Immaculata University (IU) is a co-ed Catholic college deeply rooted in the integration of faith and education. It offers a comprehensive list of associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees. The school welcomed its first class of both men and women in 2005 and currently offers extensive athletic and social programs for both genders.
| Overall Score (about) | 81.8 |
| Total Cost On-Campus Attendance | $46,000 |
| Admission Success rate | N/A |
| ACT / SAT 75%ile scores | 28 / 1220 |
| Student Ratio Students-to-Faculty | 14 : 1 |
| Retention (full-time / part-time) | 75% / 33% |
| Enrollment Total (all students) | 2,448 |
Immaculata University was founded in 1920 by the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. It began as the Villa Maria College, the first Catholic college for women in the vicinity of Philadelphia. Its name was changed to Immaculata College in 1929.
The original campus was 198 acres with only two dormitory/classroom buildings. Over the past 90 years the school has expanded significantly and now occupies more than 370 acres of land with a multi-million dollar academic complex of 13 buildings. It has also increased its academic offerings, adding evening classes, a continuing education office, and a graduate program in collaboration with nearby Marywood College from 1960 to 1980. In 1983, the graduate program took a more defined shape with three new master’s degree tracks in psychology, nutrition education, and educational leadership and administration. The first doctoral program was added in 1994 for clinical psychology. In 2000, the University restructured its academic offerings into the Women’s College, the College of Graduate Studies, and the College of LifeLong Learning. The school became coeducational in 2005 and the Women’s College was renamed the College of Undergraduate Studies.
Today, IU serves more than 4,500 men and women with over 60 majors, minors, and certificate programs. The campus offers undergraduate through doctoral degrees in a variety of subjects, as well as non-credit programs and certificate programs. It continues to expand, so students will find that the academic programs and course offerings are constantly being updated and redeveloped to meet the needs of modern students.
Immaculata offers more than 60 majors, minors, and certificate programs across three Colleges: the College of Undergraduate Studies, the College of Graduate Studies, and the College of LifeLong Learning. Students enjoy an individualized, hands-on learning experience with small classes and a low student-to-faculty ratio of 10:1. More than 90% of classes have 30 students or fewer. Students also have the opportunity to gain real-world education and skills through the department-based internship programs, which connect students to businesses throughout Philadelphia and let them earn college credit for internship work.
Undergraduates have the opportunity to explore more than 15 departments, each with a number of specialized majors and minors. Topics range from music to nursing to business, accounting, and economics. Within a department, students can work with their department heads or professors to develop a strong curriculum, regardless of whether they are pursuing a degree or a certificate. Degree students have the option of expanding their educational profile and specializing their major with a minor in a different or related subject.
Exceptional students may qualify for IU’s Honors Program, which gives talented learners the opportunity to be challenged and motivated by strenuous classes. Honors students enroll in a 21-credit curriculum developed specifically for completion over three levels of coursework. Eligible freshmen are invited to join if they have two of these three qualifications: an SAT score of at least 1650, a high school GPA of at least a 3.5, or a ranking in the top 20% of their graduating class.
Admissions at Immaculata are competitive, which means that not every applicant is guaranteed acceptance. Students can apply online through either the IU application process or with the Common Application. The Common Application may be a good choice for students who are applying to a number of colleges and universities because it is one form that can be submitted to multiple institutions at once. Students will need to submit the application form along with their official high school transcripts, two letters of recommendation, SAT or ACT test scores, and an essay of at least 250 words on a specific topic.
IU reviews applications on a rolling basis, so students will usually receive a decision within three to four weeks of submitting all application materials.
Students seeking financial aid should begin by filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which is available online at fafsa.gov. This form determines eligibility for a variety of federal aid programs, including grants, loans, and work-study opportunities. It is also required as a supplementary document for many third-party scholarship and loan applications.
Further aid is available through third party scholarships and grants as well as certain scholarships sponsored by IU itself. Interested students should visit the Financial Aid Office for resources, guidance, and assistance.
IU is home to more than 1,000 traditional age and 2,000 adult undergraduate students, as well as more than 1,200 graduate and doctoral students. Many of these students live on campus in one of the university’s residences. Living on campus makes it easy to socialize with friends, meet new people, walk to classes, or study in the library or student lounges.
Students can also get involved by joining student clubs and organizations. There are dozens of academic, social, political, cultural, and departmental clubs, each with different groups of students and different interests. There are also Greek fraternities and sororities and student leadership organizations. If you still can’t find the right group for you, don’t worry – it’s very easy to start a new club!
IU is considered the birthplace of modern women’s college basketball. In 1972, 1973, and 1974, the Mighty Macs won the first three national women’s college basketball championships. Basketball continues to be a strong program at IU, but the long-standing history of the women’s basketball team has earned national respect. The Mighty Macs have recently become movie stars with production of the 2011 feature film The Mighty Macs, which tells the story of the famous team.
Today, the Mighty Macs compete in Division III of the NCAA. They belong to the Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) and offer men’s and women’s varsity teams in 19 different sports. Students who don’t wish to participate in the varsity program can play at the intramural level for good-spirited fun with classmates and friends.
This website and its associated pages are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by this school.
StateUniversity.com has no official or unofficial affiliation with Immaculata University.