Allegheny: the complete school report for parents
Allegheny puts the most weight on course rigor and GPA. The academic record does most of the work. It does not consider legacy, so family connections carry no weight. With a 58.8% admit rate and 66% of enrolled students at a 3.50 GPA or above, the transcript is the entry ticket and scores are optional but help when they are strong.
Allegheny is officially Allegheny College. Admissions figures below come from its 2025-2026 Common Data Set (see the source), with the admission-factor grid re-read from that file on 2026-09-20.
Is Allegheny a reach, target or safety for your student?
Enter a GPA and course load and the calculator places Allegheny against the figures above. No account needed.
What does Allegheny actually weigh in admissions?
Allegheny rates 2 of the 18 factors "Very Important": course rigor, GPA. It does not consider 3 of them at all. Every college reports these weights in section C7 of its Common Data Set; below is Allegheny's 2025-2026 answer, read from the grid in its own file.
| Factor | How Allegheny rates it |
|---|---|
| course rigor | Very Important |
| GPA | Very Important |
| test scores | Important |
| the essay | Considered |
| extracurricular activities | Important |
| recommendations | Considered |
| personal qualities | Important |
| talent | Considered |
| class rank | Considered |
| demonstrated interest | Considered |
| the interview | Considered |
| legacy | Not Considered |
| first-generation status | Considered |
| geography | Considered |
| state residency | Not Considered |
| volunteer work | Considered |
| work experience | Considered |
| religious affiliation | Not Considered |
Does Allegheny consider how hard my child’s courses were?
Yes. It is one of the most important factors. The senior-year schedule should keep its AP, IB or honors depth rather than lighten.
Does Allegheny consider GPA?
Yes. It is one of the most important factors.
Does Allegheny consider SAT or ACT scores?
Yes. It is an important factor.
Does Allegheny consider the application essay?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Allegheny consider extracurricular activities?
Yes. It is an important factor.
Does Allegheny consider recommendation letters?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Allegheny consider character and personal qualities?
Yes. It is an important factor.
Does Allegheny consider a special talent or ability?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Allegheny consider class rank?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Allegheny consider demonstrated interest?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Allegheny consider an interview?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Allegheny consider legacy status?
No. Allegheny does not consider it. A parent or grandparent who attended gives no advantage.
Does Allegheny consider being first-generation?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor. Say so on the application; it is read as context.
Does Allegheny consider where we live?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Allegheny consider state residency?
No. Allegheny does not consider it.
Does Allegheny consider volunteer work?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Allegheny consider work experience?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does Allegheny consider religious affiliation?
No. Allegheny does not consider it.
What GPA do admitted students actually have?
66% of enrolled students had a 3.50 GPA or above. The average was 3.59 on a 4 scale, reported for 95.2% of the entering class. This is the school’s own distribution, not an estimate from its admit rate.
| High school GPA | Share of enrolled students |
|---|---|
| 4.0 | 16.6% |
| 3.75–3.99 | 25.7% |
| 3.50–3.74 | 23.6% |
| 3.25–3.49 | 14.2% |
| 3.00–3.24 | 12.2% |
| 2.50–2.99 | 7.4% |
| 2.00–2.49 | 0.3% |
What is the Allegheny waitlist really like?
Allegheny offered a place on its waiting list to 220 applicants and 220 accepted one. 3 were ultimately admitted. That is 1.4% of those who waited.
Is transferring in easier than applying as a freshman?
Allegheny admitted 0.0% of 290 transfer applicants, against 58.8% of first-year applicants. The two routes are similarly competitive here.
When do we apply, and does timing change the odds?
Allegheny reports its early rounds below.
| Regular application deadline | February 15 |
|---|---|
| Decisions released | March 15 |
| Reply / deposit deadline | May 1 |
| Early Decision offered | Yes |
| Early Decision deadline | November 15 |
| Early Decision II offered | Yes |
| Early Decision II deadline | February 1 |
| Early Action offered | Yes |
| Early Action deadline | December 1 |
| Application fee | $0 |
| Fee waiver available | Not reported |
| Deferred admission offered | Yes |
What does my child need to take in high school?
Allegheny requires 16 academic units. A college-preparatory program is required. A GED is accepted.
| Subject | Required | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| English | 4 years | Not stated |
| Mathematics | 3 years | Not stated |
| Science | 3 years | Not stated |
| of which lab science | 0 years | Not stated |
| Foreign language | 2 years | Not stated |
| History | 0 years | Not stated |
| Visual / performing arts | 1 year | Not stated |
What will Allegheny actually cost us?
Families pay an average of $22,940 a year at Allegheny after grants and scholarships, against a published in-state tuition of $59,050. The published price is not what most families pay. The university reports meeting 89.09% of demonstrated need on average. It also gave 76 merit awards averaging $36,328 to first-years with no demonstrated need.
87% of Allegheny graduates borrow, leaving with an average of $45,567 in debt, which the federal data puts at about $286 a month in repayment. Allegheny’s net price calculator gives your own figure.
Does a degree from Allegheny pay off?
Graduates earn a median $62,069 ten years after entering, and $45,603 at six years. 82% out-earn a typical high school graduate within six years. 79% are actively paying down their loans three years in.
$75,370 to $47,913, depending on the major. Median earnings five years out at Allegheny:
| Major | Median earnings, 5 years | Graduates a year |
|---|---|---|
| Physics | $75,370 | 13 |
| Economics | $71,243 | 21 |
| Biology, General | $68,667 | 43 |
| Communication and Media Studies | $62,082 | 23 |
| Political Science and Government | $60,817 | 21 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | $57,042 | 15 |
| History | $55,059 | 11 |
| Neurobiology and Neurosciences | $50,858 | 12 |
| Psychology, General | $50,744 | 43 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | $50,086 | 4 |
| English Language and Literature, General | $47,913 | 19 |
College Scorecard, by field of study.
Will my child actually graduate?
80% of first-years return for a second year. 65% graduate within four years and 70% within six (2019 cohort). The rate holds up across income: 58.0% of Pell-grant recipients graduate within six years against 77.4% of everyone else, a gap of 19.4 points.
How big are the classes?
86% of class sections have fewer than 20 students, while 0% have 100 or more. The student-faculty ratio is 8:1, and 79% of faculty are full-time. Accredited by Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
What is life at Allegheny like?
1,125 undergraduates, 45.3% of first-years from out of state. 96.4% of freshmen live in university housing, falling to 87.8% across all undergraduates. Greek life is small: 11.2% of men join a fraternity and 21.3% of women a sorority. 22% of students are the first in their family to attend college, and the median family income is $64,269.
What this means for your student
- Course rigor is rated Very Important here, so the senior-year schedule should hold its AP, IB or honors depth rather than lighten.
- 66% of enrolled students are at a 3.50 GPA or above, averaging 3.59. Below that line the rest of the application has to carry real weight.
- The waitlist is live but thin: 3 of 220 who waited were admitted, about 1%.
- Its highest-earning major returns $75,370 five years out against $47,913 at the other end, a gap wider than the one between most schools.
- See where your student actually stands: calculate their GPA and compare it against the distribution above.
Common questions about Allegheny
What GPA do you need for Allegheny?
66% of enrolled students at Allegheny had a high school GPA of 3.50 or above, and the average was 3.59, according to its 2025-2026 Common Data Set.
Does the Allegheny waitlist move?
220 students accepted a place on the Allegheny waiting list and 3 were admitted in the 2025-2026 cycle.
What do Allegheny graduates earn?
Allegheny graduates earn a median $62,069 ten years after entering, and 82% out-earn a typical high school graduate within six years.
Other schools families compare with Allegheny
Where these numbers come from
Admissions figures: Allegheny’s 2025-2026 Common Data Set, published here, factor grid re-read from it on 2026-09-20. Earnings, debt, net price and graduation rates: College Scorecard (2022-2023). Unreported values show as “Not reported”.