DeSales University was founded in 1965 by the Oblates of St. Francis DeSales, a Catholic religious order. The University opened its doors with just over 200 students enrolled in the first year. Its original campus was located in Center Valley, Pennsylvania and offered three degree programs: Business Administration, Education, and Arts & Sciences. As the university continued to grow, it added additional degree programs and began offering graduate degrees in 1988.
In 1992, the university received accreditation from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and began to expand its academic offerings at both undergraduate and graduate levels. In addition to adding new majors, DeSales also began offering a variety of non-traditional courses such as online courses, evening classes, and distance learning opportunities for students who needed more flexible schedules. As part of its commitment to providing quality education for all students regardless of background or financial means, DeSales began offering need-based aid as well as merit-based scholarships in 1996.
In recent years, DeSales has seen a steady increase in enrollment as more students recognize its commitment to providing quality education with small class sizes and individualized attention from faculty members. In 2016 alone, enrollment increased by nearly 11% with over 3200 undergraduate students attending classes on campus and online. The university now offers more than 40 undergraduate majors across six schools including business administration; arts & sciences; health sciences; computer science; communication & media studies; and education & human services. The graduate school also offers a variety of degree programs ranging from business administration to counseling psychology to health care management.
DeSales University, as one of the top colleges ranked by major educational institutions, has impressed us by its high selectivity and student friendly application process during admissions. The following tables detail 2018 class profile, including total applications received, average high school GPA, SAT scores/ACT scores, and acceptance rates of DeSales University. To learn more about GPA, SAT and ACT scores information, please follow the links below. If you want to find even more about DeSales University, such as tuition fees and scholarships, you can click the link after tables to visit the school’s official website.
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University acronym: https://www.abbreviationfinder.org/acronyms/dsu_desales-university.html
Admissions Stats
DeSales University is a private university located in Center Valley, Pennsylvania. The university has an enrollment of over 3,000 students and offers a variety of undergraduate and graduate degree programs. The university’s acceptance rate is 81%, making it an accessible school for many prospective students. In terms of the student body, the majority are from Pennsylvania, but there are also significant populations from New Jersey and Maryland. The student to faculty ratio is 13:1, providing students with plenty of personalized attention from their instructors. Students have the opportunity to participate in numerous clubs and organizations on campus as well as study abroad programs that can enhance their educational experience. The average SAT score for incoming freshmen is 1138 and the average ACT score is 25, indicating that most students have already achieved academic success prior to entering DeSales University.
Fall 2022 Selectivity
| Selectivity | selective |
| Fall 2022 acceptance rate | 74% |
| Early decision acceptance rate | N/A |
| Early action acceptance rate | N/A |
| Acceptance rate (excluding early action and early decision students) | 74% |
Fall 2022 Applications, Acceptances & Enrollments
| Applicants | 2,158 |
| Female applicants | 1,306 |
| Male applicants | 852 |
| Applicants accepted | 1,591 |
| Female applicants accepted | 936 |
| Male applicants accepted | 655 |
| Freshman enrollment | 427 |
| Female freshman enrollment | 241 |
| Male freshman enrollment | 186 |
| Early decision applicants | N/A |
| Early decision applicants accepted | N/A |
| Early decision applicants enrolled | N/A |
| Early action applicants | N/A |
| Early action applicants accepted | N/A |
| Early action applicants enrolled | N/A |
| Total enrolled incoming freshmen who were accepted under early acceptance or early action | N/A |
Fall 2022 Wait List
| School has a wait list | No |
| Applicants placed on wait list | N/A |
| Students accepting place on wait list | N/A |
| Students accepted from wait list | N/A |
Fall 2022 High School Rank
| Freshman students submitting high school class standing | 54% |
Fall 2022 High School GPA
| Freshman students submitting high school GPA | N/A |
| Average high school GPA | N/A |
| High school GPA 25th-75th percentile range | N/A |
Fall 2022 Freshman SAT Scores
| Freshman students submitting SAT scores | 85% |
| SAT Critical Reading average score | 540 |
| SAT Critical Reading 25th-75th percentile range | 480-590 |
| SAT Math average score | 544 |
| SAT Math 25th-75th percentile range: | 490-590 |
| SAT Writing average score | N/A |
| SAT Writing 25th-75th percentile range | N/A |
| SAT Essay 25th-75th percentile range | N/A |
Fall 2022 Freshman ACT Scores
| Freshman students submitting ACT scores | 19% |
| Average ACT Composite score | 22 |
| ACT Composite 25th-75th percentile range | 19-24 |
| ACT English 25th-75th percentile range | 19-24 |
| ACT Math 25th-75th percentile range | 18-24 |