American poet Maya Angelou once summed up the value of lifelong education, rather succinctly, when she said, “When you know better, you do better.” In Philadelphia and its suburbs, students of all ages—from newly minted high school grads to worker bees trying to make themselves more valuable in the eyes of a current or prospective employer to vibrant seniors simply wanting to learn something new—can acquire everything they’ll need and then some to “do better” as it relates to changing the world and improving their place within it. In the following pages learn why locals of all ages are choosing to enjoy the college experience close to home.
Following are dozens of the top colleges and universities based in the Philadelphia area, from Center City to the suburbs to across the river in New Jersey. The schools are listed alphabetically, with data such to illustrate each school’s on-campus “personality.”
Arcadia University
450 S. Easton Road, Glenside
215-572-2900, Arcadia.edu
Type: Private, 4 year or above
Total enrollment: 3,953
Undergraduate enrollment: 2,211
Undergraduate enrollment by gender: Men - 29.3% | Women - 70.7%
Degrees conferred: Associate’s - 0 | Bachelor’s - 515 | Master’s - 464 | Doctor’s - 60
Tuition and fees: $34,150
Books and supplies: $1,400
On-campus room and board: $11,640
Bryn Athyn College of the New Church
801 Tomlinson Road, Bryn Athyn
267-502-2543, BrynAthyn.edu
Type: Private, 4 year or above
Total enrollment: 244
Undergraduate enrollment: 234
Undergraduate enrollment by gender: Men – 41.0% | Women – 59.0%
Degrees conferred: Associate’s - 24 | Bachelor’s - 20 | Master’s - 5 | Doctor’s - 0
Tuition and fees: $16,074
Books and supplies: $750
On-campus room and board: $8,946
Bryn Mawr College
101 N. Merion Ave., Bryn Mawr
610-526-5000, BrynMawr.edu
Type: Private, 4 year or above
Total enrollment: 1,785
Undergraduate enrollment: 1,313
Undergraduate enrollment by gender: Men – N/A | Women – 100%
Degrees conferred: Associate’s - 0 | Bachelor’s - 319 | Master’s - 111 | Doctor’s - 18
Tuition and fees: $40,824
Books and supplies: $1,000
On-campus room and board: $12,890
Bucks County Community College
275 Swamp Road, Newtown
215-968-8000, Bucks.edu
Type: Public, 2 year
Total enrollment: 10,300
Undergraduate enrollment: 10,300
Undergraduate enrollment by gender: Men – 44.2% | Women -55.8 %
Degrees conferred: Associate’s - 807 | Bachelor’s - 0 | Master’s - 0 | Doctor’s - 0
Tuition and fees: $4,002
Books and supplies: $1,700
On-campus room and board: N/A
Cabrini College
610 King of Prussia Road, Radnor
610-902-8100, Cabrini.edu
Type: Private, 4 year or above
Total enrollment: 3,325
Undergraduate enrollment: 1,400
Undergraduate enrollment by gender: Men – 36.6% | Women – 63.4%
Degrees conferred: Associate’s - 0 | Bachelor’s - 387 | Master’s - 729 | Doctor’s - 0
Tuition and fees: $33,176
Books and supplies: $1,050
On-campus room and board: $11,800
Chestnut Hill College
9601 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia
215-248-7000, CHC.edu
Type: Private, 4 year or above
Total enrollment: 2,309
Undergraduate enrollment: 1,548
Undergraduate enrollment by gender: Men - 28.6 % | Women - 71.4%
Degrees conferred: Associate’s - 1 | Bachelor’s - 306 | Master’s - 205 | Doctor’s - 7
Tuition and fees: $29,200
Books and supplies: $1,000
On-campus room and board: $9,340
Cheyney University of Pennsylvania
1837 University Circle, Cheyney
610-399-2275, Cheyney.edu
Type: Public, 4 year or above
Total enrollment: 1,200
Undergraduate enrollment: 1,141
Undergraduate enrollment by gender: Men - 48% | Women - 52%
Degrees conferred: Associate’s - 0 | Bachelor’s - 155 | Master’s - 41 | Doctor’s - 0
Tuition and fees: $8,404
Books and supplies: $2,000
On-campus room and board: $8,910
Community College of Philadelphia
1700 Spring Garden Street, Philadelphia
215-751-8000, CCP.edu
Type: Public, 2 year
Total enrollment: 19,751
Undergraduate enrollment: 19,751
Undergraduate enrollment by gender: Men – 38.4% | Women – 65.2%
Degrees conferred: Associate’s - 1,600 | Bachelor’s - 0 | Master’s - 0 | Doctor’s - 0
Tuition and fees: $4.620
Books and supplies: $1,150
On-campus room and board: N/A
Curtis Institute of Music
1726 Locust Street, Philadelphia
215-893-5252, Curtis.edu
Type: Private, 4 year or above
Total enrollment: 165
Undergraduate enrollment: 123
Undergraduate enrollment by gender: Men – 52% | Women – 48%
Degrees conferred: Associate’s - 0 | Bachelor’s - 27 | Master’s - 4 | Doctor’s - 0
Tuition and fees: $2,300
Books and supplies: $1,575
On-campus room and board: $12,362
Delaware County Community College
901 S. Media Line Road, Media
610-359-5000, DCCC.edu
Type: Public, 2 year
Total enrollment: 13,248
Undergraduate enrollment: 13,248
Undergraduate enrollment by gender: Men - 43.6% | Women - 56.4%
Degrees conferred: Associate’s - 998 | Bachelor’s - 0 | Master’s - 0 | Doctor’s - 0
Tuition and fees: $4,330
Books and supplies: $2,000
On-campus room and board: N/A
Delaware State University
1200 N. Dupont Highway, Dover, Del.
302-857-6060, Desu.edu
Type: Private, 4 year or above
Total enrollment: 4,154
Undergraduate enrollment: 3,744
Undergraduate enrollment by gender: Men – 37.6% | Women – 62.4%
Degrees conferred: Associate’s - NA | Bachelor’s - 500 | Master’s - 112 | Doctor’s - 5
Tuition and fees: $15,052
Books and supplies: $1,500
On-campus room and board: $11,566
Delaware Valley College
700 E. Butler Ave., Doylestown
215-345-1500, DelVal.edu
Type: Private, 4 year or above
Total enrollment: 2,253
Undergraduate enrollment: 1,983
Undergraduate enrollment by gender: Men – 39.7% | Women – 60.3%
Degrees conferred: Associate’s - 0 | Bachelor’s - 370 | Master’s - 91 | Doctor’s - 0
Tuition and fees: $30,704
Books and supplies: $1,000
On-campus room and board: $10,842
Drexel University
3141 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia
215-895-2000, Drexel.edu
Type: Private, 4 year or above
Total enrollment: 24,860
Undergraduate enrollment: 15,047
Undergraduate enrollment by gender: Men – 53.7% | Women – 46.3%
Degrees conferred: Associate’s - 26 | Bachelor’s – 2,734 | Master’s – 1,869 | Doctor’s - 572
Tuition and fees: $34,505
Books and supplies: $2,000
On-campus room and board: $13,635
Eastern University
1300 Eagle Road, Saint Davids
610-341-5800, Eastern.edu
Type: Private, 4 year or above
Total enrollment: 4,464
Undergraduate enrollment: 2,798
Undergraduate enrollment by gender: Men – 29.7% | Women – 70.3%
Degrees conferred: Associate’s - 96 | Bachelor’s - 517 | Master’s - 446 | Doctor’s - 33
Tuition and fees: $25,850
Books and supplies: $1,200
On-campus room and board: $9,330
Gratz College
7605 Old York Road, Melrose Park
215-635-7300, Gratz.edu
Type: Private, 4 year or above
Total enrollment: 794
Undergraduate enrollment: 96
Undergraduate enrollment by gender: Men - 25% | Women - 75%
Degrees conferred: Associate’s - 0 | Bachelor’s - 5 | Master’s - 278 | Doctor’s - 0
Tuition and fees: $16,050
Books and supplies: $1,000
On-campus room and board: N/A
Gwynedd-Mercy College
1325 Sumneytown Pike, Gwynedd Valley
215-646-7300, GMC.edu
Type: Private, 4 year or above
Total enrollment: 2,710
Undergraduate enrollment: 2,347
Undergraduate enrollment by gender: Men – 24.5% | Women – 75.5%
Degrees conferred: Associate’s - 224 | Bachelor’s - 342 | Master’s - 142 | Doctor’s - 0
Tuition and fees: $27,120
Books and supplies: $1,000
On-campus room and board: $9,968
Harcum College
750 Montgomery Ave., Bryn Mawr
610-525-4100, Harcum.edu
Type: Private, 2 year
Total enrollment: 1,516
Undergraduate enrollment: 1,516
Undergraduate enrollment by gender: Men – 17.8% | Women – 82.2%
Degrees conferred: Associate’s - 311 | Bachelor’s - 0 | Master’s - 0 | Doctor’s - 0
Tuition and fees: $19,880
Books and supplies: $1,500
On-campus room and board: $8,400
Haverford College
370 Lancaster Ave., Haverford
610-896-1000, Haverford.edu
Type: Private, 4 year or above
Total enrollment: 1,198
Undergraduate enrollment: 1,198
Undergraduate enrollment by gender: Men – 46.2% | Women – 53.8%
Degrees conferred: Associate’s - 0 | Bachelor’s - 291 | Master’s - 0 | Doctor’s - 0
Tuition and fees: $42,208
Books and supplies: $1,194
On-campus room and board: $12,842
Holy Family University
9801 Frankford Ave., Philadelphia
215-637-7700, My.HolyFamily.edu
Type: Private, 4 year or above
Total enrollment: 3,184
Undergraduate enrollment: 2,122
Undergraduate enrollment by gender: Men – 26.6% | Women – 73.4%
Degrees conferred: Associate’s - 19 | Bachelor’s - 415 | Master’s - 375 | Doctor’s - 0
Tuition and fees: $24,640
Books and supplies: $1,030
On-campus room and board: $12,094
Hussian School of Art
The Bourse, Philadelphia
215-574-9600, Hussianart.edu
Type: Private, 2 year
Total enrollment: 133
Undergraduate enrollment: 133
Undergraduate enrollment by gender: Men – 55.6% | Women – 44.4%
Degrees conferred: Unavailable
Tuition and fees: $14,550
Books and supplies: $395
On-campus room and board: $9,595
Immaculata University
1145 King Road, Immaculata
610-647-4400, Immaculata.edu
Type: Private, 4 year or above
Total enrollment: 4,306
Undergraduate enrollment: 3,064
Undergraduate enrollment by gender: Men – 22.4% | Women – 77.6%
Degrees conferred: Associate’s - 23 | Bachelor’s - 645 | Master’s - 134 | Doctor’s - 61
Tuition and fees: $28,850
Books and supplies: $1,755
On-campus room and board: $11,460
La Salle University
1900 West Olney Ave., Philadelphia
215-951-1000, LaSalle.edu
Type: Private, 4 year or above
Total enrollment: 6,685
Undergraduate enrollment: 4,543
Undergraduate enrollment by gender: Men – 36.4% | Women – 63.6%
Degrees conferred: Associate’s - 40 | Bachelor’s - 914 | Master’s - 481 | Doctor’s - 17
Tuition and fees: $35,240
Books and supplies: $500
On-campus room and board: $10,920
Lincoln University of Pennsylvania
1570 Baltimore Pike, Lincoln University
484-365-8000, Lincoln.edu
Type: Public, 4 year or above
Total enrollment: 2,240
Undergraduate enrollment: 1,749
Undergraduate enrollment by gender: Men – 41.7% | Women – 58.3%
Degrees conferred: Associate’s - 0 | Bachelor’s - 277 | Master’s - 0 | Doctor’s - 0
Tuition and fees: $9,062
Books and supplies: $1,520
On-campus room and board: $8,536
Manor College
700 Fox Chase Road, Jenkintown
215-885-2360, Manor.edu
Type: Private, 2 year
Total enrollment: 939
Undergraduate enrollment: 939
Undergraduate enrollment by gender: Men – 22.2% | Women – 77.9%
Degrees conferred: Associate’s - 173 | Bachelor’s - 0 | Master’s - 0 | Doctor’s - 0
Tuition and fees: $13,816
Books and supplies: $1,114
On-campus room and board: $5,972
Montgomery County Community College - Central Campus
340 Dekalb Pike, Blue Bell
215-641-6300, MC3.edu
Type: Public, 2 year
Total enrollment: 10,735
Undergraduate enrollment: 10,735
Undergraduate enrollment by gender: Men – 45.6% | Women – 54.4%
Degrees conferred: Associate’s - 1,209 | Bachelor’s - 0 | Master’s - 0 | Doctor’s - 0
Tuition and fees: $3,750
Books and supplies: $1,300
On-campus room and board: N/A
Montgomery County Community College - West Campus
101 College Drive, Pottstown
610-718-1800, MC3.edu
Type: Public, 2 year
Total enrollment: 3,250
Undergraduate enrollment: 3,250
Undergraduate enrollment by gender: Men – 36.5% | Women – 63.5%
Degrees conferred: N/A
Tuition and fees: $3,750
Books and supplies: $1,300
On-campus room and board: N/A
Moore College of Art and Design
20th and the Parkway, Philadelphia
215-568-4515, Moore.edu
Type: Private, 4 year or above
Total enrollment: 526
Undergraduate enrollment: 468
Undergraduate enrollment by gender: Men – 0% | Women – 100%
Degrees conferred: Associate’s - 0 | Bachelor’s - 117 | Master’s - 6 | Doctor’s - 0
Tuition and fees: $31,478
Books and supplies: $2,000
On-campus room and board: $11,823
Neumann University
One Neumann Drive, Aston
610-459-0905, Neumann.edu
Type: Private, 4 year or above
Total enrollment: 3,087
Undergraduate enrollment: 2,617
Undergraduate enrollment by gender: Men – 35.2% | Women – 64.8%
Degrees conferred: Associate’s - 14 | Bachelor’s - 491 | Master’s - 172 | Doctor’s - 24
Tuition and fees: $23,350
Books and supplies: $1,500
On-campus room and board: $10,644
Peirce College
1420 Pine Street, Philadelphia
888-467-3472, Peirce.edu
Type: Private, 4 year or above
Total enrollment: 2,276
Undergraduate enrollment: 2,276
Undergraduate enrollment by gender: Men – 27.9% | Women – 72.1%
Degrees conferred: Associate’s – 154 | Bachelor’s – 279 | Master’s – 0 | Doctor’s - 0
Tuition and fees: $15,900
Books and supplies: $1,500
On-campus room and board: N/A
Pennsylvania State University - Penn State Abington
1600 Woodland Rd, Abington
215-881-7300, PSU.edu
Type: Public, 4 year or above
Total enrollment: 3,425
Undergraduate enrollment: 3,371
Undergraduate enrollment by gender: Men – 51.6% | Women – 48.4%
Degrees conferred: Associate’s - 39 | Bachelor’s - 340 | Master’s - 0 | Doctor’s - 0
Tuition and fees: $13,102
Books and supplies: $1,536
On-campus room and board: $9,432
Pennsylvania State University - Brandywine
25 Yearsley Mill Road, Media
610-892-1200, PSU.edu
Type: Public, 4 year or above
Total enrollment: 1,630
Undergraduate enrollment: 1,628
Undergraduate enrollment by gender: Men - 58.2% | Women - 41.8%
Degrees conferred: Associate’s - 4 | Bachelor’s - 166 | Master’s - 0 | Doctor’s - 0
Tuition and fees: $13,102
Books and supplies: $1,536
On-campus room and board: $9,432
Pennsylvania State University Main Campus
201 Old Main, University Park
814-865-4700, PSU.edu
Type: Public, 4 year or above
Total enrollment: 45,628
Undergraduate enrollment: 38,954
Undergraduate enrollment by gender: Men – 54.2% | Women – 45.9%
Degrees conferred: Associate’s – 133 | Bachelor’s – 11,496 | Master’s – 1,419 | Doctor’s - 718
Tuition and fees: $15,984
Books and supplies: $1,536
On-campus room and board: $9,432
Philadelphia Biblical University - Langhorne
200 Manor Ave., Langhorne
215-752-5800, PBU.edu
Type: Private, 4 year or above
Total enrollment: 1,179
Undergraduate enrollment: 914
Undergraduate enrollment by gender: Men – 46.9% | Women – 53.1%
Degrees conferred: Associate’s - 0 | Bachelor’s - 342 | Master’s - 110 | Doctor’s - 0
Tuition and fees: $20,888
Books and supplies: $1,200
On-campus room and board: $8,275
Philadelphia University
4201 Henry Ave., Philadelphia
215-951-2700, PhilaU.edu
Type: Private, 4 year or above
Total enrollment: 3,579
Undergraduate enrollment: 2,960
Undergraduate enrollment by gender: Men – 34.9% | Women – 65.1%
Degrees conferred: Associate’s - 6 | Bachelor’s - 577 | Master’s - 258 | Doctor’s - 2
Tuition and fees: $30,546
Books and supplies: $1,600
On-campus room and board: $9,834
Princeton University
1 Nassau Hall, Princeton, N.J.
609-258-3000, Princeton.edu
Type: Private, 4 year or above
Total enrollment: 7,813
Undergraduate enrollment: 5,203
Undergraduate enrollment by gender: Men – 50.5% | Women – 49.5%
Degrees conferred: Associate’s - 979 | Bachelor’s - 209 | Master’s - 502 | Doctor’s - 302
Tuition and fees: $37,865
Books and supplies: $1,200
On-campus room and board: $12,069
Rosemont College
1400 Montgomery Ave., Rosemont
610-527-0200, Rosemont.edu
Type: Private, 4 year or above
Total enrollment: 883
Undergraduate enrollment: 519
Undergraduate enrollment by gender: Men – 30.6% | Women – 69.4%
Degrees conferred: Associate’s - 0 | Bachelor’s - 109 | Master’s - 133 | Doctor’s - 0
Tuition and fees: $29,050
Books and supplies: $1,500
On-campus room and board: $11,440
St. Joseph’s University
5600 City Ave., Philadelphia
610-660-1000, SJU.edu
Type: Private, 4 year or above
Total enrollment: 9,011
Undergraduate enrollment: 5,500
Undergraduate enrollment by gender: Men – 47.7% | Women – 52.3%
Degrees conferred: Associate’s - 7 | Bachelor’s - 1,031 | Master’s - 756 | Doctor’s - 12
Tuition and fees: $36,640
Books and supplies: $1,500
On-campus room and board: $12,206
Swarthmore College
500 College Ave., Swarthmore
610-328-8000, Swarthmore.edu
Type: Private, 4 year or above
Total enrollment: 1,545
Undergraduate enrollment: 1,545
Undergraduate enrollment: Men – 48.9% | Women – 51.1%
Degrees conferred: Associate’s - 0 | Bachelor’s - 358 | Master’s - 0 | Doctor’s - 0
Tuition and fees: $41,150
Books and supplies: $1,150
On-campus room and board: $12,100
Temple University
1801 North Broad Street, Philadelphia
215-204-7000, Temple.edu
Type: Public, 4 year or above
Total enrollment: 36,855
Undergraduate enrollment: 27,710
Undergraduate enrollment by gender: Men – 48.5% | Women – 51.5%
Degrees conferred: Associate’s - 2 | Bachelor’s – 5,493 | Master’s – 1,412 | Doctor’s – 1,144
Tuition and fees: $13,596
Books and supplies: $1,000
On-campus room and board: $10,972
Thomas Jefferson University
1020 Walnut Street, Philadelphia
215-955-6000, Jefferson.edu
Type: Private, 4 year or above
Total enrollment: 3,708
Undergraduate enrollment: 993
Undergraduate enrollment by gender: Men – 21.7% | Women – 78.4%
Degrees conferred: Associate’s - 95 | Bachelor’s - 389 | Master’s - 173 | Doctor’s - 320
Tuition and fees: Unavailable
Books and supplies: Unavailable
On-campus room and board: Unavailable
University of Pennsylvania
34th and Spruce Streets, Philadelphia
215-898-5000, UPenn.edu
Type: Private, 4 year or above
Total enrollment: 24,832
Undergraduate enrollment: 11,765
Undergraduate enrollment by gender: Men – 47.6% | Women – 52.4%
Degrees conferred: Associate’s - 3 | Bachelor’s – 2,774 | Master’s – 3,168 | Doctor’s – 1,212
Tuition and fees: $42,098
Books and supplies: $1,160
On-campus room and board: $11,878
University of the Arts
320 South Broad Street, Philadelphia
215-717-6000, UArts.edu
Type: Private, 4 year or above
Total enrollment: 2,246
Undergraduate enrollment: 2,002
Undergraduate enrollment by gender: Men – 43.3% | Women – 56.7%
Degrees conferred: Associate’s – 0 | Bachelor’s - 466 | Master’s - 99 | Doctor’s - 0
Tuition and fees: $33,500
Books and supplies: $3,653
On-campus room and board: $12,300
Ursinus College
601 E. Main Street, Collegeville
610-409-3000, Ursinus.edu
Type: Private, 4 year or above
Total enrollment: 1,776
Undergraduate enrollment: 1,776
Undergraduate enrollment by gender: Men – 46.7% | Women – 53.3%
Degrees conferred: Associate’s - 0 | Bachelor’s - 353 | Master’s - 0 | Doctor’s - 0
Tuition and fees: $41,820
Books and supplies: $1,000
On-campus room and board: $10,300
Valley Forge Christian College
1401 Charlestown Road, Phoenixville
610-935-0450, VFCC.edu
Type: Private, 4 year or above
Total enrollment: 1,128
Undergraduate enrollment: 1,101
Undergraduate enrollment by gender: Men - 48% | Women - 52%
Degrees conferred: Associate’s - 9 | Bachelor’s - 125 | Master’s - 1 | Doctor’s - 0
Tuition and fees: $17,377
Books and supplies: $1,198
On-campus room and board: $7,436
Valley Forge Military College
1001 Eagle Road, Wayne
610-989-1450, VFMAC.edu
Type: Private, 2 year
Total enrollment: 294
Undergraduate enrollment: 294
Undergraduate enrollment by gender: Men – 87.4% | Women – 12.6%
Degrees conferred: Associate’s - 53 | Bachelor’s - 0 | Master’s - 0 | Doctor’s - 0
Tuition and fees: $25,360
Books and supplies: $900
On-campus room and board: $10,610
Villanova University
800 Lancaster Avenue, Villanova
610-519-4500, Villanova.edu
Type: Private, 4 year or above
Total enrollment: 10,661
Undergraduate enrollment: 7,111
Undergraduate enrollment by gender: Men – 49.4% | Women – 50.6%
Degrees conferred: Associate’s - 1 | Bachelor’s - 1,958 | Master’s - 763 | Doctor’s - 237
Tuition and fees: $41,110
Books and supplies: $950
On-campus room and board: $10,960
West Chester University of Pennsylvania
University Avenue and High Street, West Chester
610-436-1000, WCUPA.edu
Type: Public, 4 year or above
Total enrollment: 15,100
Undergraduate enrollment: 12,834
Undergraduate enrollment by gender: Men – 41.2% | Women – 58.8%
Degrees conferred: Associate’s - 0 | Bachelor’s - 2,419 | Master’s - 631 | Doctor’s - 1
Tuition and fees: $8,274
Books and supplies: $1,464
On-campus room and board: $7,784
Widener University
One University Place, Chester
610-499-4000, Widener.edu
Type: Private, 4 year or above
Total enrollment: 4,748
Undergraduate enrollment: 3,186
Undergraduate enrollment by gender: Men – 45.3% | Women – 54.7%
Degrees conferred: Associate’s - 13 | Bachelor’s - 614 | Master’s - 325 | Doctor’s - 132
Tuition and fees: $34,762
Books and supplies: $1,200
On-campus room and board: $12,524
Sources: National Center for Education Statistics, Pennsylvania Department of Education, college/university websites
Editor’s notes: Tuition and fees data are for the 2011-2012 school year for full-time, first-time undergraduates; degrees conferred data are for the most recent academic year available; and enrollment data are as of fall 2011. Suburban Life has used its best efforts to compile this information for this list but does not guarantee that the information provided is complete or accurate.
Sidebar: Shifting Values
From 2001-02 to 2011-12, tuition and fees at public four-year colleges and universities increased at an average rate of 5.6 percent per year beyond the rate of general inflation, according to the College Board, which has regional offices in Bala Cynwyd.
These higher higher-education costs have pushed some graduating high school seniors to reconsider the value of a bachelor’s degree vs. the value of work that might require vocational education and teach them job-specific skills. At the same time, however, colleges and universities have gone out of their way to ensure the sustained value of a college education in terms of imparting knowledge that will better prepare them for the workplace, as well as through travel-abroad offerings and other cultural opportunities to enrich and inspire.
The Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange reported that more than a quarter-million American students studied abroad for credit during the academic year 2008-09. That year, more than 60 percent of Americans studying abroad went to Europe, 15 percent to Latin America and only 7 percent to Asia, but nontraditional destinations are increasing in popularity. In recent years, 14 of the top 25 destinations have been outside Europe, and 19 out of 25 were destinations where English is not a primary language, according to the New York-based Institute of International Education Inc.
Glenside-based Arcadia University, for example, offers opportunities to study in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Turkey, to name a few. Although most study-abroad students head overseas for relatively short periods of time—eight weeks or less, in most cases—the memories and the experience tend to last a lifetime. —Bill Donahue
Sidebar: Back for More
Once the glory years of college have come to an abrupt end, graduates must make the decision to either continue their education or enter the so-called “real world.” The real world, however, hasn’t looked so sunny of late.
The slow-to-rebound U.S. economy has nudged many college-aged students unable to find jobs in their respective areas of study to stay in school—or, for working adults, to go back—in the pursuit of a master’s or doctorate. Miriam Wright, director of enrollment management for the University of Pennsylvania’s College of Liberal and Professional Studies, has seen this pattern firsthand among the applications she has reviewed at Penn.
“People are coming back [to school] for career enhancement, to bring knowledge back to the company,” she says. “Some people are feeling if they enhance their skills while they have a job, they might have more skills to protect their job.”
This is a little different from the sentiments she recalls from applicant essays a few years ago, which detailed desires of refining and enhancing old skills or even acquiring new ones in the face of unemployment. According to Wright, the attitude was, “If I can’t have a job, I might as well enhance my skills.”
The influx of older applicants has contributed to the general increase in the number of applicants. The Masters of Applied Psychology program at Penn, which is one of the school’s more popular programs, saw an applicant-pool increase of 48 percent from 2009 to 2012. The school is not planning to expand the amount of enrollment spots available in the program, however, meaning higher admission standards have made the selectivity more competitive.
With more applicants having full-time jobs in which they work 50 hours a week or more, many universities have catered to this dual lifestyle, with more evening and online courses. Since 1987, the number of people age 40 and older heading off to grad school has doubled, according to the Council of Graduate Schools. Such growth is understandable, considering the potential windfall. A recent CGS study of 15 fields suggests that employers with a graduate degree earn an average of 38.3 percent more than those with a bachelor’s degree in the same field. —Jocelyn Murray
