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 tucked into Philadelphia's leafy Garden District, offering an intimate, community-focused education with a practical bent. With a high acceptance rate and a student body where a third are first-generation, it serves as an accessible gateway to a Philadelphia education, though its graduation rate signals the challenges some students face. The college organizes its 60+ majors around six interdisciplinary 'Academic Centers,' emphasizing education, social justice, and professional preparation within a 75-acre campus that feels more like a quiet enclave than an urban university.
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
Graduation Rate
49%
Gender Distribution
58.4% Female, 41.6% Male
Student-Faculty Ratio
10:1
Median Earnings (10yr)
$52,015
Average Merit Scholarship
$24,000
First-Generation Students
33%
First-Year Retention Rate
67%
Students Receiving Grant Aid
100%
First-Year Students Living On Campus
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
52%
First-gen share (among federal-aid recipients)
44%
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 is a broadly accessible institution, admitting the majority of its applicants. The college does not offer Early Decision or Early Action programs, operating on a rolling admissions basis. With thousands of applicants each cycle, the process is designed to be straightforward. The admitted student profile suggests a focus on academic preparation within a holistic context; the average unweighted GPA of admitted students is reported as 3.2, and while standardized test submission is low (around 1% of students submit SAT or ACT scores), the middle 50% SAT range for those who do is 890-1090. A critical metric for the college is its rate—the percentage of admitted students who enroll—which is notably low at 7.16%, significantly below the national average for schools with similar . This suggests that for many students, CHC is a safety or backup option within the competitive Philadelphia higher education landscape.
Academic life at Chestnut Hill is defined by its intimate scale and structured interdisciplinary approach. With a student-faculty ratio of 10:1, classes are small and personal. The college offers over 60 majors and minors, but these are not presented as a sprawling list; instead, they are organized within six thematic "Academic Centers": Education, Advocacy + Social Justice; Health Professions; Humanities; Science and Technology; Social Sciences; and Business and Innovation. This center model is meant to encourage connections across disciplines, framing a business major within an innovation context or linking education directly with advocacy. Popular and signature programs include a robust Education department, featuring dual majors like Early Education with Special Education, as well as Aviation Science, Biochemistry, and Business Administration. The average freshman retention rate—a key indicator of student satisfaction—is 67%, which, while providing room for improvement, suggests a core of students find their footing. The college accepts Advanced Placement (AP) credit, allowing students to accelerate their studies.
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.
Life on CHC's 75-acre campus in Philadelphia's Garden District is residential and community-oriented, with 80% of first-year students living on campus. The undergraduate population is small, with about 972 students as of fall 2023, creating a tight-knit environment where it's hard to be anonymous. The gender distribution skews female (58.4% to 41.6% male), and the community is diverse: 47% of students identify as racially diverse, and 33% are college students. Student engagement is fostered through over 65 clubs and activities, promoted actively by the Student Life team on social media. The campus is officially "dry," with strict policies prohibiting alcohol and drug use in dormitories. This policy, combined with the small size and high residential percentage, shapes a student life experience that is more about campus-based community events, clubs, and support services than off-campus nightlife. For those seeking the energy of Philadelphia, it's there—but the campus itself functions as a quiet, self-contained haven.
Graduation and career outcomes at Chestnut Hill College present a mixed picture, reflecting its mission of access and the varied paths of its student body. The six-year graduation rate has fluctuated in recent years, reported as 60% in one source and 68% in another, with a noticeable gender gap: female students graduate at a higher rate than their male peers. Earnings data shows progression; one year after graduation, median earnings are reported around $36,427 to $41,084, growing to approximately $53,896 after five years. The college's "Outcomes" score in national rankings is 45 out of 100, with graduation rate performance being a significant component. These figures underscore that while CHC provides an entry point to higher education, student success is highly individual, and the college's support systems are critically important for many of its students, including its large population.
Chestnut Hill College positions itself as a private college with a significant commitment to financial aid. Virtually all beginning full-time undergraduates (100%) receive some form of grant or scholarship aid. The average merit-based scholarship for a first-year student is substantial, reported at $24,000 per year. is also available, with 47% of students benefiting from federal Pell Grants. The college offers a PATH grant for Pennsylvania students with demonstrated need who also receive a state grant, with awards up to $5,000. The —the average cost after grants and scholarships—varies by source, but the college provides a Net Price Calculator for families to get an early estimate. It's important to note that the college's financial aid policies indicate that unmet balances after aid can be covered through federal PLUS loans, alternative loans, or payment plans, but the sources do not indicate a universal "no-loan" policy or a guarantee to meet 100% of demonstrated need for all domestic students.
Chestnut Hill College stands out not for cutthroat selectivity or towering national rankings, but for its specific, mission-driven niche. It is a small, Catholic, liberal arts college that has carved out an identity as an accessible gateway to a Philadelphia education. Its 75-acre campus in the city's Garden District offers a serene, almost collegiate-gothic environment that feels worlds away from the urban bustle, yet the entire city is its extended classroom. The college's structure around six interdisciplinary "Academic Centers"—not just traditional departments—signals a practical, integrated approach to learning, tightly coupling fields like Education and Social Justice or Business and Innovation. This appeals to students seeking a direct connection between their studies and professional or advocacy goals. Furthermore, with a third of its students being and nearly half identifying as racially diverse, CHC serves a population that is often overlooked by more elite institutions, wrapping them in a 10:1 student-faculty ratio and a highly residential (80% of first-years live on campus), supportive community. It’s a college for the student who wants the benefits of a Philadelphia address without the impersonal scale of a large university, and who thrives in a close-knit, values-oriented environment where professors know their names.
Chestnut Hill College seal · sourceChestnut Hill College - Find your People, Discover your Passion, Live your Purpose · sourceAthletic Facilities - Chestnut Hill College Athletics · sourceChestnut Hill College - Profile, Rankings and Data | US News Best Colleges · source
