West Chester University
West Chester 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
West Chester University Featured Rankings
About West Chester University
According to Wikipedia, West Chester University is a public research university in and around West Chester, Pennsylvania. The university is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity". With 17,719 undergraduate and graduate students as of 2019, WCU is the largest of the 10 state-owned universities belonging to the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education and the sixth largest university in Pennsylvania. It also maintains a Center City Philadelphia satellite campus on Market Street.
West Chester University Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
| Annual Applications | Acceptance | Retention Rate | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score | Median ACT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16,467 | 78% | 83% | 68% | 1185 | 26 |
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 West Chester University Cost To Attend?
| Tuition and fees (in-state) |
|---|
| $11,464 |
| Income | Average Net Cost |
|---|---|
| 0 - 30K | $17,822 |
| 30K - 48K | $17,558 |
| 48K - 75K | $19,162 |
| 75K - 110K | $24,084 |
| 110K+ | $29,420 |
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 West Chester University Graduates Make?
Ten years after starting college, former West Chester University students who received federal financial aid earn a median of $66,629 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.
West Chester 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 18,762 | 15,402 | 3,360 |
Source: National Center for Education Statistics; 12-month enrollment for 2023–24.
Where is West Chester University?
West Chester University is located at University Avenue and High Street, West Chester, PA 19383.
How Safe is West Chester University?
Relative to its enrollment, West Chester University has a violent crime rate of 0.05% and a property crime rate of 0.05%. West Chester has a violent crime rate of 0.21% and a property crime rate of 1.25%. 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); city: FBI Crime Data Explorer, offenses reported to the city police in 2024.
What Is West Chester University Known For?
West Chester University is known for its academic work in the following disciplines:
- Communications
- Anthropology
- History
- Education
- Physics
- Biology
- Literature
- Political Science
- Criminal Justice
- Business
- Mathematics
- Chemistry
- Sociology
- Earth Sciences
- Religious Studies
- Social Work
- Engineering
- Philosophy
- Psychology
- Medical
- Nursing
- Computer Science
West Chester University's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Each rank compares how much West Chester 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
West Chester University ranks #426 in the U.S. and #1580 worldwide for influence in Communications.
communications DegreesWest Chester University ranks #463 in the U.S. and #1417 worldwide for influence in Anthropology.
anthropology DegreesWest Chester University ranks #468 in the U.S. and #1348 worldwide for influence in History.
history DegreesWest Chester University ranks #470 in the U.S. and #2065 worldwide for influence in Education.
education DegreesWest Chester University ranks #483 in the U.S. and #2185 worldwide for influence in Physics.
physics DegreesWest Chester University ranks #496 in the U.S. and #2109 worldwide for influence in Biology.
biology DegreesWest Chester University ranks #499 in the U.S. and #1530 worldwide for influence in Literature.
literature DegreesWest Chester University ranks #560 in the U.S. and #2345 worldwide for influence in Political Science.
political-science DegreesWest Chester University ranks #704 in the U.S. and #1316 worldwide for influence in Criminal Justice.
criminal-justice DegreesWest Chester University ranks #735 in the U.S. and #2796 worldwide for influence in Business.
business DegreesWest Chester University ranks #760 in the U.S. and #3049 worldwide for influence in Mathematics.
math DegreesWest Chester University ranks #770 in the U.S. and #3449 worldwide for influence in Chemistry.
chemistry DegreesWest Chester University ranks #815 in the U.S. and #2731 worldwide for influence in Sociology.
sociology DegreesWest Chester University ranks #820 in the U.S. and #3113 worldwide for influence in Earth Sciences.
earth-science DegreesWest Chester University ranks #858 in the U.S. and #3965 worldwide for influence in Religious Studies.
religious-studies-hub DegreesWest Chester University ranks #872 in the U.S. and #2106 worldwide for influence in Social Work.
social-work DegreesWest Chester University ranks #875 in the U.S. and #4791 worldwide for influence in Engineering.
engineering DegreesWest Chester University ranks #968 in the U.S. and #3216 worldwide for influence in Philosophy.
philosophy DegreesWest Chester University ranks #1021 in the U.S. and #2697 worldwide for influence in Psychology.
psychology DegreesWest Chester University ranks #1031 in the U.S. and #3542 worldwide for influence in Medical.
medicine DegreesWest Chester University ranks #1274 in the U.S. and #3254 worldwide for influence in Nursing.
nursing DegreesWest Chester University ranks #1663 in the U.S. and #6737 worldwide for influence in Computer Science.
computer-science DegreesWho Are West Chester University's Most Influential Alumni?
West Chester University's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Criminal Justice, History, and Anthropology. Here are some of West Chester University's most famous alumni:
- John Doebley
- An American geneticist.
- Kevin Guskiewicz
- A Chancellor of The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
- Geno Auriemma
- An Italian-born American women's basketball coach.
- David Roselle
- An American academic administrator.
- Jill Biden
- An American educator and First Lady of the United States.
- Howard Dodson
- An American scholar.
- Francis Harvey Green
- An American poet .
- Susanne Brenner
- An American mathematician.
- Asher Roth
- An American rapper.
- George N. Parks
- An American conductor .
- Thom Hannum
- A Percussion Expert, music arranger.
- Henry Theodore Hallman
- An American painter.
Who Are West Chester University's Most Influential Faculty?
West Chester University's most influential faculty include professors in the fields of Criminal Justice, History, and Anthropology. Here are some of West Chester University's most famous faculty:
