I am not going to tell you whether Villanova is the right school for your child. An article cannot decide that. But I can accurately give you one of the three pieces you need to decide: what this university is, how it operates, and what it requires. Only you have the other two pieces—what your child wants and has built, and what your family can afford and is willing to do.
Who Villanova is, in a few words
Villanova University is in Villanova, Pennsylvania, within Delaware County, in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington metropolitan area. Its census code places it in a suburb: within the urbanized area but outside the principal city. What living there feels like is something you can learn only by walking around. If your child plans to live at home, do not trust the map: drive the route yourself on a weekday, at the exact time of your child’s classes. The actual travel time is almost never what Google Maps promises.
It is a private, nonprofit institution offering programs of four years or more. The government records the doctorate as the highest level it reports offering and classifies it as a school that awards primarily bachelor’s degrees or higher-level credentials. That is an institutional fact: it does not tell you whether the exact program that interests your child extends through graduate study or whether its undergraduate and graduate programs are connected. Ask admissions directly.
What I can tell you from the Carnegie classification is that Villanova is placed among universities with high research activity and in the more selective admissions group. It is also classified as a medium-sized, highly residential school: for the period Carnegie used, at least half of degree-seeking undergraduate students lived in institution-provided housing, and at least 80 out of every 100 studied full time. Living on campus is not the same as paying tuition; housing and food are charged separately, and we will get to that.
One thing should be clarified right away: Villanova has none of the three designations that the government records separately—it is not a historically Black college or university (HBCU), a tribal college or university, or a land-grant institution. Of the 3,012 universities in this directory, only 138 have any of the three. Villanova’s absence from that list does not tell you which students it serves or how your child will feel there. Ask directly which cultural centers and student organizations exist today.
A large school, with fewer Latino students than many families expect
Villanova reported enrollment of 10,111 students in the official fall count, placing it in the 10,000 to 19,999 range: it is a large school. Compared with the 941 selective-admission, private four-year schools in this census, it is among the largest; no more than one in ten schools in that group has more students.
But that large number hides something important: it is divided into 7,063 undergraduate students and 3,048 graduate students. If your child is entering an undergraduate degree program, the number that really matters is 7,063, not the total. A large share of the “large school” consists of people who have already completed a bachelor’s degree and are continuing their studies.
Now, the composition. Among the undergraduate students reported in the fall of 2023, 11 out of every 100 are Hispanic or Latino. That is a small minority. Compared with the 941 similar schools in this census, Villanova ranks above the group’s midpoint but below its highest quartile. Put plainly: there are few Latino students here. That does not automatically remove Villanova from your child’s list, but it is something worth raising during the visit by asking what specifically exists for Latino students—a student group, a cultural center, or someone in the office who speaks Spanish.
The undergraduate population is almost evenly divided between men and women: 54 out of every 100 are women. There are hardly any adult students: only 4 out of every 100 are between 25 and 64 years old. And here is something worth keeping in mind if your family lives far away: fewer than 25 out of every 100 first-time students had a reported permanent residence in Pennsylvania—exactly 20 out of every 100. The rest come from other states or other countries, or their residence was not reported; the data do not separate those categories, nor do they measure actual distance or travel cost. If your child would have to fly or drive a long way to get there, that expense is not itemized in any official report; you should add it to the budget yourself.
How the academic year is structured
Villanova organizes the year into semesters: two long terms of about 15 weeks each. In its official report, it stated that it accepts credit from AP exams, but it did not check the box for credit based on life experience. It also stated that it enrolls high school students in college courses for credit through a formal dual-enrollment program and that it accepts credit for military training.
Here is a truth I do not want to bury under optimism: saying that Villanova accepts AP does not mean it will award credit for every exam. The report does not say what scores are required, how many credits are awarded, or whether those credits apply to your child’s exact degree program. Request a written equivalency evaluation before enrollment. Do not include those savings in your budget until you have that evaluation in hand.
What you can study there
Between July 2022 and June 2023, Villanova awarded 1,776 bachelor’s degrees across 23 fields of study families—what the government calls CIP families—although some of those rows may report no degrees. Business and management awarded the most degrees, accounting for 25 out of every 100 degrees awarded that year—no other area comes close, but it does not account for a majority. Compared with the 942 similar schools in this census, Villanova is in the quartile with the most fields of study families represented in its bachelor’s-degree detail.
It is a broad selection, but 23 families with a row in the report do not equal 23 programs active today: one family groups several programs, and a row may report zero. If your child already knows what to study, verify the exact program, not just the general field.
Regarding the relationship between students and faculty: the official ratio is 10 full-time-equivalent students for each full-time-equivalent instructional staff member. Compared with the 941 similar schools, it falls below the group’s midpoint—a lower ratio than most, but not in the lowest quartile. It is an aggregate ratio, and aggregate means it does not tell you the actual size of a first-year class. Do not use it to picture specific classrooms.
Villanova also reports structured academic opportunities: study abroad, cocurricular undergraduate research, an entire program that can be completed only during evenings or weekends, and several pathways related to teacher certification, including state approval for initial certification. Their inclusion in the report confirms that they exist as options; it does not confirm access, capacity, or how they operate for your child’s specific degree program.
Getting into Villanova: what it requires and what other people decide
Here comes one of the most important pieces, so let us take it slowly.
Villanova stated that it does not have open admissions: it reviews specific components before saying yes. Of the nine considerations covered by this report—not counting admissions tests or legacy status—it marked six as required: the high school record, high school GPA, completion of the college-preparatory coursework the university requires, a personal essay, letters of recommendation, and an English-proficiency exam when applicable. Although they are not required, Villanova also considers your child’s class rank and whether a family member attended the university.
In plain English: this application is long. It has several pieces that must be assembled over time, not in one night. The published application fee is $80. And regarding legacy status: if no one in the family attended Villanova, do not spend energy on that. Spend it on what is within your child’s control.
Now, the numbers showing how selective it is in practice. In the 2023 cycle, Villanova received 23,127 first-time applications and offered admission to 5,810. That is 25 out of every 100. Compared with the 942 similar schools in this census, it is among those that admit the fewest: nine in ten schools in that group, or more, admitted a larger percentage of their applicants. On the other side of that calculation are 17,317 applicants who did not receive an offer—the data do not distinguish how many were denied, how many were wait-listed, or how many withdrew their applications.
It is fine for this school to be on your child’s list. It should not be the only one. And that 25 out of every 100 applies to the school as a whole: if your child is pursuing a specific degree program, ask admissions directly for that program’s figure, which may be different.
There is another number many families do not know about that is worth having: out of every 100 students Villanova admitted for the first year in 2023, only 30 decided to enroll there. The other 70 had an admission letter in hand and still chose another school. Compared with its peers, Villanova ranks on the high side for this number. But this percentage does not measure how difficult admission is or how good the school is: it only counts what other families decided after receiving the letter. When your child’s admission decisions arrive, this number should not decide for you. Put the letters side by side and compare net price, degree program, and distance before the deposit deadline.
Regarding standardized tests: Villanova reported that the SAT and ACT are optional. If your child submits them, they are considered; if not, the application remains active just the same. Among the students who enrolled, 25 out of every 100 submitted SAT scores, and the middle half among them scored between 690 and 740 in reading and writing and between 710 and 770 in mathematics. That 690 is not a minimum for admission, and that 740 does not guarantee anything either: these are data for students who had already enrolled and chose to submit their scores, not for all applicants.
And regarding transfers: among the bachelor’s-degree-seeking cohort that entered in 2017, only 6 out of every 100 are shown as having transferred to another school without completing their degree there. That is a low proportion compared with Villanova’s 542 peers in this census. On the other hand, in the fall of 2023, 90 new transfer students arrived from another institution. These two numbers cannot be added or compared with each other: they are different counts. Neither one tells you how many credits are accepted during a transfer. Request that information in writing, with the exact course list in hand, before your child transfers.
The list price: what Villanova publishes before any aid
This is where many families feel their stomachs tighten, so let us go straight to the number.
For the 2023–24 academic year, Villanova reported a cost of attendance of $84,997 for first-time, full-time undergraduate students who lived on campus. This budget is the same whether your child is from Pennsylvania or another state—there is no “in-state” and “out-of-state” rate here.
| Category | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tuition and fees | $64,701 |
| On-campus housing and food | $16,896 |
| Books and supplies | $1,100 |
| Total (includes an estimate of other expenses) | $84,997 |
Compared with 888 similar schools in this census, this cost of attendance is among the highest in the group.
This number is a list price, not a bill. It is used to calculate aid; it is not necessarily what you will pay. Complete the FAFSA and request the aid letter in writing. Until you have it in hand, you do not know what Villanova costs specifically for your family.
The net price: what other families actually paid, based on income
At Villanova University, among 100 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 $16,914. Among 78 students from the same population with EFC family income from $48,001 to $75,000, it was $25,786; among 390 students with EFC family income above $110,000, it was $60,637. For dependent students, the income band combines their parents’ income with their own.
There is a difference of $43,723 between the average for the lowest-income band, which included 100 students, and the average for the highest-income band, which included 390 students. These are group averages, not a prediction of your family’s price. Among first-year students who received any grant or scholarship aid, the average was $37,946.
$16,914 was the average net price for families in the lowest-income band in the 2022-23 academic year. That does not mean it is what your family will pay. It helps you determine whether requesting the aid letter is worthwhile.
Because the price changes so much from one income band to another, correctly identifying yours comes first. 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 aid, when shown, describes first-time, full-time, credential-seeking students who received federal, state, local, or institutional grants or scholarships. The aid letter sent to you is what matters.
Scholarships, Pell, and loans: who receives aid and how much
At Villanova, 49 out of every 100 degree-seeking students received some grant or scholarship aid that does not have to be repaid. The other 51 received none. Compared with its 942 peers in this census, Villanova falls in the quartile where grants and scholarships reach fewer students. Among those who did receive them, the year’s average was $41,495.
Regarding Pell—the federal aid for low-income families—it reached only 12 out of every 100 students. That is a small share.
Do not assume the aid will arrive. Before applying, request a list of available scholarships, who qualifies for each one, and their deadlines. And when your child’s letter arrives, do not focus on the size of the advertised discount: focus on how much your family would have to pay out of pocket, and compare that number across schools.
Regarding loans: 37 out of every 100 undergraduate students received a federal student loan during the 2022-23 academic year—more than two in ten, but less than half. Among those who borrowed, the average borrowed per person that year was $6,619. Compared with its 942 peers, Villanova ranks on the low side: seven in ten schools in that group, or more, had a larger proportion of students with loans.
Here is a hard truth I do not want to soften: this average covers only one year and counts only federal loans in the student’s name. It does not include Parent PLUS loans that parents sometimes sign for, bank debt, or credit-card debt. Nor is it the total debt with which a student leaves upon graduation—that would require adding together all four years, and that number is not in any official report available here. This percentage does not determine how much your child would have to borrow. The financial aid letter sent to your child, in writing, determines that.
Villanova also reports that an installment tuition-payment plan is available as a way to manage costs.
Living there: housing, food, sports, and support
Villanova does have institution-controlled housing, and it responded that it does not require all first-time, full-time students to live there—that rules out a universal requirement, not the possibility that a particular program may have one. IPEDS reports a maximum housing capacity of 5,400 students, on or off campus. Villanova also offers meal plans, although the number of meals per week varies by the plan selected. The existence of housing does not guarantee that a bed will be available for your child; request this year’s rate, the application deadline, and whether a place is guaranteed or your child would join a waitlist, all in writing.
Regarding ROTC: Villanova marked all three service branches—Army, Navy, and Air Force—as well as the Marine Corps option within Navy. Marking all three is uncommon: of the 3,012 universities in this guide, only 135 do so. But a marked box does not confirm that the program is offered on this specific campus, that space is available, or that a scholarship is offered. Ask about each pathway by name before building a plan around ROTC.
In athletics, Villanova competes in intercollegiate sports and is affiliated with the NCAA—the other associations named in the report are not marked. It reports membership for football, basketball, baseball, and cross-country or track and field. The membership belongs to the school, not your child: if your child wants to compete, write directly to the coach for that sport and ask whether there is an opening, which division the team competes in, and whether that sport awards athletic scholarships.
Regarding distance learning: Villanova offers distance education at the undergraduate and graduate levels, but in the fall count only 1 out of every 100 undergraduate students took all their classes at a distance. The other 99 took at least one class in person. Villanova also reported offering at least one program in which all required courses can be completed at a distance, although the data do not confirm whether that specific program is at the undergraduate level. Confirm the exact level and degree program if this interests your child.
The library operates with employed staff, and its annual expenditures exceeded the government’s reporting threshold of $100,000. It has physical and digital collections and participates in interlibrary lending. Exceeding that threshold does not guarantee that it has the specific databases required for your child’s degree program; ask about that program by name.
Finally, Villanova reports a broad set of services: combined academic and career counseling, employment services for current students, placement services upon program completion, a transition program for students with intellectual disabilities, participation in Yellow Ribbon, a point of contact for veterans and service members, a student veterans organization, and a services webpage for people with disabilities. The inclusion of these services in the report confirms that they exist; it does not confirm their quality or how well they work for a particular student.
They stay, and most finish
Here we reach the numbers many families look for first, and they are strong.
Of the cohort that entered Villanova full time in the fall of 2022—1,762 students—1,674 were still enrolled or had already completed their bachelor’s degree the following year: 95 out of every 100. Compared with its 930 peers in this census, Villanova is among the schools that retain the largest shares of their entering cohorts. This number combines two groups—those still enrolled and those who had already graduated—without distinguishing how many belong to each group.
Regarding graduation: among students who entered bachelor’s-degree programs in 2017, attended full time, and had not previously studied at another university, 92 out of every 100 left with a degree within six years—1,583 out of 1,713. By four years, the figure had already reached 90 out of every 100, only 2 points lower. Compared with its 920 peers, Villanova is among the schools that graduate the largest shares.
And at eight years, using a broader cohort that includes full-time and part-time students, first-time students and those with previous college experience: 89 out of every 100 completed a Villanova degree or certificate. Among Pell recipients, the figure was 85 out of every 100—four points below the group without Pell. Compared with its 935 peers, Villanova is also among the schools that graduate the largest shares within eight years.
Those are high numbers, and I am telling you exactly what they are because they are high. But I need to tell you the other half of this truth just as clearly: a high number is not a promise for your child. It is what happened to a specific cohort, during specific years, at this school. What is within your family’s control is making sure your child starts the first semester with credits in order, knows who the academic adviser is, and learns from the beginning when registration opens for courses in the degree program. No percentage guarantees that. You build it together.
What we still do not know
No report of this kind says what happens after graduation: there are no data here about employment, salary, or actual debt at the time of graduation. That requires another source and is not something this article can claim.
Putting the pieces together
Now this piece must be combined with the other two. What your child wants to study and has built so far in high school. And what your family can truly afford after seeing the aid letter bearing your child’s name. A plan comes from that combination—not from this article alone.
If you are just beginning to consider this school, request the program catalog and verify that the degree program your child wants is there. If your child is already building a college list, ask how far away your child can imagine living and compare the cost of attendance with actual travel. If the admission letters are about to arrive, have your comparison of net prices across schools ready before the deposit deadline, not afterward.
You are not alone in this. The system is intentionally complicated, and understanding it piece by piece, as we have just done here, is exactly what enables you to support your child without losing sight of your own responsibilities.
Note on sources: The information in this article comes from reports that Villanova University submitted to IPEDS (Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System) and the United States Department of Education, primarily from the 2022-23 and 2023-24 cycles. Best College Aid does not represent Villanova University or any government agency; this article organizes and explains public data to help you understand them.