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Is Widener University worth it?
A first pass affordability and outcome read for Widener, using national average inputs. Run your own numbers for a personalized score.
Worth-It Score
Workable
Widener lands in the workable band for a typical family. Median debt of $27,000 can be carried by median long-run earnings of $70,920, but the margin is not huge. For context, Widener's net price runs about 35% above the typical 4-year, private nonprofit school. This is the kind of school where your actual aid offer can move the answer meaningfully.
Is the price fair?
Compared to 1237 similar 4-year, private nonprofit schools
This school
$30,720
/yrAverage school like this
$22,837
/yrThis weighs on your Worth-It Score
You'd pay about $7,883 more per year than the typical student at a similar school. Over 4 years that's roughly $32,000 in extra cost.
Score breakdown
The public version of the score weighs affordability, after graduation outcomes, and repayment burden.
Affordability
40% weight
The yearly net price sits in a range that leaves more room for family cash flow and lower borrowing.
Outcome
40% weight
The outcome data does not create enough margin to fully offset the cost.
Repayment
20% weight
Median debt stays in a more comfortable repayment range for a typical graduate.
The numbers behind the score
Median net price per year
$25,759
Median earnings 10 years out
$70,920
Median debt at graduation
$27,000
Graduation rate
66%
At Widener, a typical graduate carries about $27,000 in student debt and earns roughly $70,920 ten years after enrolling. On a standard 10-year repayment plan, that works out to about $307 per month, or 5% of pre-tax income. That sits inside a borrower comfort range for many graduates.
What this means for your family
Widener is a private nonprofit four year school in Chester, PA. Private pricing can swing more dramatically based on aid, so your personalized score matters more here than the national average view alone.
Similar schools worth comparing
These schools share a similar sector, geography, or price range.
Private nonprofit 4-year
Geneva
Beaver Falls, PA
Worth-It Score: 49/100
Median net price: $25,890
Private nonprofit 4-year
Point Park
Pittsburgh, PA
Worth-It Score: 42/100
Median net price: $25,942
Private nonprofit 4-year
Lancaster Bible
Lancaster, PA
Worth-It Score: 48/100
Median net price: $25,480
Private nonprofit 4-year
Haverford
Haverford, PA
Worth-It Score: 85/100
Median net price: $25,314
Private nonprofit 4-year
Messiah
Mechanicsburg, PA
Worth-It Score: 59/100
Median net price: $26,502
Common questions about Widener
The median net price at Widener is $25,759 per year. That is the average yearly price after typical grant aid for students in the public federal data, not the published sticker price.
Get your personalized Worth-It score
National averages are a starting point. Plug in your actual aid offer, intended major, and family situation to get a score that reflects your specific picture.
Looking at private colleges options in Pennsylvania? See the most affordable private colleges in Pennsylvania →
The Worth-It Score weighs affordability (40%), after graduation outcomes (40%), and repayment burden (20%). Underlying data points come from publicly available federal higher education reporting. See full methodology →