2025 marks the sixth consecutive year with over 475 new students
Alvernia University welcomes another strong incoming class of students which includes the largest transfer cohort in more than a decade and the largest class of engineering students in university history as the fall 2025 semester commences. The class includes over 400 first-year students and 75 transfer students, marking the sixth consecutive year the university has welcomed over 475 new students in the fall.
"Welcoming another strong class of new students demonstrates both the excellence of Alvernia’s academic experience and the enduring value of an Alvernia education," said President Glynis A. Fitzgerald, Ph.D." Our steady growth coupled with strong retention and persistence are signs that students and families recognize the return on their investment here, one that offers positive career outcomes, a supportive community and a university that remains steadfast to its mission."
Academically, the incoming class holds an average GPA of 3.5, up from 3.4 last year. Many students are entering high-demand programs, including the largest or tied-for-largest starting classes in biomedical laboratory science, business administration and management, political science and engineering. The largest engineering cohort in Alvernia’s history, underscores the university’s strategic investment in the John R. Post School of Engineering. This year also marks the launch of the first incoming classes in cybersecurity and exercise science.
"Our new programs in engineering, cybersecurity and exercise science demonstrate how Alvernia is innovating to meet the needs of the modern workforce," said Senior Vice President and Provost Leamor Kahanov, Ed.D. "The growth in these fields signals strong student demand for career-focused education, and Alvernia is positioned to prepare them with the skills and ethical leadership employers need. This momentum sustains our long-term stability and expands opportunities for our students."
The Class of 2029 enters in the same year Alvernia was recognized by the Carnegie Foundation as one of the nation’s few institutions that combine high access with high post-graduation earnings. More than 100 students are first-generation, nearly 170 are Pell Grant eligible. The students hail from 17 states (ranging from Alaska and Arizona to Florida and Georgia) and 10 countries, including Nepal, Vietnam, India, Saudi Arabia, Latvia, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Sierra Leone, Kenya and Canada. Students earned an average merit scholarship award of $24,000, underscoring Alvernia’s commitment to affordability and access.
"This class embodies Alvernia’s mission of access and opportunity, with so many first-generation and Pell-eligible students choosing to begin their journey with us," said Senior Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Affairs Mary-Alice Ozechoski, M.A. "Their decision reflects Alvernia’s reputation as a welcoming, supportive and affordable choice for students from all walks of life.”
The incoming students are also highly engaged outside the classroom. Highlights of their extracurricular achievements include:
- 236 student-athletes across 30 sports, including 44 team captains
- 59 National Honor Society members
- 45 involved in charity and volunteer work, including food banks, Special Olympics and elder care
- 38 involved in theatre, choir or band
- 19 who held internships with local companies
- 6 first responders (EMT, volunteer firefighter, junior police academy)
- 7 with family connections as alumni or current students
- Scouts, lifeguards, rock climbers, musicians and more
Students will benefit from ongoing enhancements across the Reading campus. This includes newly upgraded student-centered spaces designed to foster interaction and build connections, as well as the SOLAR initiative, which coordinates resources across campus to help students thrive personally, socially and academically. In addition, Alvernia has partnered with Aramark Collegiate Hospitality to enhance the on-campus dining experience, further supporting student well-being and engagement. These investments complement the university’s reaffirmation of accreditation by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education earlier this summer, a mark of institutional quality and stability that provides further assurance to students and families.
