
Greensburg, PAprivate nonprofitwww.setonhill.edu/
Admit rate has ranged 74%–79% over the last 5 years. 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.
Seton Hill University is a small Catholic liberal arts school in Greensburg, PA, that punches above its weight with strong healthcare and pre-professional programs, a 71% graduation rate (well above national averages), and a surprisingly hands-on, career-focused approach for a liberal arts college. With an 80% acceptance rate and test-optional admissions, it’s accessible but delivers solid outcomes—graduates earn a median $36,427 a year, and the school ranks #20 in the North for 'Best Value.'
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.
More details
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.
Seton Hill is decidedly not a reach school—with a 75-80% Acceptance rateThe share of applicants a college admits in a given year. A 10% acceptance rate means it admits about 1 in 10 applicants., it’s accessible to most applicants. The middle 50% of admitted students score between 1020–1200 on the SAT or 19–26 on the ACT, though the university is test-optional and doesn’t require scores for most applicants. Notably, the average acceptance rate over the past decade has held steady around 75%, suggesting consistency in selectivity. Demographically, the student body skews heavily local: 85% of undergraduates are from Pennsylvania, with modest geographic diversity.
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.
Seton Hill offers 80+ undergraduate and graduate programs, with a particular emphasis on healthcare and pre-professional tracks—unusual for a liberal arts college. Standout programs include accelerated dual-degree options in audiology (BS-DAud), dental medicine (BS-DDM), and osteopathic medicine (BS-DO), where students can earn a bachelor’s plus a professional degree in a streamlined timeframe. The curriculum leans practical: students report strong hands-on learning opportunities, especially in biology and healthcare research. While the school markets itself as a liberal arts institution, its academic identity feels more like a hybrid—small classes (student-faculty ratio is 13:1) paired with career-focused training.
Life at Seton Hill is tight-knit but not insular—51% of students live on campus, and the vibe is more communal than commuter-heavy. The university leans into its Catholic identity (daily mass is available but not required), though students describe the culture as inclusive. A recent Instagram reel highlighted the interdisciplinary College of Human Development, Culture, and Media as a hub for collaborative projects. Athletics are Division II, but not a dominant social force; more energy goes into niche clubs and undergrad research. Greensburg is a sleepy town, so students often road-trip to Pittsburgh (35 minutes away) for big-city diversions.
Seton Hill’s 71% graduation rate puts it in the top 25% of U.S. colleges—a strong showing for a school with modest selectivity. Alumni earn a median $36,427 one year post-graduation, roughly on par with national averages for liberal arts grads. The university touts its #20 ranking in the North for 'Best Value', likely due to its combination of solid outcomes and financial aid (the average aid package is $26,702). Debt-to-earnings ratios are a weak spot, however, landing in the bottom percentile compared to peers. Pre-professional programs deliver the clearest ROI: accelerated healthcare grads often bypass underemployment thanks to built-in grad school pathways.
The sticker price is steep at $61,278 (tuition, room, board, and fees), but most students don’t pay full freight. 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.—after scholarships and grants—is $23,732, with Merit aidScholarship money awarded for achievements like grades, talents, or test scores — not based on your family's financial need. playing a significant role. Seton Hill’s net price calculator emphasizes merit-based awards, which are doled out generously: 98% of undergrads receive some form of aid. Still, the university’s 'Best Value' ranking (#20 in the North) comes with caveats: while aid reduces costs, the debt-to-earnings ratio for graduates is less favorable than at peer institutions.
Seton Hill is a quirky hybrid—a Catholic liberal arts school that functions more like a pre-professional institute, with accelerated healthcare degrees and undergrad research opportunities atypical for its size. Its 71% graduation rate defies its non-selective admissions, suggesting strong student support. The real differentiator is practicality: small classes, hands-on learning, and Pittsburgh’s job market nearby make it a pragmatic choice for students who want a liberal arts vibe without the liberal arts risk. That said, its rural-ish location and modest name recognition mean it’s best for students who prioritize outcomes over prestige.