Match #1
DeSales University
Center Valley, PA
Profile closeness87/100
Admit rate77%
- 2,128 students
- Private nonprofit
- Rural: Fringe
- Graduation rate 70%, close to 77%
- Enrollment 2,128 students, close to 1,557
The colleges most similar to Saint Francis University are DeSales University, Seton Hill University-Pennsylvania, and Gannon University. Saint Francis University admits 77% of applicants and has an average net price of $28,219 a year; 7 of its 10 alternatives cost less and 6 admit a larger share of applicants, in the CollegesRef 2026–27 edition.
Profile closeness (0–100) compares graduation rate, size, admit rate, net price, Carnegie class, and control with Saint Francis University. The order also uses CollegesRef matching tiers, so a later match can score higher. Admit-rate bars use a 0–100% scale.
Top 10 alternatives to Saint Francis University
Row-wise results ranked by similarity. No curated AI list exists for this school.
Match #2
Seton Hill University-Pennsylvania
Greensburg, PA
Profile closeness86/100
Admit rate80%
- 1,492 students
- Private nonprofit
- Suburb: Large
- Enrollment 1,492 students, close to 1,557
- Acceptance rate 80%, close to 77%
Match #3
Gannon University
Erie, PA
Profile closeness83/100
Admit rate74%
- 2,365 students
- Private nonprofit
- City: Small
- Graduation rate 71%, close to 77%
- Acceptance rate 74%, close to 77%
Match #4
Carlow University
Pittsburgh, PA
Profile closeness83/100
Admit rate87%
- 1,348 students
- Private nonprofit
- City: Large
- Enrollment 1,348 students, close to 1,557
- Same Carnegie classification
Match #5
University of Scranton
Scranton, PA
Profile closeness81/100
Admit rate81%
- 3,554 students
- Private nonprofit
- City: Small
- Graduation rate 82%, close to 77%
- Acceptance rate 81%, close to 77%
Match #6
Marywood University
Scranton, PA
Profile closeness80/100
Admit rate61%
- 1,784 students
- Private nonprofit
- City: Small
- Enrollment 1,784 students, close to 1,557
- Same Carnegie classification
Match #7
Misericordia University
Dallas, PA
Profile closeness80/100
Admit rate71%
- 1,672 students
- Private nonprofit
- Suburb: Large
- Graduation rate 73%, close to 77%
- Enrollment 1,672 students, close to 1,557
Match #8
Mercyhurst University
Erie, PA
Profile closeness79/100
Admit rate81%
- 2,191 students
- Private nonprofit
- City: Small
- Enrollment 2,191 students, close to 1,557
- Acceptance rate 81%, close to 77%
Match #9
Immaculata University
Immaculata, PA
Profile closeness78/100
Admit rate86%
- 1,320 students
- Private nonprofit
- Suburb: Large
- Enrollment 1,320 students, close to 1,557
- Acceptance rate 86%, close to 77%
Match #10
Saint Vincent College
Latrobe, PA
Profile closeness75/100
Admit rate62%
- 1,259 students
- Private nonprofit
- Suburb: Large
- Graduation rate 70%, close to 77%
- Enrollment 1,259 students, close to 1,557
Questions about Saint Francis University alternatives
What colleges are similar to Saint Francis University?
The closest matches to Saint Francis University are DeSales University, Seton Hill University-Pennsylvania, Gannon University, Carlow University, and University of Scranton. CollegesRef ranks them on admissions, cost, graduation rate, size, and campus profile using IPEDS and College Scorecard data.
Is Saint Francis University hard to get into?
Saint Francis University admitted 77% of its 2,063 applicants in the CollegesRef 2026–27 edition, so it is not very selective: it admits most applicants. 6 of its 10 closest alternatives admit a larger share of applicants.
Which Saint Francis University alternatives cost less?
7 of the 10 closest alternatives have a lower average net price than Saint Francis University ($28,219 a year), including Marywood University ($21,059), Carlow University ($22,455), and Saint Vincent College ($23,122). Net price is what first-time, full-time students paid after grants; your own price depends on family income.
