

Aston, PAprivate nonprofitneumann.edu
Admit rate has ranged 62%–85% 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.
Neumann University is a small, Catholic liberal arts college in suburban Philadelphia that operates with a distinctly pragmatic, career-focused mission. It’s a place where accessibility is a core principle—evident in its high acceptance rate and test-optional policy—and where the intimate, teaching-first environment is designed to shepherd a predominantly local student body toward solid, middle-class outcomes in fields like business, criminal justice, and nursing. The vibe is supportive and community-oriented, anchored by Franciscan values, but families should be prepared for a net price that demands careful financial planning.
Test-blind — scores not considered
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.
Neumann’s admissions process is defined by its accessibility. With an of 81%, the university is categorically less selective, focusing on admitting students who are a good fit for its supportive, teaching-centered model rather than constructing a class of academic superstars. The process is test-flexible: Neumann has waived the SAT/ACT requirement for first-year applicants who have a high school GPA of 2.5 or higher, making solid grades the primary academic benchmark. For those who do submit scores, the middle 50% SAT range for admitted students historically falls between 848 and 1100. The university also offers an Early Decision plan, and while a specific Early Decision acceptance rate is not published in the provided sources, the overall early acceptance rate is notably high at 94.1%, suggesting that applying early can be a significant advantage. The admissions office can be reached at (610) 558-5616 or via a toll-free number.
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.
Compare on earnings: best colleges for Nursing · best colleges for Business · best colleges for Biology · best colleges for Accounting · best colleges for Criminal Justice
Academics at Neumann are built on intimate class sizes, expert faculty, and a clear-eyed focus on career preparation. The university offers dozens of undergraduate majors, with the most popular programs reflecting this practical orientation. For the 2024 cohort, the top majors were Business Administration and Management (5% of degrees), Criminal Justice/Safety Studies (4%), and Psychology. The curriculum is designed to challenge students intellectually while providing a direct pathway to graduate school or a professional launchpad. The university emphasizes a "dedication to academic excellence" supported by a Career and Personal Development Office, ensuring that classroom learning is linked to post-graduation plans. Degrees are offered both online and on-campus, including degree completion programs and dual-degree options.
Life at Neumann revolves around a tight-knit, residential community fostered by the Division of Student Life. The campus is suburban, located in Aston, Pennsylvania, with a total undergraduate population of 1,533 students. A significant portion of the student body lives on campus, with 41% in college-owned, -operated, or -affiliated housing, while 59% live off-campus. The university promotes on-campus living as a way to build "a strong sense of community" and "lifelong friendships." The co-curricular experience is bolstered by campus events, leadership opportunities, and various clubs, aiming to create a "vibrant, inclusive campus community." This collegiate atmosphere is actively marketed through social media channels like TikTok, highlighting campus events and student life activities.
Neumann’s outcomes tell a story of a university serving a specific student demographic, with graduation and earnings figures that are solid but not elite. The first-year retention rate is 72%, indicating that most students who start are satisfied enough to return for a second year. The four-year graduation rate is 48%, rising to a six-year rate of 58%. Post-graduation, career outcomes are strong within six months: 80% of graduates are employed, 13% are continuing their education, 5% are seeking employment, and 2% are not seeking. The median earnings for graduates ten years after entry is $57,817, a figure that places Neumann graduates solidly in the middle-class earnings bracket and above the national midpoint for four-year colleges.
Attending Neumann requires a significant financial investment, though the university works to offset costs with aid. The average after aid is $27,804. A large majority of students receive financial assistance, with 82.51% getting some form of aid and the average aid package totaling $32,397. This aid comes in the form of grants, scholarships, loans, and work-study. The university encourages all students to use its Net Price Calculator for a personalized estimate. It’s important to note that to receive institutional financial aid, undergraduate students must be enrolled full-time in a minimum of 12 credits. The university's financial aid materials state they "strive to offer financial aid packages," but the provided sources do not indicate the presence of a no-loan policy or a commitment to meet 100% of demonstrated financial need for all admitted students.
Neumann University stands out for its unwavering commitment to a specific, service-oriented mission. It is not trying to be a miniature Ivy League; it’s a Franciscan institution that prioritizes access, teaching, and practical preparation for students who might otherwise be overlooked by more selective schools. This is crystalized in policies like waiving standardized tests for students with a 2.5 GPA and maintaining a high early . The campus culture is deliberately familial and supportive, designed to retain and graduate students through close faculty attention and a strong residential community. Its outcomes—decent graduation rates and earnings that beat the national median—validate this model for its target student: often a or local Pennsylvanian seeking a direct, values-based path to a stable career. The trade-off is cost, making it a college where the return on investment must be carefully weighed against the .