
Saint Joseph's University is institutionally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Institutional accreditation evaluates the university as a whole; it is distinct from accreditation or approval that may apply to an individual business, pharmacy, nursing, or other professional program.
Accreditation is relevant to federal financial-aid eligibility and can matter when students seek to transfer credits or pursue further study. It does not, by itself, guarantee that another college will accept a particular course. Applicants to licensed professions should separately verify their specific program's current accreditation or approval and the requirements of the state where they intend to practice. Those checks are especially important across programs incorporated through the university's mergers.
First-year applicants generally apply to Saint Joseph's with a completed application, secondary-school record, and information about their academic preparation. A high school diploma or recognized equivalent is expected before enrollment. Recommendations are part of the university's reported admissions requirements, while class rank and completion of a college-preparatory curriculum are considered rather than universally required.
Saint Joseph's reports that SAT and ACT scores are considered but not required for general first-year admission. In its reported entering class, 21% submitted SAT scores and 2% submitted ACT scores; the median scores among submitters therefore do not describe the entire class. Applicants should check whether their chosen program or scholarship has a separate testing, prerequisite, interview, or deadline rule. International applicants may also need to document English-language proficiency, including through TOEFL where applicable.
Admission is not open enrollment. In the reported admissions cycle, the university admitted 9,443 of 10,631 first-year applicants, an acceptance rate of about 89%. That institution-wide figure does not establish the admission odds for a particular professional program or for an applicant with a specific academic record.
Application-fee rules should be checked for the specific Saint Joseph's application route before submission. An undergraduate application fee is separate from any enrollment or housing deposit, and a fee shown for one applicant category should not be assumed to apply to transfer, graduate, or professional applicants.
Applicants who may qualify for a need-based waiver can use the fee-waiver question in their application, if offered, or ask undergraduate admission how to request one before paying. The amount due, waiver documentation, and timing shown in the application portal are the practical details to confirm; paying first may make a later waiver request more complicated.
Saint Joseph's students have Air Force ROTC access associated with the university and an Army ROTC option through a cooperating institution. These arrangements are not interchangeable: students considering Army ROTC should confirm the host unit, travel expectations, and how military-science courses fit their Saint Joseph's schedule.
ROTC participation can involve physical-fitness and citizenship requirements, and a scholarship is not automatic upon joining. Scholarship recipients and students who commission generally take on military-service commitments governed by their branch and contract. Prospective cadets should discuss eligibility, course registration, financial terms, and service obligations directly with the relevant ROTC unit before relying on ROTC funding in an enrollment budget.
Saint Joseph's accepts transfer applicants for fall and spring entry and generally considers credits earned at other accredited institutions. Admission as a transfer student and acceptance of individual courses toward a degree are separate decisions.
Applicants should be prepared to submit official transcripts from every college attended and, when requested, secondary-school records. The university may recognize eligible examination or evaluated learning credit, including CLEP, DSST, and certain American Council on Education recommendations; that does not mean every credit will satisfy a major requirement. Before enrolling, a transfer applicant should request an official course-by-course evaluation and review the catalog's residency requirement - the portion of a degree that must be completed at Saint Joseph's. Sequenced health and professional programs may have additional prerequisites or limited entry points.
Saint Joseph's offers international-study opportunities that can include longer-term study abroad and shorter faculty-led experiences. The available destinations, terms, and academic arrangements depend on the student's program and the university's current approved offerings.
Students should obtain academic approval before committing to a program, especially if they need courses to satisfy a major, laboratory sequence, clinical requirement, or graduation deadline. They should also compare program charges with their regular Saint Joseph's costs and ask the study-abroad and financial-aid offices which grants, loans, or scholarships can be used. Participation through an approved partner is different from assuming that any overseas course will transfer.
14% of admitted students enrolled (1,332 of 9,443)
Regular application deadline
February 1Early Decision
Yes, deadline November 15Early Action
Yes, deadline November 15Median composite SAT score
1215Median composite ACT score
28Percent of students submitting ACT scores
2%Percent of students submitting SAT scores
21%High school completions
General Educational Development (GED) requiredSecondary school GPA
RequiredSecondary school rank
Considered but not requiredSecondary school record
RequiredCompletion of college-preparatory program
Considered but not requiredRecommendations
RequiredFormal demonstration of competencies
Considered but not requiredAdmission test scores
Considered but not requiredTOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language
RequiredOther Test (Wonderlic, WISC-III, etc.)
Neither required nor recommendedOpen admission policy
NoDual credit
NoCredit for life experiences
YesAdvanced placement (AP) credits
YesROTC-Army
ROTC branch unit at a cooperating host institutionROTC-Air Force
ROTC branch unit on campusStudy abroad
YesStudent can complete their preparation in certain areas of specialization
YesPreparation at another institution required
NoApproved by the state for initial certification or licensure of teacher
YesGenerally accepts credits
YesAccept ACE recommendation for credit
YesPossible transfer
Fall, SpringData last updated on November 2, 2026
Data sources: IPEDS 2024-25, Peterson 2026, College Scorecard 10/2026, Clery 2024 (2023-24), OpenAlex 2026
Figures on this profile come from federal and third-party datasets in the editions listed above and are refreshed periodically, so they may differ from what the institution currently reports. Confirm costs, deadlines and requirements with the school before making decisions.