Admit rate has ranged 65%–98% over the last 5 years — notably volatile. Source: IPEDS via Urban Institute.
Acceptance & SAT from Common Data Set / IPEDS; net price, earnings & graduation from the U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~1–2 years — verify with the school.
Chestnut Hill College is a small, Catholic liberal arts college in Philadelphia's leafy Garden District, offering an intimate 10:1 student-faculty ratio and a tight-knit community where 80% of first-years live on campus. With moderately selective admissions (74% acceptance rate) and a focus on hands-on learning through 60+ majors organized around interdisciplinary centers, CHC attracts a diverse student body—47% identify as racially diverse, 33% are first-gen—who graduate at a 60% rate into careers earning median salaries around $56K.
Admission requirements
Test-blind — scores not considered
Required
High school transcript
Grade point average
TOEFL (non-native English)
Considered (not required)
Letters of recommendation
College-prep program
Source: IPEDS Admissions survey (2022) via Urban Institute. Covers formal factors only — it does not reflect essays, extracurriculars, or other holistic criteria.
More details
Undergrad enrollment
815
In-state tuition
$39,870
Out-of-state tuition
$39,870
Location
Philadelphia, PA (Garden District)
Campus Size
75 acres
Acceptance Rate
74-79%
Median Earnings
$55,964
First-Year Retention
67%
On-Campus First-Years
80%
Student-Faculty Ratio
10:1
6-Year Graduation Rate
60%
Outcomes & value
Outcomes & value
Median earnings (10 yr)
$52,015
Value (earnings ÷ net price)
1.9×
Median debt at graduation
$26,389
Graduation rate
49%
First-year retention
62%
Reducing loan balance (3 yr)
47%
Pell (lower-income) share
67%
First-generation share
44%
Endowment / student
$28,689
Financial health
1.7 / 3.0Meets the federal financial-responsibility standard
U.S. Dept. of Education Financial Responsibility Composite Score (FY2022-23). Scale −1.0 to 3.0; ≥1.5 meets the standard. Reported for private nonprofit & for-profit institutions only — public universities are state-backed and not scored, so this is a stability signal, not a ranking.
Top-earning majors
Median earnings by field of study (highest credential), ~2 years after completion.
Health and Medical Administrative Services$48,041
Accounting and Related Services$46,478
Business Administration, Management and Operations$43,240
Criminal Justice and Corrections$37,568
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods$32,925
Human Services, General
Campus & location
Campus safety
On-campus violent crimes (2024)
0
Per 1,000 students
0.00
On-campus criminal offenses classed as violent (murder/non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) for the most recent reported year. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education Campus Safety and Security (Clery Act). Counts reflect what’s reported to the school, and urban campuses often report more partly due to non-student incidents nearby — read alongside campus size and setting, not as a standalone safety verdict.
Climate
Pleasant days / yr
92
Summer high
84°F
Winter low
29°F
Annual rain
51"
Annual snow
15.5"
Natural-hazard risk
Very High
Pleasant days counts days per year with a mean temperature of 55–75°F, a high at or below 90°F, a low at or above 45°F, and little precipitation — a transparent comfort measure, not a weighting we invented. Computed from Open-Meteo ERA5 daily history (2019–2023). Natural-hazard risk is the county’s composite rating from the FEMA National Risk Index.
Deep dive — research, future-scholar output & economic mobility▾
Research output
Institutional h-index
187
Scholarly works
4,040
Institutional research volume and impact from OpenAlex. The h-index reflects large research universities and will be low for teaching-focused liberal-arts colleges — not a measure of undergraduate quality.
Economic mobility
Mobility rate
1.4%
Bottom → top quintile
18%
From bottom quintile
8%
Mobility rate = the share of students who both start in the bottom household-income quintile and reach the top quintile; bottom → top is that chance conditional on starting at the bottom. Source: Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Cards (Chetty, Friedman, Saez, Turner & Yagan). Reflects 1980–82 birth cohorts, so it’s directional, not current.
Quick answers
What is the acceptance rate at Chestnut Hill College?
Chestnut Hill College's acceptance rate is approximately 74% (Philadelphia, PA), based on the most recent figures we compiled from public and primary sources.
How much does Chestnut Hill College cost?
At Chestnut Hill College, the average net price (after aid) is about $27,970 per year. Actual cost varies with financial aid and residency.
How many undergraduates attend Chestnut Hill College?
Chestnut Hill College enrolls approximately 815 undergraduate students.
Where is Chestnut Hill College located?
Chestnut Hill College is located in Philadelphia, PA.
Admissions
Chestnut Hill College maintains a moderately difficult admissions process with an acceptance rate of 74% (per CollegeData) or 79.13% (per BigFuture and PrepScholar), admitting roughly 3 out of 4 applicants. The college does not require standardized test scores for most applicants, though submitted SAT scores typically range between 890-1090. Female applicants are slightly more likely to be admitted (76% Acceptance rateThe share of applicants a college admits in a given year. A 10% acceptance rate means it admits about 1 in 10 applicants. vs. 74% overall). The admissions team emphasizes Holistic admissionsA review that weighs the whole applicant — grades, essays, activities, and context — rather than relying on test scores and GPA alone., with average high school GPAs of incoming students hovering around a B+ (3.3-3.5 range implied by selectivity data).
CHC structures its around six interdisciplinary Academic Centers, with particularly strong programs in , , and . The college boasts an enviable , though freshman retention rates lag slightly at . Popular majors include:
Earnings = median of students working ~10 years after entry; debt = median of graduates. Value divides 10-yr earnings by one year’s net price — read it as earnings per dollar of annual cost, not a full lifetime ROI; it favors lower-cost schools. Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard. Figures lag ~2 years and reflect all students, not your intended major.
$32,284
Biology, General$29,685
Business/Corporate Communications$29,685
Source: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (field-of-study earnings). Figures cover graduates who received federal aid and lag ~2 years; not all programs report data.
60+ majors and minors
Education (including dual majors with Special Education)
Business Administration
Human Services
10:1 student-faculty ratio
67%
Human Services (most popular)
Business Administration & Management
Psychology
Biology
Notably, the Education Center offers a Pre-K to Grade 4 dual major with Special Education (Pre-K to Grade 12), reflecting CHC's Catholic emphasis on service-oriented careers.
Life at CHC revolves around its 75-acre garden campus and tight-knit community where 80% of first-years live on campus. The student body is 58.4% female, with 47% identifying as racially diverse and 33% first-generation college students. Key aspects:
65+ student clubs and activities, with active Latinx cultural programming
Dry campus with strict substance policies (including dorm enforcement)
Instagram shows a lively calendar of events like McCaffery Lounge gatherings
Athletics compete in NCAA Division II (Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference)
The college promotes a "home away from home" vibe through robust residence life and student engagement teams.
CHC reports a 60% six-year graduation rate (per 2023-24 data), with women graduating at higher rates than men (62% vs. 51%). Alumni outcomes show:
Median earnings: $55,964 (slightly below national average for private colleges)
Early career earnings: ~$34,000 (reflecting service-oriented majors)
Pell Grant recipient graduation rate: On par with overall rate at 60%
The college's small endowment ($23.4M) limits financial resources, but its focus on practical majors like business and education leads to steady employment outcomes.
With a net price of $27,970-$28,588 after aid, CHC is moderately priced for a private college. Financial highlights:
Average merit scholarship: $24,000/year for first-years
Average aid package: $24,855 (covering most tuition for recipients)
Net price calculator available for personalized estimates
While the college meets an average of 70% of demonstrated need, families should note that the $23.4M endowment limits full-need coverage compared to wealthier institutions.
Chestnut Hill College carves a distinctive niche as a small, mission-driven Catholic college that combines:
1. Philadelphia access with a suburban campus feel (75 garden-filled acres) 2. Interdisciplinary centers that break down silos between majors 3. Diverse community (47% students of color) with strong First-generation (first-gen)A student who would be the first in their immediate family to earn a four-year college degree. Many colleges consider this in context. support 4. Hands-on programs like aviation science and dual education certifications
It's ideal for students seeking a close-knit, values-oriented environment where they can design practical career paths—especially in education, human services, and business—without the cutthroat competition of larger urban universities.
Chestnut Hill College logo · sourceAthletic Facilities - Chestnut Hill College Athletics · sourceChestnut Hill College - Find your People, Discover your Passion, Live your Purpose · sourceCHC From Above · source
