Admit rate has ranged 66%–89% 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.
Thomas Jefferson University is a Philadelphia institution that has shed its former identity as Philadelphia University to become a sprawling, career-focused powerhouse. It’s where aspiring nurses, designers, architects, and health scientists converge for a hands-on, interdisciplinary education that feels more like a professional apprenticeship than a traditional liberal arts college. With an 81% acceptance rate, it’s accessible, but its culture is defined by a relentless pragmatism—students come here to get a job, and the numbers show they succeed.
Admission requirements
Test-optional — scores considered if submitted
Required
High school transcript
Grade point average
Class rank
Letters of recommendation
College-prep program
TOEFL (non-native English)
Considered (not required)
Test scores (SAT/ACT)
Demonstrated competencies
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
3,755
In-state tuition
$47,505
Out-of-state tuition
$47,505
Female:Male Ratio
75%:25%
On-Campus Housing
29%
Full-Time Students
89%
Student-Faculty Ratio
12:1
4-Year Graduation Rate
73%
6-Year Graduation Rate
80%
Median Earnings (10yr)
$77,449
Post-Grad Success Rate
95%
Students Receiving Aid
100%
Outcomes & value
Outcomes & value
Median earnings (10 yr)
$77,449
Value (earnings ÷ net price)
2.7×
Median debt at graduation
$14,744
Graduation rate
69%
First-year retention
82%
Reducing loan balance (3 yr)
87%
Pell (lower-income) share
37%
First-gen share (among federal-aid recipients)
33%
Financial health
1.5 / 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.
Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions$72,320
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing$70,761
Mechanical Engineering$53,358
Health and Medical Administrative Services$49,058
Architecture$48,087
Interior Architecture
Campus & location
Campus safety
On-campus violent crimes (2024)
14
Per 1,000 students
1.70
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
89
Summer high
85°F
Winter low
30°F
Annual rain
49.8"
Annual snow
12.8"
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
732
Scholarly works
64,508
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.
Quick answers
What is the acceptance rate at Thomas Jefferson University?
Thomas Jefferson University's acceptance rate is approximately 81% (Philadelphia, PA), based on the most recent figures we compiled from public and primary sources.
What SAT score do you need for Thomas Jefferson University?
Admitted students at Thomas Jefferson University typically score 1160–1330 on the SAT (the middle-50% range). Scores outside this band are still admitted, especially with strong applications.
How much does Thomas Jefferson University cost?
At Thomas Jefferson University, the average net price (after aid) is about $28,928 per year. Actual cost varies with financial aid and residency.
How many undergraduates attend Thomas Jefferson University?
Thomas Jefferson University enrolls approximately 3,755 undergraduate students.
Where is Thomas Jefferson University located?
Thomas Jefferson University is located in Philadelphia, PA.
Admissions
Jefferson’s admissions process is notably accessible, with an 81% reflecting its mission to serve a broad range of career-focused students. The university received 7,082 applications for a recent cycle. While selective in a general sense, its focus is less on weeding out applicants and more on identifying those prepared for its professionally oriented programs. The middle 50% SAT range for admitted students is 1160–1330, and the ACT range is 25–30, with a significant portion of admitted students (49.5%) reporting a GPA of 3.75 or higher. The regular decision deadline is March 1, though applications are accepted until July 31. Notably, only 23% of first-time enrollees submitted SAT scores with their applications, suggesting a or test-flexible policy is in effect. The rate—the percentage of admitted students who enroll—has seen a notable decline, falling from 22.54% in 2018 to 12.15% in 2025.
Early Decision is an option, and while specific Jefferson rates aren't published, national trends show Early Decision acceptance rates can be significantly higher than Regular Decision rates. The is the definitive source for understanding the relative importance of various admission factors, including demonstrated interest, though the specific Jefferson CDS rating for that factor is not detailed in the provided snippets.
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.
$46,087
Fine and Studio Arts$43,798
Architectural Sciences and Technology$42,682
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.
Jefferson’s academic identity is unmistakably professional and health-sciences dominant. The university offers 160 undergraduate and graduate programs, with a sharp focus on in-demand fields like architecture, nursing, life sciences, pharmaceuticals, design, engineering, and medicine. The most popular majors are telling: Nursing leads with 232 graduates, followed by Health Service Preparatory Studies (160), and Family Practice and Pediatric Nursing (110). This isn’t a school for the undecided humanities student; it’s for those with a clear career trajectory.
The structure supports this focus. The student-faculty ratio is 12:1, and 61.2% of classes have fewer than 20 students, allowing for the hands-on, project-based learning that defines the Jefferson experience. The university recently strengthened its academic identity by launching three new colleges, a move designed to celebrate the unique strengths of its programs while creating more opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration. The ethos is "forward-thinking by design," encouraging students to explore the intersections between fields—think a fashion student working with a biomedical engineer, or an architect collaborating with a health systems researcher.
Life at Jefferson is characterized by a commuter-school vibe with a strong undercurrent of professional community. Only 29% of students live in college-owned, -operated, or -affiliated housing, meaning 71% live off-campus. This creates a campus culture that is active during the day but can thin out in the evenings, placing a premium on the university's efforts to foster engagement. The Office of Student Life & Engagement works to build a "welcoming and supportive academic environment" through activities and organizations.
Living on campus is marketed as joining a "vibrant, supportive student community with easy access to classes, resources and events." The location in Philadelphia provides endless opportunities for cultural exploration, a major selling point. The student body skews heavily female, with a reported 75% female to 25% male ratio, and the vast majority (89%) are full-time students, deeply immersed in their programs. The atmosphere is less about rah-rah school spirit and more about collaboration among future professionals; it's a place where your classmates are also your future colleagues and network.
This is where Jefferson’s model pays off. The university boasts a strong record of placing graduates directly into careers. Jefferson graduates regularly achieve at least a 95% success rate in finding work or entering graduate school in their fields within a year of graduation. The Wall Street Journal ranked Jefferson among the top in the nation, with a methodology heavily weighted (70%) on student outcomes.
Federal data supports this success. The median earnings 10 years after entry are robust. The four-year graduation rate is reported at 73%, with a six-year rate of 80%. The first-year retention rate is 82%, indicating students are generally satisfied and persisting. These figures paint a picture of an institution that effectively prepares students for the workforce and sees them through to completion, delivering a strong return on investment.
Jefferson is proactive in offering financial assistance, with 100% of its full-time, first-year undergraduates receiving some form of grant or scholarship aid. The university helps students secure federal, state, institutional, and private funding. The —the minus grants and scholarships—is a key figure for families. Jefferson provides a Net Price Calculator to estimate this individual cost.
The university administers need-based grants and university loans, indicating a financial aid program that considers demonstrated financial need. However, the provided sources do not specify whether Jefferson has a policy of meeting 100% of demonstrated need or a "no-loan" policy where loans are replaced by grants for lower-income families. Prospective students are directed to the Financial Aid Office for detailed counseling and to understand the specific composition of their aid package.
Thomas Jefferson University stands out as a singularly pragmatic and integrated professional university. It’s not trying to be a little Ivy; it’s a pipeline to specific, high-demand careers. Its identity is crystallized in its program mix—nursing, design, health sciences, architecture—and its pedagogical approach, which emphasizes collaboration across these disciplines in a way few universities can match. The recent academic reorganization into distinct colleges is a bet on deepening this specialized strength.
The 95% post-graduation success rate is its most powerful validation, proving the model works. It attracts students who are decisive about their futures and delivers for them with high median earnings and strong graduation rates. The atmosphere is less about campus tradition and more about professional immersion, set against the rich backdrop of Philadelphia. For a student who views college as the first step in a career, not a four-year exploration, Jefferson offers a direct, effective, and well-supported path.
