Arcadia Unversity

! Arcadia University Founded in 1853 in Beaver, Pennsylvania as the Beaver Female Seminary, Arcadia University has been on its current campus in Glenside, a suburb that is 10 miles north of Philadelphia, since 1925. At that time, the school, then called Beaver College, was all- female and would remain so until 1972. In that same year the college also became a more comprehensive institution, offering graduate degrees for the first time. In 2001, Beaver College was granted university status by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and was renamed Arcadia University. Today Arcadia has approximately 4,000 students, including approximately 2,500 undergraduates. It is the smallest secular private university in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. Arcadia is also nearly 70 percent female, according to data supplied by the university to US News. Arcadia is a moderately selective school, perhaps because of several unique degree programs, especially in education, the sciences and the health professions. Nearly 60 percent of the students who applied to join the freshman class that entered in 2014 were offered admission. The entering class had just under 1,200 students. The middle 50 percent of the class that submitted SAT scores scored between 1000 and 1200 (out of 1600) on the Critical Reading and Math sections of the test. The middle 50 percent for the ACT was between 22 and 27. Just over 60 percent of the undergraduate student body comes from Pennsylvania. Neighboring states including Maryland, New Jersey and New York are also well represented. Given Arcadia’s location and academic offerings—the university’s attractions are in business, communications, international studies and the health sciences—it is likely to be cross-shopped against other Philadelphia-area colleges as well as any state university in Pennsylvania. It will also be cross-shopped versus other Pennsylvania schools that offer an accelerated degree pathway in a physical therapy or physician’s assistant program. The smaller schools closest to Arcadia that offer the program in physical therapy are Neumann University (in Aston close to Arcadia’s campus) , the University of the Sciences (in downtown Philadelphia) and Widener University (in Chester, near Wilmington, Delaware). Philadelphia University is the closest small college that offers the accelerated physician’s assistant program. The most similar school to Arcadia within Pennsylvania, in terms of academic offerings and undergraduate student body size, is probably Misericordia University located outside of Scranton. Arcadia’s most recently reported freshman retention rate was 85 percent for the class that entered in 2013. Approximately half of the class that entered in 2009 graduated within four years (75 percent returned for their sophomore year according to College Results Online), although the university also offers accelerated and assured admissions programs into their graduate degrees. The most recently reported five-year graduation ! rate was 57 percent; the most recent six-year rate was just under 60 percent. These numbers do show that the transfer-out rate is significant. Costs Arcadia will charge approximately $41,000 in tuition and fees in 2016-17 as well as an additional $13,500 for an average room and board plan. Additional fees may be assessed, but they are fairly low. The parking fee, for example, for students who are permitted to park cars on campus, is only $80 for a year. Arcadia offers some very generous scholarships, including a limited number of full-tuition awards as well awards for high-achieving transfer students. The second-largest award, the Distinguished Scholarship, makes Arcadia price-competitive with Pennsylvania public universities. An applicant who would fall in the middle of the admit pool at either Penn State or Pitt could qualify for this award. The university reports on its Web site that 80 percent of an entering class receives scholarship assistance. While Arcadia did not report student loan indebtedness information to either the College Board or the Project on Student Debt, it did report (to the Project on Student Debt) that 88 percent of the graduates in the Class of 2014 needed to take out student loans to help them to cover the cost of their degree. The university also reported that nearly one- third of the class had qualified for Federal Pell Grants to help reduce their college costs. These graduates might have also qualified for grants through the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Authority to further reduce their costs. However, given the difference between the freshman retention rate (which is improving) and the four-year graduation rate (which is not) it is fair to ask if cost increases are a reason why students have left before they completed a degree. Tuition and fees at most colleges rise by more than increases in merit-based and need-based scholarship aid. Arcadia reported an endowment of approximately $67 million in FY 2015, according to the National Association of College and University Business Officers. It was significantly larger than the endowment of Misericordia University ($44 million), the most comparable institution. Curriculum Arcadia allows entering freshmen to begin their education either on the Glenside campus or abroad in London, England or Sterling, Scotland. The university also offers an optional Preview study abroad between the first and second semesters of the freshman year in several locations around the world. More than half of a freshman class participates in Preview; students in the honors program even receive a discount that encourages their participation. ! Arcadia’s general education requirements are much like other small private colleges. The university stands out for not only encouraging study abroad, but also study away with partner schools in the US as well as through experiential learning. Everyone must complete a two-semester capstone experience in their senior year; the requirements are set by the academic departments. The university’s location is a major plus for students seeking internships, even if they do not have access to a car. Glenside is served by SEPTA rail service directly into Philadelphia; the station is within easy walking distance of campus. The campus is also close to the Pennsylvania Turnpike for those who have cars. Arcadia requires all students to complete a year of foreign language at college level, though it is possible to place out of it. There are, however, 11 languages offered by the university, including several that are less likely to be part of a high school curriculum: Arabic, Chinese, American Sign Language, Hebrew, Japanese and Russian. It is worthwhile for students who are interested in International Affairs or International Business to learn a new language if they believe that they have mastered their high school language. Arcadia is uniquely organized with a College of Global Studies separated from its College of Arts and Sciences as well as a School of Global Business instead of a traditional “college of business.” The Health Science programs are all graduate degrees though there is an opportunity to pursue a degree in Healthcare Administration through the business school as well as pre-health advising that helps undergraduates to qualify for admission to the graduate health science programs. Arcadia also has an assured admission to its master’s program for physicians assistants for students who qualify based on their grades in the science, their overall grade point average and recommendations. Applicants must also meet or exceed a minimum score on the GRE and have at least 200 hours of medically related experience, either paid or volunteer. Unlike most undergraduate-to-graduate transitions to a physician’s assistant program, Arcadia admits freshmen to the university and they earn their way into the graduate degree with their academic performance and experience. They are not assured admission to the graduate degree before they begin their freshman year as they might be at other schools. The same applies to the Physical Therapy program. The College of Global Studies runs Arcadia’s study abroad programs; this is the only university in the US that has elevated study abroad to co-equal stature with degree- granting schools. According to the university, this college serves over 3,000 students from more than 300 colleges around the world. The 2015 Open Doors report published by the Institute of International Education ranked Arcadia University first in the nation in undergraduate students participating in study abroad. As one example, the Global Media program, which offers several concentrations in communications, requires a year of study abroad, a unique program for any college that offers these degrees. ! The School of Global Business offers, among other programs, a blended major called International Business and Culture than combines business, liberal arts and foreign language and international study. This degree can be completed in three or four years and is an attractive option for students who are divided between business and international relations as courses of study. Also unique is an option to pursue a BA or BS in Accounting. However, while Arcadia’s business school is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), it is not accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). The latter is more recognized by corporate recruiters who seek entry-level talent. Arcadia also offers attractive options for students who are interested in education. The university’s School of Education grants a Bachelor of Arts in Early Elementary Education (PreK-4th grade); Dual Certification for PreK-4th grade and Special Education, PreK-8th grade; Dual Certification for Secondary Education and Special Education, and several 3+2 options for students to earn the Bachelors and Masters degrees within five years. The school also offers an Education Studies minor than can be combined with most other majors offered by the university. Arcadia awarded about a quarter of its degrees for the Class of 2014 in the Social Sciences according to College Results Online.

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