Arcadia University acceptance rate and your odds of getting in
Arcadia University is a private college in Pennsylvania that admits most qualified applicants (around 80%), which puts it in the accessible range. A rate like this means it admits most qualified applicants; the bar is less about clearing a single cutoff and more about how your full profile compares to admitted students.
Use this page to see what Arcadia University weighs, where it ranks among Pennsylvania schools, and how a profile like yours is likely to land. Admitted students post a 75th-percentile SAT around 1230, a useful checkpoint for where your scores sit, though it is a reference range and not a cutoff.
What do students study at Arcadia University?
Bachelor's degrees awarded by field in 2023 (IPEDS completions). Each field has its own page with the school's numbers, the model's major adjustment, and peers offering it.
Will I get into Arcadia University?
Direct answers to what applicants ask about getting into Arcadia University, plus a free way to calculate your own odds.
What are my chances of getting into Arcadia University?
At Arcadia University, your real chance depends on far more than the published 80% admit rate. Your real odds depend on how your GPA, course rigor, test scores, and activities compare to its admitted students. Run your profile through the free CollegeCalcAI calculator to get a personalized acceptance percentage for Arcadia University in about three minutes, with no account needed to start.
Is Arcadia University hard to get into?
Arcadia University is accessible: it admits most qualified applicants, with about a 80% acceptance rate. Meeting the academic basics gives most qualified applicants a realistic shot.
What GPA do you need to get into Arcadia University?
There is no hard GPA cutoff at Arcadia University, but admitted students span a wide GPA range, with many in the 2.8 to 3.5 band. Arcadia University reads your GPA alongside the rigor of your courses, so a challenging schedule matters as much as the number itself.
Your chances at Arcadia University by GPA and SAT
Estimated chance of admission at Arcadia University for plain profiles, from the same model as the calculator. Unweighted GPA, 3 AP courses, Regular Decision, no legacy, athletic or first-generation hook. The last column is test-optional (no score sent).
What are my chances at Arcadia University with a 3.1 GPA and a 1170 SAT?
About 96% (Safety), by CollegeCalcAI's deterministic model, for an applicant with a 3.1 unweighted GPA and a 1170 SAT, the middle of Arcadia University's admitted range, applying Regular Decision without a hook. A 3.4 GPA with a 1270 SAT comes out near 98%. Courses, activities, essays and the application round move the number; the free calculator includes them.
Estimates, not guarantees. Get yours with your real courses and activities. Assistants and developers can fetch this table from the free API: /api/v1/colleges/arcadia-university.
How to get into Arcadia University
Built from Arcadia University's admitted class and what it reports weighing. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled figures, not published cutoffs.
Getting into Arcadia University comes down to four decisions, each one visible in the data on this page.
CollegeCalcAI's modeled typical admit at Arcadia University carries about a 3.12 core GPA and a 1215 SAT, in the most rigorous schedule available. Meeting it puts you in the admitted range for most applicants.
The admitted middle 50% is 1065 to 1265 SAT. Submit a score at 1165 or higher; below 1065, apply test-optional if the policy allows.
Arcadia University rates rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and application essay highest in its own Common Data Set. Put your depth there: essays that sound like you and answer the actual prompt, and a transcript whose rigor rises through junior year.
An early application signals interest and gets your file read before the pool fills. Most early deadlines fall on November 1 and Regular Decision on January 1 to 15; confirm Arcadia University's exact dates at www.arcadia.edu.
How many students apply to Arcadia University, and how many get in?
6,688 students applied to Arcadia University for fall 2023; 5,296 were admitted (79.2%). 420 enrolled. Only about 8% of admitted students enrolled, so the school admits several students for every seat it expects to fill, which is why its acceptance rate reads higher than its selectivity feels. Arcadia University enrolls about 1,948 undergraduates in total, 63% of them women, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS 2023 admissions and enrollment.
What SAT and ACT scores do you need for Arcadia University?
Admitted students at Arcadia University post SAT scores of 1065 to 1265 in the middle 50%, with an average of 1190. A score above 1265 puts you in the top quarter of admits and turns the test into an asset; a score below 1065 puts you in the bottom quarter, where the rest of the application has to carry more weight. Arcadia University is test-optional: scores are considered if you submit them but not required. Send a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one and let your transcript lead.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10.
What Arcadia University looks for
What Arcadia University weighs most heavily in its admissions review, informed by its reported Common Data Set.
Arcadia University signals that it values rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and application essay above the rest of the file. Solid grades in a challenging schedule do most of the work here, with the rest of the application providing context. These ratings come from Arcadia University's reported Common Data Set, so the full chart below reflects what the school itself says it values, not a generic guess.
SAT score positioning at Arcadia University
How common SAT scores sit relative to the admitted middle. This is context, not a probability. Your full profile determines the real estimate.
How much does Arcadia University cost after financial aid?
The full sticker price at Arcadia University (tuition, fees, housing, food, books) is about $64,645 a year. Tuition and fees alone are $49,610. What families actually pay is different: the average net price after grants and scholarships is $29,466 a year, and it ranges from $23,127 for families earning under $30,000 to $34,339 for families earning over $110,000. 28% of undergraduates receive a federal Pell Grant.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Net price is what students receiving aid paid after grants, by family income.
What do Arcadia University graduates earn, and how many graduate?
Median earnings for Arcadia University students ten years after entry are $58,336 ($44,004 at the six-year mark). 67% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 79% return for a second year. Among graduates who borrowed, median federal debt at graduation is $27,000; 61% of undergraduates take federal loans.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Earnings cover students who received federal aid.
How Arcadia University compares in Pennsylvania
Arcadia University ranks #38 most selective of 62 schools in Pennsylvania in our database.
Among the 62 Pennsylvania schools we track, Arcadia University ranks #38 most selective by acceptance rate. Schools like University of Pennsylvania (5%) and Swarthmore College (7%) sit nearby, which makes Pennsylvania a useful frame for calibrating a balanced list.
Similar to Arcadia University
Schools with a similar selectivity profile, worth comparing as you build a balanced list.
If Arcadia University is on your list, schools with a similar admit profile are worth a look: Creighton University, Cornell College, and Guilford College. Running the same profile against each one in the free calculator is the fastest way to see where you are a reach, a match, or a likely.
More data for Pennsylvania: Penn State University engineering admissions
Frequently asked questions
What is Arcadia University's acceptance rate?
Arcadia University admitted 5,296 of 6,688 applicants for the fall 2023 entering class, an acceptance rate of 79.2% (U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS). 8% of admitted students enrolled.
What SAT score do you need for Arcadia University?
The middle 50% of admitted students scored 1065 to 1265 on the SAT. A score above 1265 is in the top quarter of admits. Arcadia University is test-optional, so only submit a score that helps.
Is Arcadia University test-optional?
Yes. Arcadia University reports that test scores are considered but not required. Submit a score at or above the middle of the admitted range; otherwise apply without one.
How much does Arcadia University cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Arcadia University, what students receiving aid paid after grants and scholarships, is $29,466 a year against a sticker price of about $64,645. Families earning under $30,000 paid about $23,127 on average.
What do Arcadia University graduates earn?
Median earnings ten years after entering Arcadia University are $58,336 a year among students who received federal aid, and 67% of students graduate within six years (College Scorecard).
What does Arcadia University value most in applicants?
Based on its admissions profile, Arcadia University weighs rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and application essay most heavily. The full factor breakdown is on this page.
Does Arcadia University consider legacy or demonstrated interest?
Many private colleges weigh legacy relationships and demonstrated interest. Arcadia University's full factor profile is charted on this page, and CollegeCalcAI models a legacy effect scaled to a school's selectivity.
How can I improve my chances at Arcadia University?
Focus on the highest-leverage parts of your application: course rigor and GPA trajectory first, then test scores, then a focused leadership or activity spike. CollegeCalcAI's Power-Ups quantify how much each change would move your odds at Arcadia University specifically.
What are the admission requirements for Arcadia University?
Arcadia University reviews GPA, course rigor, test scores (where submitted), activities, and essays. With a more accessible acceptance rate, meeting the academic basics gives most qualified applicants a realistic shot.
Acceptance rate, application counts, admitted test ranges, cost, and outcomes reflect publicly reported federal data (U.S. Department of Education: IPEDS 2023 and the College Scorecard) and each school's Common Data Set; figures are rounded and lag the current cycle by one to two years, so confirm deadlines and policies on the school's own site. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled estimates. Estimates from CollegeCalcAI are a planning tool computed by a fixed, transparent model, not a guarantee of any admission decision.