Alvernia University
Alvernia University at a Glance
Reviewed by James A. Barham, PhD, Vice President and Academic Editor. Influence ranks come from our InfluenceRanking™ methodology; other figures come from federal data, with the year shown under each section. Report an error
Alvernia University Featured Rankings
About Alvernia University
According to Wikipedia, Alvernia University is a private Franciscan Roman Catholic university in Reading, Pennsylvania. Once known as Alvernia College, the school gained university status in 2008. History Alvernia University was founded in 1958 by the Bernardine Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis first as college for the sisters and then as a four-year liberal arts college. Many of the college's renovated classrooms and offices had been used for elementary and secondary education before 1958. The college's first building, Francis Hall, was built in 1926 and originally housed an orphanage. Alvernia received its charter from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1960 and was first accredited in 1967 by the Commission of Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools. In 1961, the college accepted its first lay females students. In 1971, it admitted its first male commuting students, and in 1973, the first male resident students were admitted.
Alvernia University Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5,491 | 58% | 72% | 51% | 1189 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); acceptance rate for fall 2024; test scores for fall 2024; applications and enrollment for fall 2023; retention for students who started in fall 2023; graduation rate within six years for students who started in 2019.
How Much Does Alvernia University Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $47,550 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $23,832 |
| 30K - 48K | $20,533 |
| 48K - 75K | $21,110 |
| 75K - 110K | $25,316 |
| 110K+ | $32,513 |
Source: U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and NCES); tuition and fees for 2025–26; net price for 2024–25, for first-time, full-time students receiving financial aid.
How Much Do Alvernia University Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former Alvernia University students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $60,651 a year, and 95% of those not still in school are working.
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard; students who started college in 2011–12 or 2012–13, measured in 2022 and 2023, in 2024 dollars.
Alvernia University's Demographics
Students enrolled at any time during the 2023–24 school year, including part-time and online students.
| Student Body | Under-Grads | Graduates |
|---|---|---|
| 3,197 | 2,688 | 509 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is Alvernia University?
Alvernia University is located at 400 Saint Bernardine St, Reading, PA 19607-1799.
How Safe is Alvernia University?
No violent or property offenses were reported on Alvernia University’s campus in 2024. Its figures can also be looked up in the U.S. Department of Education’s Campus Safety and Security database.
Relative to its enrollment, Alvernia University has a violent crime rate of less than 0.01% and a property crime rate of less than 0.01%. Sources: campus: U.S. Department of Education Campus Safety and Security data, on-campus offenses in 2024 (violent: murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property: burglary, motor vehicle theft and arson, which excludes ordinary theft).
What Is Alvernia University Known For?
Alvernia University is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Social Work
- Nursing
- Medical
- Literature
- Psychology
- Philosophy
- Business
- Religious Studies
- Education
- History
- Communications
- Computer Science
- Engineering
- Mathematics
- Criminal Justice
- Political Science
- Biology
Alvernia University's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much Alvernia University's faculty and alumni have shaped a field with other schools, using Wikipedia, Wikidata and scholarly citation databases such as Crossref and Semantic Scholar. World and U.S. ranks reflect modern influence; the historical rank counts influence across all time. How we rank influence
Alvernia University ranks #278 in the U.S. and #675 worldwide for influence in Social Work.
social-work DegreesAlvernia University ranks #379 in the U.S. and #1021 worldwide for influence in Nursing.
nursing DegreesAlvernia University ranks #538 in the U.S. and #2015 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesAlvernia University ranks #928 in the U.S. and #2775 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesAlvernia University ranks #928 in the U.S. and #2406 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesAlvernia University ranks #1047 in the U.S. and #3503 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
philosophy DegreesAlvernia University ranks #1433 in the U.S. and #5211 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesAlvernia University ranks #1612 in the U.S. and #7223 worldwide for influence in Religious Studies.
religious-studies-hub DegreesAlvernia University ranks #1633 in the U.S. and #6405 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesAlvernia University ranks #1793 in the U.S. and #5784 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesAlvernia University ranks #2107 in the U.S. and #7844 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesAlvernia University ranks #2385 in the U.S. and #9139 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesAlvernia University ranks #2500 in the U.S. and #11018 worldwide for influence in Engineering.
engineering DegreesAlvernia University ranks #2500 in the U.S. and #8811 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesAlvernia University ranks #2558 in the U.S. and #5323 worldwide for influence in Criminal Justice.
criminal-justice DegreesAlvernia University ranks #2591 in the U.S. and #10904 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesAlvernia University ranks #3013 in the U.S. and #11378 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology Degrees