for the equivalency evaluation in writing before enrolling, and do not calculate the savings until you have it in hand.

As for degrees: in the federal completions report for that year, Valley Forge Military College is not shown as awarding any bachelor's degrees. That is normal for its category: of the 256 private two-year schools in this census, 254 are in the same situation. None awarded bachelor's degrees that year. This is a count from a single academic year; a new program may not appear yet. If the goal is a bachelor's degree, ask admissions, in writing, for the list of degrees currently awarded and the transfer agreements currently in effect.

The ratio of students to instructional staff, with both measured as full-time equivalents, is 10 to 1. Compared with similar schools, it is in the group's lowest quarter: the ratio is lower than that of three out of four similar institutions. It is a low aggregate number, but it does not tell you the actual size of first-year classes or how that calculation was constructed at this particular school.

As a structured academic pathway, the institution reports one complete program that can be taken exclusively during evenings or weekends.

How to Get In: Open Admissions, with No Reported Applicant Counts

Valley Forge Military College reports an open-admissions policy for all or most first-time undergraduate students. The published application fee is $0.

This has a direct consequence for the data you can expect to see: because the school reports open admissions, the IPEDS admissions component does not ask it for counts of applicants and admitted students, how it uses the SAT or ACT, or a post-admission enrollment rate. Those lines are not blank because the school lacks transparency; they simply do not apply under this policy. Do not mistake them for missing data.

But be careful about one thing: institution-wide open admission is not the same as guaranteed admission to every program. A person must still meet the applicable eligibility conditions, and a specific program may have its own requirements that IPEDS does not detail here. If the program your child is interested in has its own requirements or enrollment limit, confirm that directly with the program.

Regarding transfers: in the fall of 2023, 11 undergraduate students entered Valley Forge Military College for the first time after studying at another institution. Among the 255 comparable schools reporting this data, that count places it in the upper half—although it is a number of people, not a proportion, and it goes hand in hand with the school's size. How many credits those students received is a separate question, and one to ask the institution directly.

The Price: $53,511, and Why That Figure Alone Does Not Tell You What You Will Pay

At Valley Forge Military College, among 2 full-time, first-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 $18,596. Among 1 student from the same population with EFC family income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $28,830; among 1 student with EFC family income above $110,000, it was $15,175. For dependent students, the band combines their parents' income with their own.

The highest-income band, calculated using 1 student, ended with an average of $15,175, below the $18,596 calculated using 2 students in the lowest-income band. Among first-year students who received any grant or scholarship aid, the average was $28,985.

This official average was calculated using 2 students: a cell containing between 1 and 5 students. With so few cases, one person can move the average substantially. Do not use this figure alone to compare or rule out the school; run the net price calculator using your family's information.

It is unusual for the highest-income band to be lower than the lowest-income band, and it does not mean your family will have the same result. The income bands in this profile describe full-time, first-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 for students receiving grant or scholarship aid, when shown, describes full-time, first-time, credential-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional grants or scholarships. Run the net price calculator on the school's website using your actual numbers.

The Aid That Does Arrive, and the Loans Almost No One Takes Out

There is an unusual combination here that is worth understanding clearly.

All degree- or certificate-seeking students who were counted that year received some grant or scholarship aid that did not have to be repaid. The average among recipients was $20,173 per year. That does not mean everyone received that amount—the group includes much higher and much lower amounts. The Pell Grant, federal aid for students with demonstrated financial need, reached 30 out of every 100 students.

An average grant or scholarship of $20,173 is real money, but it is not a price. What matters is what remains after aid, and that is not contained in this number: you have to request it directly.

Now, the other side: in the 2022-23 academic year, only 12 out of every 100 Valley Forge Military College undergraduate students received a federal student loan. Most received none. Compared with the 256 private two-year schools in the census, federal loans are used less here than at almost all of them—nine out of ten similar schools, or more, had a higher share of students taking on debt.

But among those who did take out loans, the average amount was $13,470 in a single academic year. That average is calculated only among borrowers, not among the entire student body. A student appearing in this count does not mean the loan was enough to cover the year; it only means the student borrowed. We do not know how the student covered the remainder, or whether that remainder was large or small within that average. This number also does not include Parent PLUS loans signed by parents, credit card debt, or the total debt with which a student graduates after several years. That cumulative figure is not in this report.

As a payment option, the institution reports offering a tuition installment plan.

Campus Life: Required Housing, One Confirmed ROTC Branch, No Intercollegiate Sports

If your child enrolls full-time in their first year, living on campus—or in housing controlled by the school—is not optional. It is a reported requirement. The school also offers meal plans, and its largest plan has a fixed number of meals per week. The maximum capacity of institution-controlled housing is 666 students. When you compare the price of this school with one where living off campus is possible, add housing and food from the start: tuition alone is misleading.

Regarding ROTC: the school indicated that an opportunity is available, and the only branch confirmed in writing is Army. Navy and Air Force are not marked. If your child is interested in a different branch, this report does not confirm it—that does not mean it is impossible; it means you need to ask. Even though it is marked, IPEDS does not clarify whether the program is offered on this specific campus, or provide information about capacity, scholarships, or requirements. Ask about it by name before building your child's plan around it.

In athletics, the school reports that it does not participate in intercollegiate competition and does not belong to any national athletic association—neither NCAA, NAIA, NJCAA, USCAA, nor NCCAA. If sports are part of your child's plan, this matters. Ask whether there are intramural leagues or clubs; a club is not the same as a varsity team.

Regarding distance education: the school does offer undergraduate distance-education courses, but in the fall count, 0 out of every 100 students took their entire academic course load that way. All students took at least one in-person class. And in the specific question about complete distance-education programs, the institution reported that it offers none in which all required courses can be completed that way. Confirm this in writing if it is relevant to your child.

The library has employed staff, although annual spending remained below $100,000. It reports a physical collection, digital access, trained staff, established hours, and interlibrary lending. Low spending does not mean it is not useful; if the library matters to your child's program, visit it in person.

As for services and support, the institution reports combined academic and career counseling, participation in the Yellow Ribbon Program, which is related to military education benefits, and a published web address for services for people with disabilities.

What Happens to Students: Almost All Stay, but Few Finish Within Eight Years

This may be the most important section for truly understanding this school, because the numbers tell a two-sided story that is not contradictory but does require you to read carefully who is included in each count.

Retention. Of the cohort of 36 full-time, first-time students who entered in the fall of 2022, 33 met the official retention criterion the following year: 92 out of every 100 were still enrolled or had already completed their program. Compared with similar schools, it is among those retaining the highest shares of their students: nine out of ten schools in the group, or more, retained an equal or smaller proportion. It is a high and real number. But it does not distinguish between those who remain enrolled and those who have already graduated, nor does it explain what happened to the three who do not appear as retained.

Graduation. IPEDS also publishes a graduation rate of 94 out of every 100 for the full-time, first-time, degree- or certificate-seeking cohort that entered in 2020, measured within 150% of normal time. It is a very high figure. But be clear about whom it follows: only those who entered full-time and for the first time. It does not represent students who transferred in or those who began part-time. And it is a historical cohort, not a prediction for your specific child.

At eight years. Here, the picture changes in tone. The annual cohort included 386 undergraduate students—a much broader count that includes part-time students and those with previous postsecondary experience—who entered between July 2015 and June 2016. As of August 2023, eight years later, only 17 out of every 100 had earned a degree or certificate from this school. Another 14 out of every 100 appeared to have remained enrolled or enrolled at another institution at some point during that period, although the definition contains an inconsistency that makes it impossible to determine exactly how many were still enrolled at the cutoff. Among Pell Grant recipients, the outcome was nearly identical: also 17 out of every 100.

Here is the contrast worth confronting directly: when the count is limited only to those who entered full-time and for the first time—the subgroup most similar to the "typical student" we imagine—the figure rises to 37 out of every 100, twenty points higher than the broad count. The difference between 17 and 37 is not an error: it is the difference between two distinct populations within the same school. The broad count includes people with more complicated pathways—part-time attendance and previous experience at another institution—and those pathways, at any school, tend to take longer or diverge more often.

This number also does not tell you why. We do not know whether the rest transferred, took a break, changed plans, or simply decided to do something else. What it does tell you is that most of that complete annual cohort do not appear with a credential from this school eight years later. With a number like that, the right question is not whether the school is "good" or "bad." It is what happened to that cohort, what concrete support exists today to keep a student from getting lost along the way, and why your child's list should have more than one option.

What You Already Know, and What Is Still Missing

You now know one real part of Valley Forge Military College: a small, expensive military school with required housing, open admissions, almost no students taking out federal loans, substantial grant and scholarship aid distributed, high one-year retention, and mixed long-term outcomes depending on which group of students is counted.

None of these numbers makes the decision for you. Institutional data does not predict your particular child's experience, and no figure here replaces an actual financial-aid offer or a campus visit. What you can do is combine this piece with what your child wants to study, what they have already built so far, and what your family can and is willing to pay. A plan comes from that combination, not from a single number.

If this school remains on the list, you now know exactly what to ask when you call: AP and military-credit equivalencies, transfer agreements in writing, ROTC details beyond the branch marked, and above all, the actual financial-aid offer before comparing the price with any other option.

Source note: The information in this article comes from IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) and the United States Department of Education, primarily from the 2023 reporting cycle and the 2023-24 academic year, with supplementary data from nearby years where indicated. Best College Aid organizes and explains this public data; it does not represent Valley Forge Military College or any government agency.