Villanova University

Villanova is selective: it admitted about 28% of applicants in the most recent cycle, offering admission to roughly 7,272 of more than 25,000 applicants and enrolling about 1,805 first-years. Admitted students cluster at the top of their high school classes, with an average GPA near 3.87 and middle-50% SAT scores of 1420–1490, so a strong, rigorous record is essentially expected.

Enrolled first-years at Villanova average about a 3.87 high school GPA, and the class skews toward the top of the cohort — among the roughly 19% who reported class rank, about 81% were in the top tenth of their graduating class. There is no hard cutoff, but the rigor of your course load and your academic GPA are both weighed as very important factors in the review.

No — Villanova is test-optional for most first-year applicants, so you may apply without submitting scores. Among enrolled students who did submit, the middle 50% scored between 1420 and 1490 on the SAT and 32 to 34 on the ACT, with a median around 1450 SAT and 34 ACT.

Yes — a 1490 is competitive, landing right at the 75th percentile of enrolled first-years, whose middle 50% scored 1420–1490 on the SAT (median around 1450). About 85% of enrolled students who submitted the SAT scored 1400 or higher, so a 1490 puts you near the top of the admitted range. Villanova is test-optional, so scores are one piece of a holistic review rather than a requirement.

It can. Villanova offers binding Early Decision I and II plus non-binding Early Action, and its Early Decision round admitted about 1,005 of 1,680 applicants — roughly a 60% admit rate, well above the school's overall 28% rate. Early Decision is a binding commitment, so only apply that way if Villanova is your clear first choice.

Tuition and required fees run about $74,014 per year, with the total cost of attendance higher once on-campus housing and food (about $19,354) are added. About 42% of first-years receive need-based scholarship or grant aid, the average need-based package is around $58,054, and Villanova meets an average of 84% of demonstrated financial need.

Business is by far the most popular field at about 22% of bachelor's degrees, reflecting the strength of the Villanova School of Business. Engineering (14%) and the social sciences (14%) follow, with the health professions, communication, and psychology also among the most-conferred programs.

Yes — Villanova rates the application essay as a very important factor, on par with your GPA and the rigor of your high school record, and above recommendations and extracurriculars. Because the school is test-optional and admits only about 28% of applicants, a specific, well-revised essay is one of the clearest places to stand out.

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