Saint Joseph’s University is a private Jesuit Catholic university located in the suburbs of metropolitan Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1851, just one block from Philadelphia’s Independence Hall. Since its inception, Saint Joseph’s has expanded extensively, including offering convenient distance education through Saint Joseph's University Online.
Rooted in the liberal arts, Saint Joseph’s University strives to educate and care for the whole person. Its programming encourages and models a lifelong commitment to critical thinking, making ethical decisions, pursuing social justice, and finding God in all of life. The school’s academics are rigorous and student-centered and promote personal excellence, professional success, and engaged citizenship. Overall, Saint Joseph’s University hopes students will grow ethically and spiritually by living their own values in the larger society beyond campus.
Saint Joseph's University aims to expand the minds of its students through its rigorous Jesuit education. Its Lower Merion Township campus houses a number of independent academic centers, including its most prominent, the Kinney Center for Autism Education and Support.
Online degree programs at the undergraduate and graduate level give students the critical thinking and organizational skills needed for today's workplace.
Saint Joseph’s cultivates a vibrant, dynamic campus community and promotes a mutually supportive, inclusive, humane, and tolerant environment. Their academic, social, and athletic programs are designed to support students and faculty living ethical and spiritual lives. At Saint Joseph’s, students explore and connect to the common good. Students learn about social justice and utilize curricular and co-curricular programs to explore domestic and international social concerns. Students hopefully graduate from their programs ready to live lives as informed citizens and engaged community members.
Only five percent of the business schools in the United States (and a handful of business schools internationally) have the same highly selective accreditation that Saint Joseph’s business school has. The Haub School of Business is therefore in an elite category of the best business schools.
Saint Joseph’s has extension programs in universities throughout the world. This, along with an array of study abroad options, presents opportunities for students to explore and engage with their global community.
Located in Montgomery County just outside of Philadelphia on 114 acres, students get to experience both suburban and urban living and lifestyle. Philadelphia has much to offer by way of culture, dining, history, and opportunity.
Saint Joseph’s has sports for men and women, from baseball to basketball to tennis to lacrosse. Named the SJU Hawks (the school’s mascot), Saint Joseph’s teams compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
Saint Joseph’s University’s Ranking
In 2017, U.S. News ranked Saint Joseph’s University #11 (tie) in Regional Universities North and #94 (tie) in Business Programs. Within Business Programs, it was ranked #1 (tie) in Insurance, #8 (tie) in Marketing, and #10 (tie) in Accounting.
U.S. News ranked Saint Joseph’s University’s online programs as the following (all ties):
- #45 in Best Online Graduate Business Programs (Excluding MBA)
- #91 in Best Online MBA Programs
- #92 in Best Online Bachelor’s Programs
- #98 in Best Online Graduate Education Programs
Admissions into Saint Joseph’s University
Admissions into Saint Joseph’s University is divided primarily between undergraduate and graduate requirements.
Undergraduate applicants must submit the following:
- An application
- An application fee of $50
- An official high school transcript
- A letter of recommendation
- An essay
Undergraduate applicants have the option to submit their SAT and ACT scores, but neither is required. Saint Joseph’s University has a rolling application deadline, but priority is given to students who submit theirs during the fall before they plan to attend, by November 15th. Transfer applicants need to submit transcripts and course descriptions from other colleges and universities they’ve attended.
Graduate applicants in liberal arts and sciences must follow application guidelines for their particular program. However, there are some general materials Graduate applicants must submit:
- A graduate application
- Official transcripts of undergraduate and graduate coursework
- A personal statement
- GPAs from undergraduate and graduate work
- Two letters of recommendation
- A resume
- A $35 application fee
- Any additional documents required by your program
Graduate applicants have a rolling application deadline. However, the Ed.D. in Educational Leadership, MS Computer Science, and MS Psychology programs all have distinct deadlines. Applicants for graduate business school programs must follow application instructions specific to their major.
Undergraduate and graduate international applicants may need to submit TOEFL scores, a student visa, and evidence of sufficient funds for tuition.
U.S. News & World Report says that Saint Joseph’s University’s fall 2016 acceptance rate was 78 percent. U.S. News rates the school as “selective.”
Enrollment & Attendance at Saint Joseph’s
In fall 2015, Saint Joseph’s University had 8,625 students enrolled. Of those students, 5,391 were enrolled in undergraduate programs, and 3,234 were enrolled in graduate programs. SJU accepts transfer credits, and 143 of its enrolled students were transfer students.
That same semester and year, 86 percent of Saint Joseph’s University’s undergraduate students attended school full time. Fourteen percent attended part time. Ninety-two percent of undergraduate students were aged 24 or younger. The slight majority (55 percent) were female. Just two percent of undergraduate students were enrolled entirely in distance, or online, education.
Makeup of the Student Body
In fall 2015, eighty-three percent of Saint Joseph’s University’s graduate students attended school part time. Just 17 percent of graduate students attended full time. Fifty-three percent of graduate students were enrolled entirely in distance education.
Undergraduate and graduate students who pursue 12 credits per semester (24 per academic year) are considered full time; students who pursue 6 credits per semester are considered part time.
Retention & Graduation Numbers for Saint Joseph’s University
The overall retention rate for first-time undergraduate students at Saint Joseph’s University was 90 percent for full time students and 60 percent for part time students. These figures were for students who started in fall 2014 and returned in fall 2015. The overall graduation rate for first-time undergraduate students who started in fall 2009 was 79 percent. Slightly more students took six to eight years to earn their degrees than did students who took four.
In the 2015-2016 school year, Saint Joseph’s University conferred 1,184 bachelors degrees and 1,232 masters degrees.
Programs at Saint Joseph’s University & Saint Joseph's University Online
Saint Joseph’s University offers a full range of liberal arts programs. Its most popular programs for bachelors degree students are finance, accounting, marketing, marketing operations, and speech communication. Its most popular masters degree programs are management science; educational, instructional, and curriculum supervision; special education; healthcare administration and management; and criminology. All of these most popular masters’ degree programs are offered online.
Faculty at Saint Joseph’s University
The student to faculty ratio at Saint Joseph’s University is 13 to 1. Thirty-one percent of its classes have fewer than 20 students. Sixty-eight percent of its classes have 20 to 49 students. There are nearly the same number of male faculty as there are female faculty, with male faculty being the slight majority.
Saint Joseph’s University’s Accreditation Status
Saint Joseph’s University is regionally accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. Regional accreditation is a nationally recognized credential and the highest level of accreditation a traditional college or university can obtain. Saint Joseph’s University has been accredited since 1922, without exception.
Several specific programs at Saint Joseph’s University have additional accreditation. Saint Joseph’s University’s Erivan K. Haub School of Business, for example, is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). Students can check with their programs to determine if they too have additional accreditation.
Tuition and Financial Aid at Saint Joseph’s University
In the 2016-2017 school year, tuition to pursue a bachelors degree at Saint Joseph’s University’s was $43,020 per academic year. Books and fees cost students an additional estimated $825.00. Graduate student tuition, meanwhile, was $16,092 per academic year. Tuition for online graduate programs was $750.00 per credit.
Ninety percent of all undergraduate students (4,871 students) at Saint Joseph’s University received grant or scholarship aid in 2014-2015. Of those students, 712 received Pell grants. Forty-one percent of all undergraduate students (2,274 students) received federal student loans. Saint Joseph’s University made institutional grants and scholarships available to 100 percent of its first-year undergraduate students.
To apply for student aid, students must submit a FAFSA and complete other paperwork. Saint Joseph’s University’s federal school code for applying for aid is 003367.
Source: nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?id=215770
