La Salle University

Admission to La Salle University is exceptionally accessible, but the university faces persistent challenges in convincing accepted candidates to enroll. In the 2027 U.S. News Best Colleges rankings, the institution was ranked 250 among National Universities, continuing an overall decline from its rank of 202 in 2023. Gaining entry is straightforward, as the university admitted 96.6% of applicants in 2025. When evaluated against private comprehensive universities with similar rankings, this acceptance rate was higher than all peer schools. Despite this open door, the school struggles to draw admitted students to its campus. The yield rate in 2025 was just 9.5%, which was higher than 7% of peer schools in that comparison group. Most admitted applicants choose to enroll elsewhere, and the university has increasingly relied on accepting nearly everyone who applies to fill its classes. For prospective applicants, admission is practically assured for qualified candidates, but the low yield and sliding ranking suggest that families are looking cautiously at the university's overall profile.

La Salle University maintains an admission test policy where standardized test scores are not considered, meaning admissions are test-blind and scores are not used even if submitted. As a result, recent years have no published scores for entering cohorts. Historical reporting shows that standardized test submission was once widespread but declined significantly over time. In 2009, 96% of students submitted SAT scores, whereas by 2023, the SAT submission rate stood at 22%. ACT score submissions also shifted, moving from 4% in 2007 to 20% in 2017. In the absence of standardized testing considerations, academic preparation is judged through other components of the candidate's file, such as high school coursework and overall academic achievement. For prospective families and students planning an application, this policy means testing credentials carry no weight in the university's evaluation process, placing the focus entirely on classroom performance and academic records.

Bachelor's degrees at La Salle University are heavily concentrated in a handful of practical programs, but its most popular offerings do not carry high national rankings. In 2025, the top three bachelor's majors represented 41.9% of all bachelor's graduates, led by Registered Nursing with 118 graduates. International students accounted for just 1.7% of graduates in this top field. Despite this high student concentration, the university's largest undergraduate programs do not stand out in national assessments; undergraduate nursing was ranked 288 by USNews in 2027. Nonetheless, these career-oriented disciplines translate into strong early compensation. According to 2023 earnings data, bachelor's degree recipients in registered nursing fields reported median first-year earnings of $92,836, the highest among all undergraduate disciplines at the school. For prospective students, choosing La Salle means targeting regional professional licensure and job placement rather than national academic standing.

Total enrollment at La Salle University stood at 3,153 students in 2025. The undergraduate and graduate communities display substantial racial diversity alongside a clear female majority, while international and Asian representation remains comparatively small across all divisions. Among incoming undergraduate freshmen, international students numbered 26, while Asian students accounted for 4.1% of the cohort. In the continuing undergraduate and transfer cohorts, both Asian and international scholars similarly make up modest single-digit proportions. At the graduate level, White students represent the largest demographic group, with Asian students accounting for 71 individuals and international students maintaining a limited presence. For prospective applicants, these demographics illustrate an urban campus primarily focused on domestic enrollment, where Asian and international students form small segments across both undergraduate and graduate degree programs.

La Salle University maintains a clear age division between its undergraduate and graduate divisions. In 2025, students aged 18 to 19 made up 39.2% of the undergraduate body, while those aged 20 to 21 accounted for 32.1%. With these two age brackets forming the bulk of undergraduate enrollment, campus life during the day is geared toward traditional college-age students. In contrast, the graduate student population is older and career-focused. Students aged 25 to 29 represented 32% of all graduate students, and those aged 30 to 34 accounted for 16.5%. For applicants, this means undergraduate extracurricular activities and social life revolve around recent high school graduates, while graduate programs accommodate working adults with varying professional backgrounds.

International enrollment at La Salle University represents a small footprint with divergent paths between degree levels. For undergraduates, the international presence has expanded over the past decade, reaching 5.2% of the undergraduate student body in 2025. In contrast, international representation among graduate students has trended downward, settling at 3.2% in 2025. When looking at where international students earn degrees, their concentrations vary substantially by field. At the undergraduate level, international graduates are primarily found in business disciplines such as Finance and Marketing, while representing a negligible portion of the nursing program. At the master's level, international students are heavily concentrated in specialized quantitative study: they made up 29.2% of graduates in Business Analytics, compared to minimal shares in general business administration and none in education. For prospective international students, these trends indicate that while the wider campus remains overwhelmingly domestic, select analytical and business tracks have established recognizable communities of overseas scholars.

Applicants considering La Salle University can explore several other four-year institutions within close range in the Philadelphia area. Just 4 kilometers away lies Temple University, a large public institution ranked 109 among National Universities in 2027. Located 6 kilometers from campus is Drexel University, ranked 80 among National Universities. Also nearby is Thomas Jefferson University, situated 6.2 kilometers away with a 2027 National University rank of 133. For those seeking Ivy League options, University of Pennsylvania is located 6.4 kilometers from La Salle and holds the rank of 7 among National Universities. These neighboring institutions give families an array of comprehensive research universities within a short distance across the city.

Campus safety records at La Salle University reflect incident patterns primarily centered on institutional policy violations and property offenses. In 2025, the crime rate per 1,000 students stood at 18.5. Looking at specific incident categories reported from 2023 to 2025, disciplinary actions for campus rule infractions accounted for the largest volume, led by 163 liquor law disciplinary violations and a smaller tally of drug referrals. Outside of disciplinary matters, property crime presented the most frequent security challenge, with 80 motor vehicle thefts reported across that three-year period. In contrast, violent and interpersonal crimes occurred far less frequently, with single-digit counts recorded for robbery, rape, and dating violence from 2023 to 2025. Families evaluating campus security can see that safety concerns at the university are driven predominantly by student conduct enforcement and vehicle security rather than widespread violent crime.