Susquehanna University's Student Population: An Overview

Susquehanna University is a private liberal arts college in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, founded in 1858. The university has a total undergraduate enrollment of over 2,100 students, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 12:1 or 13:1. The campus spans 325 acres and includes more than 50 buildings, most of which are in the style of Georgian architecture. The university offers more than 100 majors, minors, and programs and is classified among Baccalaureate Colleges: Arts & Sciences Focus.

Susquehanna University's undergraduate enrollment

Susquehanna University, a private liberal arts college in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania, has an undergraduate enrollment of over 2,100 students. The university's website states that it enrolls more than 2,200 undergraduate students from 33 states and 23 countries, while other sources give a figure of 2,185 for the total undergraduate enrollment as of Fall 2023.

The student body is predominantly white (76.4%), with Hispanic or Latino students making up the second-largest demographic (6.41%). The student-to-faculty ratio is given as 12:1 or 13:1 by different sources. The university offers 63 bachelor's degrees and has an average graduation rate of 74%.

The university's acceptance rate

Susquehanna University is a private liberal arts college in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania. The university has a total undergraduate enrollment of 2,185 as of Fall 2023. The university received 6,375 undergraduate applications in 2022, out of which 4,889 students were accepted, representing an acceptance rate of 76.7%. This was a slight increase from the acceptance rate of 76.6% in 2021. The university offers 63 bachelor's degrees and has an average graduation rate of 74%. The student-faculty ratio at Susquehanna University is 12:1, with 90% of full-time faculty holding a doctorate or highest equivalent degree.

The university is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and is classified among "Baccalaureate Colleges: Arts & Sciences Focus". Susquehanna University has four schools—the School of the Arts, School of Humanities, School of Natural and Social Sciences, and the Sigmund Weis School of Business. The university offers more than 100 majors, minors, and programs and allows students to design their own major, complete a double degree, or start undeclared. Susquehanna University also offers pre-professional programs in pre-law, pre-veterinary medicine, and teaching, and coordinates with other universities for allied health, dentistry, and engineering programs.

Tuition and fees

Susquehanna University is a private institution with a total undergraduate enrollment of 2,185 students as of Fall 2023. The tuition and fees for Susquehanna University are detailed below:

The tuition and fees for the 2024-25 academic year are $59,850. This figure includes both tuition and fees, otherwise known as the sticker price. The sticker price is the cost of attendance before any financial aid awards. The total cost, which includes the sticker price, food and housing, books and supplies, and transportation and personal expenses, is $76,000. The net price is the average cost of the university after aid and scholarship funds are discounted from the total cost, which is $32,360 for the average student receiving need-based aid.

The tuition per credit hour for part-time students is $1,870. Students who take fewer than 12 semester hours in a semester are billed a per-semester hour instead of the full tuition. Students who choose a single room are charged $10,810 annually ($5,405 per semester). Music lessons are available for $425 per semester (30 minutes per week), and the cost per credit hour for teacher interns or masters (fall/spring) is $635.

The comprehensive student fee is mandatory for all full-time enrolled students and supports non-academic student services such as student activities, student well-being and care services, community transportation programs, environmental services, the fitness centre, career counselling, technology services, and other services and amenities offered by the university. This fee is billed each semester (half in the fall and half in the spring).

Other fees may be charged for individual courses. For example, students pay an additional $425 per semester for individual music lessons (30 minutes per week) that are not required to complete their degree.

The university also offers a net price calculator on its website to help students estimate the cost of attendance.

Student demographics

Susquehanna University is a private liberal arts college located in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania. The university has a total undergraduate enrollment of 2,185 (as of Fall 2023), with a student-to-faculty ratio of 12:1 or 13:1. The university is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

The student body at Susquehanna University is predominantly white (76.4%), with Hispanic or Latino students forming the second-largest demographic (6.41%). Black or African American students make up 5.96% of the student population, while 2.64% identify as having two or more races. Asian students account for 1.61% of the student body, while Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islanders and American Indian or Alaska Native students each represent less than 1% of the student population.

The university enrolls students from 33 states and 23 countries, with a high retention rate of 86% for full-time students. The average starting salary for Susquehanna graduates is $53,053, while alumni starting salaries can be as high as $81,585.

Susquehanna University offers more than 100 majors, minors, and programs, with popular choices including Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services; Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs; and Biological and Biomedical Sciences. The university also offers pre-professional programs in pre-law, pre-veterinary medicine, and teaching.

With nearly 160 student organizations, Susquehanna University provides a range of extracurricular opportunities for students to get involved. The university is also home to 11 Greek Life organizations, including four NPC sororities and six fraternities.

The university's ranking

Susquehanna University is a private institution that was founded in 1858. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 2,185 (as of Fall 2023), and the campus size is 325 acres. The university offers 63 bachelor's degrees and has an average graduation rate of 74%. Susquehanna University's ranking in the 2025 edition of Best Colleges is National Liberal Arts Colleges, #103. Its tuition and fees are $59,850.

Susquehanna University continues its ascent in the U.S. News & World Report Best Colleges ranking, ascending four places to No. 103. The rankings evaluate 1,500 of more than 3,000 of the nation's colleges and universities using up to 19 measures of academic quality. More than half of a school's rank is made up of outcome measures related to how successful an institution is at enrolling and graduating students from different backgrounds with manageable debt and post-graduation success. Susquehanna University is steadily climbing in annual rankings from The Wall Street Journal to Forbes, that measure the nation's top colleges and their success in delivering outstanding educational, financial, and career outcomes for their students.

The WSJ/College Pulse 2025 Best Colleges in the U.S. rankings begin with a list of over 3,000 U.S. institutions, narrowing down to the top 500 schools. Susquehanna ranks within the top 40% of these, coming in at No.189—a leap of more than 80 spots above its 2024 ranking. Within Pennsylvania, Susquehanna holds the No.18 spot among the colleges and universities. Nationally, it ranks in the top half for both best salaries, which assess the impact of a school's education on graduate earnings relative to tuition costs, and student experience. Additionally, Susquehanna is also ranked No. 221 for social mobility, nationally recognizing its role in advancing students' socio-economic status.

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