Details of Distinction
The Major/Minor Requirement
Students take courses in each division of knowledge
—humanities, natural sciences and social sciences—
declaring both a major and a minor (outside the
division of their major) by the end of the sophomore
year. With the freedom to select unusual combinations
of majors and minors, students combine their interests
and expand their concentrations beyond one division,
developing the sort of "big picture" thinking that serves
them well for a lifetime.
First-Year/Sophomore Seminars
During the first two years every student participates
in three seminars that focus on written and oral
communication and academic/career advising. This
progressive course sequence helps students create a
four-year program to match their goals and needs.
Student/Faculty Collaboration
Whether it's fieldwork in Alaska or a community art
project, Allegheny students put theory into practice
under the guidance of faculty mentors through
research, conference presentations, co-authored
articles, and faculty-led study tours. In the National
Survey of Student Engagement, responses by
college seniors placed Allegheny within the top 10%
in the U.S. for the close student-faculty interaction.
The Senior Project
Each student completes the Senior Project in his or
her major field, a significant piece of original research
that demonstrates the skills most prized by employers
and graduate schools: the ability to complete a
major assignment, to work independently, to analyze
and synthesize information, and to write and speak
persuasively.
Allegheny College Center for Experiential
Learning (ACCEL)
ACCEL offers activities and services in career development,
community service, international programs,
pre-health advising and leadership training. Staff collaborate
with faculty, alumni, community members,
and worldwide partners to develop programs that
foster intellectual development, cross-cultural and
global awareness, civic and social responsibility, ethical
development, career exploration and personal growth.
Center for Political Participation
The CPP is dedicated to fostering an appreciation for
the link between an engaged, active citizenry and a
healthy democracy. The center seeks new strategies
for promoting political participation, with a particular
focus on young Americans, and plans and supports
events for Allegheny students, citizens of the wider
community, and scholars nationwide.
Allegheny is the
only college in PA featured in all of
these guides:
- Peterson's Competitive
Colleges, 440 Colleges That
Attract the Best and Brightest
- Colleges That Change Lives, Loren Pope
- The Princeton Review's Best 361 Colleges
- Harvard Schmarvard: Getting Beyond the Ivy League
to the College That Is Best for You, Jay Mathews
- The Fiske Guide to Colleges, The "Best and Most Interesting"
Schools in North America
- The Insider's Guide to the Colleges, Students on Campus Tell You What You
Really Want to Know
Allegheny Facts
Allegheny College attracts students with unusual combinations of interests, skills and talents, including
some they don't know they have. At Allegheny, we invite students to tap all of their interests and talents.
Use the list below to explore facts and information about Allegheny:
Admission & Enrollment
- Total students: 2,100
- Men/Women: 45%/55%
- States/countries represented: 46/40
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Admission Criteria (in order of importance)
- Difficulty of high school classes
- High school class rank/GPA
- SAT/ACT scores
- Personal qualities
- School/community activities
- Interview
- Essay
- Recommendations
- Demonstrated interest/institutional knowledge
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Financial Aid
Extensive merit aid available up to $80,000 guaranteed over four years of study.
- Students receiving need-based aid: 69%
- Tuition and fees (2009-2010): $33,560
- Room and board (2009-2010): $8,440
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First-Year Class Profile (580 students)
- Ranked in top 25% of high school: 76%
- SAT—critical reading and math
(middle 50%): 1110-1300
- ACT (middle 50%): 23-29
- High schools represented: 381
- From outside Pennsylvania: 48%
- Minority/international students: 15%
- Living on campus: 100%
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Academic Programs
Undergraduate Degrees
Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science
Learn more about our programs of study here.
Teacher Certification
Cooperative pre-admission arrangement with the
University of Pittsburgh Master of Arts in Teaching
Program (PA) and exclusive agreements with Teachers
College of Columbia University (NY) and Xavier
University (OH).
Accelerated Masters Programs (3/2)
Management (arts, health care policy, information systems, public policy) with Carnegie Mellon University; Occupational Therapy with Chatham University; Physician Assistant with Chatham University; Allegheny also coordinates preferred admission with the MBA program at the University of Rochester.
Accelerated Doctorate Programs
Nursing (3/4) with Case Western Reserve University; Physical Therapy (4/2) with Chatham University; Osteopathic Medicine (3/4) with the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
Engineering Cooperative Program
Engineering (3/2) with University of Pittsburgh, Columbia University, Duke University, Case Western Reserve University and Washington University in St. Louis; a Master of Science in Engineering (4/2) is also available through Columbia University
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Faculty
- Full-time faculty: 152
- Ph.D. or other terminal degree: 94%
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 13:1
- Average class size, introductory: 22
- Average class size, upper-class: 14
- Classes with fewer than 30 students: 85%
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Academic Advising
- Advising begins with the First Seminar, where the
professor also serves as the student's advisor. Part
of the seminar specifically explores Allegheny's
curricular and extracurricular options, along with
students' academic and career interests. Equally important,
the professor comes to know each student
in a classroom setting and can then appreciate his
or her particular strengths, needs, and learning style.
- Sophomores typically meet with their faculty
advisors eight times a year (juniors and seniors
even more frequently).
- Faculty are evaluated primarily on their teaching
and advising skills.
- Students work closely with faculty members
to complete Senior Projects, receiving concentrated
guidance and often assisting with a faculty
member's own research. (see details of distinction at right)
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Facilities
- Major buildings: 36
- Central campus: 79 acres
- Recreation complex: 203 acres
- Bousson nature reserve: 283 acres
Allegheny boasts one of the country's most
attractive campuses. Facilities include:
- Nationally acclaimed science complex
- David V. Wise Sport & Fitness Center
- Bowman, Penelec & Megahan art galleries
- Newly renovated Pelletier Library, which houses the
Learning Commons and offers combined resources
of more than 900,000 volumes, inter-library loans
and documents, research tools, computer clusters,
and rooms for meetings or studying
- Special-interest houses (past houses include an
international theme and a jazz theme)
- Dance studios and performance spaces
- Multimedia language learning lab
- "Smart classrooms" and state-of-the-art
videoconferencing facilities
- Observatory and planetarium
- WARC radio and ACTV television stations
- GIS Learning Laboratory
- Seismographic Network Station
The Kaplan college guide profiles Allegheny in
the categories of "Hidden Treasures" and "Most
Beautiful Campuses."
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Computer Facilities
All residence hall rooms feature direct and free access
to the internet. Wireless access is also available
throughout much of the outdoor central campus, the
Campus Center, Pelletier Library, and several campus
lounges. Students and employees can choose and
purchase a Dell notebook, through a preferred vendor,
that will come equipped with Allegheny-ready virus
software and email configuration. There are nine main
computer labs on campus.
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Housing Options
Approximately 78 percent of the Allegheny student
body is housed on campus. All first, second and
third year students are required to live on campus.
First-year students may choose from one of seven
coed residence halls, or an all-men's or all-women's
hall. The options range from predominantly first-year
to a mix with upperclass neighbors.
Upperclassmen may live on campus in residence halls, fraternity houses, apartment-style housing (College Court, North Village) and College-owned houses. Fourth-year students may live off campus. Fourth-year
students may live off campus.
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Campus Construction
- The Vukovich Center for Communication Arts, a $23 million state-of-the-art academic facility and performance venue
- Stadium improvements include an Olympic-style track, lights, scoreboard utilizing the latest in LED technology, and turf field for a variety of varsity and recreational sports
- North Village offers townhouse-style student apartments and outdoor quad area; North Village Phase II, a collection of suite-style residences, will open in Fall 2010
- The Campus Center underwent a multimillion dollar renovation and expansion
- Historic Cochran Hall was restored to become our new alumni center, offering students great career networking opportunities
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Clubs & Organizations
Organizations on campus: Over 100
Campus activities include concerts in the Grounds
for Change coffeehouse, comedians, Late Night programming
on weekends, and major annual events
such as Wingfest, Casino Night, Springfest, and
Greek Sing. Examples of clubs include:
- Academic (Chemii Club, Debate Team, Honor
Committee)
- Cultural (Association for the Advancement of
Black Culture, Union Latina, Queers 'n Allies)
- Performing Arts (Chamber Choir, Orchesis Dance
Company, Student Experimental Theatre)
- Political (Amnesty International, Peace Coalition)
- Media (Allegheny Literary Review, The Campus
newspaper, WARC Radio, ACTV)
- Religious (Allegheny Christian Outreach, Hillel,
Islamic Awareness Society)
- Service (Habitat for Humanity, America Reads)
- Fraternities and sororities
- Honor (Phi Beta Kappa, Lambda Sigma-sophomore,
Beta Beta Beta-biology)
- Other special-interest (Student Art Society, Allegheny Student
Government, Philosophical Forum, Students for
Environmental Action)
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Athletics
- Years of varsity athletics: 143
- In 1907 Allegheny was one of the 27 colleges and universities that founded the NCAA
- Conference championships: 177
- National championships: 14
- Participate in varsity sports: 22%
- Participate in intramurals and club sports: 55%
- Member NCAA Division III, North Coast Athletic
Conference (NCAC)
- Varsity sports: baseball, basketball
(m/w), cross country (m/w),
football, golf (m/w),
lacrosse (w), soccer (m/w),
softball, swimming/diving
(m/w), tennis (m/w), track-indoor (m/w), track-outdoor
(m/w), volleyball (w)
- Club sports: cheerleading, equestrian, fencing, ice hockey, kung fu, rowing, rugby, skiing, table
tennis, triathlon, ultimate frisbee, volleyball
- Intramurals (a sampling): basketball, bowling, dodgeball, flag football, racquetball, snowflake softball, volleyball
- Outdoor Adventures: backpacking, canoeing,
caving, night hikes, picnic outings, rock climbing,
sailing, skiing, snowshoeing, whitewater rafting
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Special Opportunities
Internships and Job Shadowing
- Available internships: 2,500
- Undertake internships: 75%
- Students can participate in internships and shadowing opportunities in the health and legal professions, sometimes earning college credit.
Community Service
- Participate in community service: Over 60%
- Total hours of service per year: 30,000
Independent Study
- Enroll in independent study course: 43%
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Travel Seminars and Study Abroad
- Faculty members lead annual Travel Seminars after the spring semester. In recent years students have traveled to Ghana, India, Austria and Italy, Ukraine, Turks and Caicos Islands, Nicaragua and China.
- Allegheny-sponsored study abroad program locations include Australia, China, Costa Rica, Ecuador, France, Germany, India, Israel, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Senegal, South Africa, Spain, and the United Kingdom.
- Programs in the U.S. include semesters at the Duke University Marine Lab, New York Arts Program, Oak Ridge Science Semester, and Woods Hole, Massachusetts, and Washington, D.C.
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Outcomes
- Completed their degree in four years: 90%
- Hired within 8 months of graduation: 92%
- Go on to graduate school directly: 48%
- Typical graduate school acceptance rate (including
pre-law and pre-med): 80-100%
Departments with largest number of graduates:
- Biology
- Political Science
- Psychology
- Economics
- English
- Communication Arts
- History
- Neuroscience
- Environmental Science
Departments with
highest percentage
of majors attending
graduate or
professional school:
- Chemistry
- Biology
- Neuroscience
- English
- Psychology
- Political Science
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Thinking Green, Being Green
Here are just a few of the ways Allegheny's campus community engages not only in active discussion but in proactive efforts to be careful stewards of our natural resources.
- As a charter signatory of the leadership circle of the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment, we have pledged to develop and implement a plan to achieve climate neutrality.
- Our Center for Economic and Environmental Development engages students, faculty, and the community in creating innovative approaches to environmental stewardship, environmental education, and regional revitalization.
- Our high-tech composter - one of the first in the state - turns dining hall leftovers into organic fertilizer.
- Wind energy now accounts for 15 percent of the power usage on campus.
- Allegheny incorporates environmental principles and ethics into diverse disciplines including art, geology, writing, political science, economics, history, philosophy and communication arts.
- Our new North Village residence complex incorporates environmentally friendly features from its recycled rubber roof to its ground-source heat pumps—and our students worked with the architects during a Junior Seminar as they explored “green” alternatives to traditional construction features.
- An acre of Allegheny’s campus is planted in native species wildflowers, which will eliminate a significant portion of grounds maintenance and also provide a unique research laboratory and parking lot runoff filtration.
- Allegheny students participate each year in RecycleMania, an innovative national program that challenges colleges to reduce, reuse and recycle campus waste.
- The College’s Local Foods project organizes and empowers local growers, while our dining service, Parkhurst, brings local foods to our dining halls through its FarmSource program. Allegheny also hosts an annual Local Foods Dinner to educate the community about the benefits of eating locally.
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Location
A metropolitan area with a population of 30,000, Meadville,
Pennsylvania is approximately 30 minutes from I-90 and
I-80, a few miles off I-79. Downtown is within walking
distance of campus and within easy driving distance from
Chicago, Columbus, Baltimore, New York City, and Washington D.C.
Academic Advantages of Location
- Meadville has a rich history of entrepreneurial
development, and its county seat status provides
extensive opportunities for internships and work
experience in environmental centers, county government,
media, medicine, and economic and political development.
- In addition to the College's theatre and art galleries, there
are year-round activities by the Meadville Council on the
Arts at locations including the Academy Theatre and the
Heeschen Art Gallery.
Social Advantages of Location
- The number of activities keeps 80% of students on
campus each weekend.
- Being "just close enough" to major cities allows for
frequent excursions to major sporting events, concerts,
and other attractions.
- Gator Activities Programming (GAP) sponsors performances
by entertainers like Jim Breuer, Dave Matthews, the Clarks,
Jimmy Fallon, the Roots, and most recently Jason Mraz, Ben
Folds, the Fray, Wayne Brady, and Michelle Buteau.
- Noted for outdoor recreation, Crawford County boasts
six lakes and several state parks for picnicking, hiking,
caving, biking, running, canoeing, kayaking, camping,
skiing and more.
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Airports & Drive Times
- Pittsburgh (PIT) – 1.5 hrs
- Buffalo (BUF) – 2 hrs
- Cleveland (CLE) – 2 hrs
- Erie (ERI) – 40 mins
- Washington, D.C. – 5.5 hrs
- Chicago – 7 hrs
- New York City – 7.5 hrs
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Accreditation
Allegheny College is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. More information about Allegheny's accreditation can be found on the Commission's web site: www.msche.org.
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