
Cresson, PAprivate nonprofitwww.mtaloy.edu/
Admit rate has ranged 86%–95% 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.
Mount Aloysius College, a small Catholic liberal arts school in rural Pennsylvania, punches above its weight with an intimate 7:1 student-faculty ratio and a pragmatic focus on nursing, business, and healthcare fields. With an 82% acceptance rate and a scrappy, outdoorsy campus culture, it’s a place where first-gen students and career-focused learners thrive—even if its 56% graduation rate lags behind national averages.
Test-optional — scores considered if submitted
Source: IPEDS Admissions survey (2022) via Urban Institute. Covers formal factors only — it does not reflect essays, extracurriculars, or other holistic criteria.
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Outcomes & value
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.
Median earnings by field of study (highest credential), ~2 years after completion.
Campus & location
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.
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.
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.
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.
Mount Aloysius is decidedly not a selective school, with Acceptance rateThe share of applicants a college admits in a given year. A 10% acceptance rate means it admits about 1 in 10 applicants. hovering between 82% (per U.S. News) and 90.4% (per PrepScholar). The college operates on a rolling admissions basis, with no strict deadline, and doesn’t require SAT/ACT scores if they’re more than two years old. Middle 50% ACT scores range from 15–24, suggesting a broad academic preparedness spectrum among admitted students. Contact info for admissions questions is refreshingly straightforward: `admissions@mtaloy.edu` or (814) 886-4131.
The college’s 7:1 student-faculty ratio (U.S. News) ensures small classes—71% have fewer than 20 students. Nursing dominates as the most popular major, followed by Business Administration and Health Professions. With 32 majors total (per College Board), offerings skew practical: think Criminal Justice, Radiologic Technology, and Cybersecurity alongside traditional liberal arts. The graduation rate is a modest depending on the source, though the college emphasizes personalized support through its Mercy-centered mission.
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.
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 here is unapologetically small-town: think hiking in the Alleghenies (the campus is a 15-minute drive from outdoor recreation) and tight-knit dorm communities (44% of students live on campus). The Catholic identity looms large—Niche notes an emphasis on 'mercy, respect, and acceptance'—but without rigid piety. Sports (NCAA Division III) and student-led activities fill the social calendar. One student’s testimonial on the campus newspaper’s blog captures the vibe: 'It’s been the stage of my life where I’ve grown the most.'
The 56% graduation rate (per College Scorecard) trails national averages, but the college serves a high proportion of 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. and Pell-eligible students (40% graduation rate for Pell recipients vs. 57% for non-recipients). Alumni earn a median $36,427 one year post-graduation (Niche)—respectable for rural Pennsylvania, though not transformative. Nursing grads likely pull these numbers up; the college doesn’t publish major-specific earnings data.
Sticker price hits $41,560 for tuition and fees (CollegeData), but 99% of students receive aid, bringing the average Net priceWhat a family actually pays after grants and scholarships are subtracted from the sticker price — usually far less than the published cost. down to $20,570 (College Board). First-years typically get $19,719 in need-based grants (U.S. News). The college sweetens the deal with quirky incentives like a $1,000 scholarship raffle for students who submit FAFSA by April 1. Still, the average aid package ($16,249) leaves many with significant gaps to fill.
Mount Aloysius is the underdog’s launchpad: a no-frills, high-touch college where nursing students train on simulation mannequins just miles from trout streams and hiking trails. Its Mercy Catholic ethos fosters a ‘come as you are’ community (Niche), while its tiny classes guarantee professors know your name. For Pennsylvania kids seeking affordable career preparation without the chaos of a big school—and who don’t mind trading urban excitement for fire pits and Friday night basketball games—it’s a compelling pick.