Villanova University acceptance rate and your odds of getting in
Villanova University is a private college in Pennsylvania that admits roughly 27% of applicants, which puts it in the selective range. A rate like this means it admits a minority of 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 Villanova 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 1460, a useful checkpoint for where your scores sit, though it is a reference range and not a cutoff.
What do students study at Villanova 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 Villanova University?
Direct answers to what applicants ask about getting into Villanova University, plus a free way to calculate your own odds.
What are my chances of getting into Villanova University?
At Villanova University, your real chance depends on far more than the published 27% 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 Villanova University in about three minutes, with no account needed to start.
Is Villanova University hard to get into?
Villanova University is selective: it admits a minority of applicants, with about a 27% acceptance rate. A solid academic record puts you in good position, and the rest of your profile can tip the result either way.
What GPA do you need to get into Villanova University?
There is no hard GPA cutoff at Villanova University, but admitted students commonly present roughly a 3.5 to 3.9 GPA. Villanova University reads your GPA alongside the rigor of your courses, so a challenging schedule matters as much as the number itself.
Your chances at Villanova University by GPA and SAT
Estimated chance of admission at Villanova University for plain profiles, from the same model as the calculator. Unweighted GPA, 6 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 Villanova University with a 3.7 GPA and a 1450 SAT?
About 47% (Likely), by CollegeCalcAI's deterministic model, for an applicant with a 3.7 unweighted GPA and a 1450 SAT, the middle of Villanova University's admitted range, applying Regular Decision without a hook. A 3.9 GPA with a 1510 SAT comes out near 58%. 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/villanova-university.
Early Decision, Early Action and the waitlist at Villanova University
From Villanova University's own 2025-26 Common Data Set (fall 2025 entering class): sections C1, C2, C21-C22 and D2.
What is the early decision acceptance rate at Villanova University?
59.8%. Villanova University admitted 1,005 of 1,680 Early Decision applicants for fall 2025, against 28.1% of all 25,841 first-year applicants (Villanova University's 2025-26 Common Data Set).
Does applying early decision help at Villanova University?
On the raw numbers, yes: Early Decision applicants were admitted at 59.8% versus about 25.9% for everyone who applied another way, 2.3x the rate, and Early Decision filled 13.8% of the admitted class. Part of that gap is who applies early (recruited athletes and legacy applicants often do), so it is not all the round itself. Early Decision is binding: apply only if Villanova University is your clear first choice and the family can commit without comparing aid offers.
How many students get off the waitlist at Villanova University?
28 for fall 2025. Villanova University offered 5,449 applicants a waitlist spot, 2,205 accepted one, and 28 were admitted from it: 1.3% of those who stayed on (Villanova University's 2025-26 Common Data Set).
What is the transfer acceptance rate at Villanova University?
56.7%: 326 of 575 transfer applicants were admitted for fall 2025 (Villanova University's 2025-26 Common Data Set).
Source: Villanova University Common Data Set 2025-26. Every figure appears verbatim in the document. See how early rounds compare across colleges in the Early Decision rankings.
How to get into Villanova University
Built from Villanova 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 Villanova University comes down to four decisions, each one visible in the data on this page.
CollegeCalcAI's modeled typical admit at Villanova University carries about a 3.70 core GPA and a 1460 SAT, in the most rigorous schedule available. Landing at or above it makes you competitive; the rest of the file decides.
The admitted middle 50% is 1395 to 1510 SAT (32 to 34 ACT). Submit a score at 1453 or higher; below 1395, apply test-optional if the policy allows.
Villanova University rates rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores highest in its own Common Data Set. Put your depth there: and a transcript whose rigor rises through junior year.
Selective private colleges admit a larger share of their class in binding Early Decision; if Villanova University is your clear first choice and the net price works, ED is the single biggest lever an applicant controls. Most early deadlines fall on November 1 and Regular Decision on January 1 to 15; confirm Villanova University's exact dates at www.villanova.edu.
How many students apply to Villanova University, and how many get in?
23,127 students applied to Villanova University for fall 2023; 5,810 were admitted (25.1%). 1,740 enrolled. Only about 30% 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. Villanova University enrolls about 6,938 undergraduates in total, 54% 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 Villanova University?
The middle 50% of admitted students at Villanova University scored between 1395 and 1510 on the SAT (average 1460). On the ACT the middle 50% runs from 32 to 34. A score above 1510 puts you in the top quarter of admits and turns the test into an asset; a score below 1395 puts you in the bottom quarter, where the rest of the application has to carry more weight. Villanova 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 Villanova University looks for
What Villanova University weighs most heavily in its admissions review, informed by its reported Common Data Set.
Villanova University signals that it values rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores 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 Villanova 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 Villanova 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 Villanova University cost after financial aid?
Villanova University's published cost of attendance, before any aid, is roughly $84,793 per year. Tuition and fees alone are $67,776. What families actually pay is different: the average net price after grants and scholarships is $43,756 a year, and it ranges from $17,823 for families earning under $30,000 to $58,741 for families earning over $110,000. 12% 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 Villanova University graduates earn, and how many graduate?
Ten years after enrolling, the median Villanova University student who received federal aid earns $100,423 a year, up from $84,905 at six years. 92% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 95% return for a second year. Among graduates who borrowed, median federal debt at graduation is $25,874; 35% 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 Villanova University compares in Pennsylvania
Villanova University ranks #6 most selective of 62 schools in Pennsylvania in our database.
Among the 62 Pennsylvania schools we track, Villanova University ranks #6 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 Villanova University
Schools with a similar selectivity profile, worth comparing as you build a balanced list.
If Villanova University is on your list, schools with a similar admit profile are worth a look: Lehigh University, Franklin & Marshall College, and Trinity University (TX). 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.
Frequently asked questions
What is Villanova University's acceptance rate?
Villanova University admitted 5,810 of 23,127 applicants for the fall 2023 entering class, an acceptance rate of 25.1% (U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS). 30% of admitted students enrolled.
What SAT score do you need for Villanova University?
The middle 50% of admitted students scored 1395 to 1510 on the SAT and 32 to 34 on the ACT. A score above 1510 is in the top quarter of admits. Villanova University is test-optional, so only submit a score that helps.
Is Villanova University test-optional?
Yes. Villanova 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 Villanova University cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Villanova University, what students receiving aid paid after grants and scholarships, is $43,756 a year against a sticker price of about $84,793. Families earning under $30,000 paid about $17,823 on average.
What do Villanova University graduates earn?
Median earnings ten years after entering Villanova University are $100,423 a year among students who received federal aid, and 92% of students graduate within six years (College Scorecard).
What does Villanova University value most in applicants?
Based on its admissions profile, Villanova University weighs rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores most heavily. The full factor breakdown is on this page.
Does Villanova University consider legacy or demonstrated interest?
Many private colleges weigh legacy relationships and demonstrated interest. Villanova 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 Villanova 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 Villanova University specifically.
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.