Cedar Crest College

What is the history of Cedar Crest College?

Cedar Crest College is a private college in Allentown, Pennsylvania, founded in 1867 to expand educational opportunities for women. Its history remains central to its identity: traditional undergraduate education continues to emphasize women's leadership, while the college also offers programs for adult and graduate students.

The institution began as Allentown Female College and later adopted the Cedar Crest name. Over time, it expanded beyond its original liberal arts curriculum to include professional fields such as nursing, health sciences, education, and business. Its current mix of traditional undergraduate, adult, and graduate programs reflects that development rather than a single, uniform student experience.

What are the faculties and departments at Cedar Crest College?

Cedar Crest offers liberal arts, science, and professional programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Students can explore fields including biology, psychology, education, business, nursing, public health, and the arts.

The School of Adult and Graduate Education, often called SAGE, is an important part of the college's academic structure. Applicants should distinguish its schedules and admission procedures from those for traditional first-year undergraduates. Nursing and other health-related programs may also have clinical placements, prerequisite courses, or separate progression standards beyond general college admission.

For a prospective student, the useful comparison is not just whether a major appears in a program directory. It is whether the credential, course schedule, required placements, and professional preparation match the student's intended path.

What is the location of Cedar Crest College?

Cedar Crest College is located at 100 College Drive in Allentown, in eastern Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley. Its campus provides a defined college setting within a metropolitan area rather than a remote residential setting.

Allentown and the surrounding Lehigh Valley offer potential sites for clinical experiences, internships, and part-time work, although access to any particular placement depends on the program and employer. Commuting is a significant part of campus life: institutional figures indicate that about 64% of students commute. Students planning a commute should account for travel time as well as class schedules, particularly if a program requires evening courses or off-campus placements.

Lehigh Valley International Airport serves the region. Students traveling farther afield should compare its routes with ground transportation and larger regional airports rather than assume a direct flight will be available.

What is the mission and vision of Cedar Crest College?

Cedar Crest's stated educational purpose centers on academic learning, leadership, and opportunities for women. That mission helps explain the college's longstanding women-centered traditional undergraduate identity and its emphasis on preparing students for professional and community roles.

Its adult and graduate offerings serve a broader applicant population. Prospective students should therefore check the eligibility and format of the specific program they want, rather than assume that every Cedar Crest program has the same admissions population or campus experience. The mission describes the college's priorities; it is not, by itself, evidence of a particular academic or career outcome.