About
Should You Attend Kutztown University of Pennsylvania?
As the name suggests, Kutztown University of Pennsylvania (KU) is located on the edge of Kutztown, Pennsylvania, about 20 miles from the small city of Reading, PA, and about 70 miles from Philadelphia. KU was originally founded as a college to train teachers and is now a 4-year public university and part of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. At KU, you can choose from over 100 majors in four colleges. Consider the pros and cons below to decide if Kutztown University is the best school for you.
<h4 id="section---Pros"> Pros</h4>
<ul><li>Following graduation, average student debt is $1,410 less than the national average
</li><li>Accepts AP and dual credits
</li><li>Has two art galleries, a digital planetarium, an observatory and a Pennsylvania German Heritage Center
</li><li>Endowment grew +26.6% between 2010 and 2011
</li></ul><h4 id="section---Cons"> Cons</h4>
<ul><li>Student-faculty ratio is 21:1, higher than the national average
</li><li>Far from the nearest major city
</li></ul><h3 id="section---AboutKutztownUniversity"> About Kutztown University</h3>
<p>Kutztown University offers a total cost, including tuition, fees and on-campus living expenses, of $20,089, or $2,959 more than the national average as reported by the College Board. If you're considering applying to KU, you should know that its acceptance rate is about two percent higher than the national average. There are four colleges at KU: Education, Liberal Arts and Sciences, Business and Visual and Performing Arts. Within these four colleges, you'll be able to choose from about 100 majors, minors and concentrations. No doctoral programs are offered at Kutztown University, but it does offer both baccalaureate and master's degrees in all four colleges. You can't necessarily get your bachelor's and master's at the same school, since not all majors offer both.
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<p>The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) says that, of students who entered in 2005, 33% had graduated after four years and 54% had graduated after six years. You can compare this to a national 4-year graduation rate of 40%, as reported by <i>U.S. News and World Report</i>. If you're still in high school and worried about graduating on time, consider taking AP classes or exploring the option of dual credits, both of which KU accepts.
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<p>While KU does not use teaching assistants (TAs), its student-faculty ratio is high. There are 21 students for each professor, as opposed to the national average of 16:1, so you may not get as much personal attention from the professor as you would like. If you need extra help, tutoring services are available.
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<p>There are some interesting things to do on campus, including art galleries and an observatory. However, if you like the hustle of a major metropolis, remember that KU is about 20 miles from Reading, PA, about 70 miles from Philadelphia, and about 106 miles from New York City.
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<h2 id="section---GettingInAndFinancialAidAtKutztownUniversity"> Getting in and Financial Aid at Kutztown University</h2>
<p>Kutztown University has rolling admissions but prefers that applications for fall enrollment be submitted by December 1st. You can submit either a paper or online application; however, KU doesn't accept the common application. Your application will be accompanied by a $35 non-refundable application fee and high school transcripts or GED results. Either SAT or ACT scores are also required. According to <i>U.S. News and World Report</i>, about 98% of the freshman class of 2011 submitted the SAT and 12% submitted the ACT. For that same class, the average SAT scores were 482 for both math and critical reading, and 470 for writing, while the average ACT composite score was 20. If you're applying for an art or music major, you will likely also submit supplemental information, such as a portfolio.
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<p>Of the 68% of students who were admitted, 29% enrolled. If you choose to attend, you'll also have to pay a $200 advanced registration deposit and, if you plan to live on campus, apply for housing. You should plan to submit your FAFSA application by March 1st. In 2011, 39% of freshmen had their financial aid needs fully met. On average, students had 50% of their need met with an average financial aid package of $7,540. Non-need-based scholarships and grants are also available for both academics and athletics.
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<table border="1"><tr><th> Application and Tuition Info </th><th /></tr>
<tr><td> <i>Regular Application Deadline (2013)</i> </td><td> December 1 preferred**</td></tr>
<tr><td> <i>Financial Aid Application Priority Deadline (2011)</i> </td><td> March 1st***</td></tr>
<tr><td> <i>Application Fee (2013)</i> </td><td> $35**</td></tr>
<tr><td> <i>Acceptance Rate (2011)</i> </td><td> 68%*</td></tr>
<tr><td> <i>Tuition & Fees (2011)</i> </td><td> $20,089 (in state) <br /> $29,627 (out of state)*</td></tr>
<tr><td> <i>Average Financial Aid Package (2011)</i> </td><td> 7540***</td></tr>
<tr><td> <i>Percent of Students with Need Met (2011)</i> </td><td> 39%***</td></tr>
<tr><td> <i>Average Student Debt at Graduation (2011)</i> </td><td> $25,250***</td></tr>
<tr><td> <i>Student Loan Default Rate (2009)</i> </td><td> 6.2%*</td></tr>
</table><h2 id="section---StudentLifeAtKutztownUniversity"> Student Life at Kutztown University</h2>
<p>About 86% of students come from in-state, with 13% coming from other states. The majority of students are white, and you won't have much of a chance to meet people from out of the country; only 1% of the students at KU are international. There are 5 organizations for minorities and international students, however, so if you fall into one of these categories, you won't be alone.
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<p>There are over 200 clubs and organizations. These cover a wide range of interests, from academic to spiritual to special interest and sports. There are ten fraternities and nine sororities on campus; about two percent of men and two percent of women choose to pledge. The largest library at KU is Rohrbach Library, which offers about half a million books and periodicals, as well as computer labs and access to online databases. There are three other lending libraries on campus. You can find a library at the Women's Center, at the LGBTQ Resource Center, and at the Multicultural Center.
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<table border="1"><tr><th> Student Life Info </th><th /></tr>
<tr><td> <i>Campus Setting</i> </td><td> Rural***</td></tr>
<tr><td> <i>Student Population (2011)</i> </td><td> 9,487 undergraduate students <br /> 796 graduate students*</td></tr>
<tr><td> <i>Male-to-Female Student Ratio (2011)</i> </td><td> 43% to 57%*</td></tr>
<tr><td> <i>% of Full Time Students (2011)</i> </td><td> 93%*</td></tr>
<tr><td> <i>% of In-state Students (2011)</i> </td><td> 86%*</td></tr>
<tr><td> <i>% of International Students (2011)</i> </td><td> 1%*</td></tr>
<tr><td> <i>Retention Rate (2011)</i> </td><td> 77%*</td></tr>
<tr><td> <i>Campus Housing Available</i> </td><td> Yes*</td></tr>
<tr><td> <i>% of Students Living on Campus</i> </td><td> 48.3%***</td></tr>
<tr><td> <i>Number of Libraries</i> </td><td> 4**</td></tr>
<tr><td> <i>Extracurricular Activities</i> </td><td> over 200***</td></tr>
</table><p><i>Sources: *National Center for Education Statistics, **Kutztown University Website, ***US News and World Report.</i>
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<h3 id="section---ContactInfo"> Contact Info</h3>
<ul><li><i>Address: Office of Admissions, P.O. Box 730, Kutztown, PA 19530</i>
</li><li><i>Phone: 1-877-628-1915</i></li></ul>
