Cabrini University

Student Profile

Fall 2016 Enrollment
1,501 undergraduate students
92% of undergrad students are full time
38% male — 62% female
30.1% of students are from out of state

Faculty Profile

2016-2017 Academic Year
83 full-time faculty
229 part-time faculty

Residence Life

Fall 2016
83% of first year students live on campus
72% of all students live on campus

School Location

Cabrini is located 30 minutes from Philadelphia, PA, in a small and safe suburb. Its 112-acre wooded campus is near quaint Wayne, PA, with its many shops and restaurants. A shuttle bus can take students to the massive King of Prussia Mall (the second largest in the country), or they can take a two-hour train ride to New York City and Washington, DC.

High-Impact Practices

Read more about the importance of High-Impact Practices 

RETENTION FALL 2016

70% of students began in Fall 2015 and returned in Fall 2016 (full time, first time freshmen)

ENROLLMENT BY RACIAL/ETHNIC CATEGORY - FALL 2016

Athletics

As of January 2017, Cabrini has 19 Division III sports teams—8 men’s teams and 11 women’s teams.

Men’s sports: baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, swimming, and tennis
Women’s sports: basketball, cross country, field hockey, golf, lacrosse, rowing, soccer, softball, swimming, tennis, and volleyball

The Cavaliers have won 113 Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) Championships, 1 Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference (AMCC) Championship, and 34 CSAC President’s Cups. And more than 60 Cavalier players are All-Americans, receiving local and national awards.

Other Information

Founded in 1957, Cabrini is fully accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and has been recognized nationally for its pioneering community service curriculum, Justice Matters. Cabrini is a private, Catholic institution that became co-ed more than 40 years ago and launched its first graduate program in the 1980s.

Academic Programs

Cabrini offers more than 35 undergraduate programs, including biology, education (with teacher certification), English, criminology, communication, finance, psychology, and social work; and 10 pre-professional programs, including pre-dentistry and pre-law studies. Students also can create their own major, minor, or concentration. For a full list, please visit www.cabrini.edu/undergraduate. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree, students can continue their academic career at Cabrini by pursuing graduate work in one of our six master’s programs and our two doctoral programs.

More Distinctions

• Cabrini has received these industry awards and recognitions.

• 2017 Best Value School in PayScale’s College ROI Report

• 2017 Best Small College in the U.S. by Best College Review

• 2017 Best Value Top College by Educate to Career

• 2016 Military Friendly School by Victory Media

• President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll

Justice Matters Core Curriculum

From the beginning of their college experience, students start Cabrini’s “Justice Matters” core curriculum, which builds writing and analytical skills with a focus on issues of human rights, inclusivity, and other social issues. Justice Matters classes are writing-intensive and are taken from the first year through to the third year, finishing with a capstone in the fourth year. Engagements with the Common Good (ECG) classes sit at the heart of the curriculum, leading students on a journey of self-discovery and greater awareness of the world. First-year ECGs range from Mental Health & Society to Hip Hop: Language of Social Justice. Second-year ECGs include subjects such as Race, Gender, Youth Empowerment; Rethinking Addiction; and Democracy & Diversity. In ECG third-year courses, students can explore everything from Working for Global Justice to Food Insecurity.

Community Service and the Core

Community service is integrated within the Justice Matters core curriculum, and Cabrini faculty, students, and staff provide more than 25,000 hours of service a year in nine different countries. For students who wish to continue their exploration of justice or service, Cabrini offers service trips every year to places such as Argentina, Guatemala, Swaziland, and Nicaragua.

Study Abroad & Student Research

As students hit their stride, they can explore Cabrini’s study abroad trips or participate in undergraduate research opportunities. Cabrini offers students 7- or 10-day Immersion Trips to places like London and Guatemala as well as semester and summer programs abroad in Australia, England, Ireland, Italy, and Semester at Sea. Students work closely with faculty to study everything from the immunology of earthworms to the impact of Citizens United on corporate culture. Students present their research findings at the annual Academic Symposium with poster presentations, short talks, and informal dialogue with faculty, staff, and other students.

Free Lectures & Seminars

Throughout the fall and spring, there are events hosted by various departments and organizations that are open and free to Cabrini students. The Nerney Leadership Institute brings in executives from across the country to speak in class and in public about key issues of leadership development. It has hosted, among others, Jonathan Brassington from LiquidHub, Judge Renee Cardwell Hughes from the American Red Cross, and Cornell Brooks from NAACP. The Wolfington Center hosts an annual Lenten Lecture Series to explore faith and Catholic social teachings with service leaders, allowing students to explore their own faith and learn new perspectives.

Cabrini also hosts Woodrow Wilson Fellows, enabling students to interact with thought leaders brought to campus for a week. An example of a resident Fellow was Robert “Gus” Gusentine, who is working to assess and monitor global freshwater supplies. And, continuing its commitment to fighting domestic violence and human trafficking, Cabrini holds an annual Domestic Violence Symposium that has featured national experts such as Kristina Rose, senior policy advisor for Violence Against Women from the Office of the Vice President.

Specialty Centers

Cabrini’s academic centers provide students with more opportunities to meet industry experts, connect with communities, and learn from faculty and staff outside the classroom. The Nerney Leadership Institute brings leaders from around the country to campus for day-long residencies on campus and hosts leadership development workshops for students. The Wolfington Center is Cabrini’s hub for social justice and advocacy, hosting speakers on issues of equity and inclusion and creating service programs for students. In 2017, four new centers were launched to become “think tanks” for the university’s faculty and the broader community. The Center for Urban Education, Equity, and Improvement; The Center for Immigration; The Center for Children of Trauma and Domestic Violence Education; and the Center for Global Learning will become great sources of social advocacy-related information for both the Cabrini community and the country at large.

Activities Offered

In addition to the writing-intensive Justice Matters core curriculum and opportunities for student research, students at Cabrini have access to faculty and resources to help them get the most of their undergraduate experience.

First-Year Experience

Before students start their first semester at Cabrini, their transition to college is guided by the award-winning First-Year Experience (FYE) program. It all begins at the Summer Orientation and New Student Orientation, both of which connect students to peer mentors and future classmates, additionally giving families access to faculty and staff. New students continue their transition to college in the credit-bearing College Success Seminar, which helps with academic preparation throughout the entire first year. All of the FYE activities create a sense of community for the incoming class while working closely with students so that they may understand all the ways to get involved and seek help on campus.

Faculty Advisors

Cabrini has an average student-to-faculty ratio of 16-to-1. This allows students to have direct access to faculty in the class, which is supplemented by faculty advising. Each academic major at Cabrini has a faculty advisor who works with students to define their goals and to help navigate the requirements for their major.

Advanced Degrees

Students have the opportunity to get advanced degrees at Cabrini or one of the university’s partner schools. Cabrini has 4+1 programs for students, allowing them to earn a graduate-level degree in only five years. Programs include graduate degrees in biological sciences and criminology/criminal justice. Cabrini has also partnered with universities in the region to offer advanced degrees to Cabrini students in areas like dentistry, pharmacy, law, and social work.

Center for Student Success

The Center for Student Success provides academic advising, tutoring, disability resources, and career services for all Cabrini students. Each incoming student is assigned to an academic advisor who helps them transition to college and connect them to needed resources. The Math Resource Center and Writing Center provide additional support to students seeking extra help in those areas, while peer tutors can help with specific classes and test preparation.

For students with special needs, the Disability Resource Center, also part of the Center for Student Success, offers appropriate accommodations and additional learning specialists for students who qualify for such services. Cabrini is committed to helping all students achieve their goals.

The final part of the Center for Student Success is Cabrini’s Career and Professional Development. This group of dedicated professionals helps students decide on a major, write cover letters and resumes, practice interviewing, and learn how to search for jobs. They also host career fairs on campus, connecting students to internships and to jobs.

Common Core

* Religious Literacy
Other: Community Engagement

Class Size Breakdown

Cabrini students are active both on and off campus, participating in roughly 50 student clubs and organizations, 19 Division III sports teams, music and theater programs, campus events, and service trips and organizations.  

Art Exhibitions

The Gorevin Gallery in the Holy Spirit Library hosts ongoing exhibitions from Cabrini students as well as local and national artists. The intimate gallery has featured artists such as David Campbell Wilson, Masthead x Phantom Hand, and Christine Palnik. The gallery also features design students’ senior work throughout the spring, inviting community members to share in the success of graduating students.

Learning Communities

Though all of the above activities help to build new friendships and mentorships, Cabrini also offers students an opportunity to join Learning Communities (LCs). LCs allow students with similar interests the opportunity to take classes and exploration trips together throughout the first year. Students can also choose to take part in a Living and Learning Community (LLC), living with a small group of classmates in one of Cabrini’s 12 residence halls. These Learning Communities are available to both freshmen and sophomores and range in themes, including The Art of Persuasion, Body Language, and Voices of Justice.

Award-winning Student Media

Cabrini’s student literary magazine, Woodcrest, earned a Gold Crown award from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association. The publication was one of only 17 university publications chosen for this top honor, making 2017 its third Gold Crown in 10 years. For students more news oriented, Loquitur Media offers students opportunities to write and edit for the student paper, work in the TV production studio on student broadcasts, or host a show on the campus radio station.

Championship Athletics

Cabrini’s Division III sports teams have amassed more than 100 championship designations and just won its fifth consecutive Colonial States Athletic Conference President’s Cup. Student-athletes don’t just play to win—they play to learn about leadership, teamwork, and respect. For students not interested in playing on the Division III teams, there are fun intramural teams that play recreationally both on and off campus.

Near Philadelphia, New York City, and Washington, DC

Cabrini is ideally situated only 30 minutes from the center of Philadelphia, PA, offering a shuttle to the train station for easier access to the city’s thriving art and food scene. From Philadelphia, students can hop on an Amtrak train and be in New York within 1.5 hours or DC in under 2 hours. Cabrini classes and clubs also schedule trips to these key northeast cities, giving students access to cosmopolitan areas while offering a quieter suburban home base on campus.

Campus Housing Options for Undergraduates

From their first year on campus, students are encouraged to think beyond their immediate world through courses that integrate service learning, known as “Engagements with the Common Good.” This hands-on experience continues through internships and capstone projects that apply classroom theory to the “real world,” which helps 92 percent of the university’s students find work or pursue graduate school within 10 months of graduating.

Capstone Projects

Certain majors at Cabrini integrate a capstone project into their program. The capstone project combines years of educational and internship experiences into a final challenge that helps students better understand how they can impact the world around them. These projects have included building comprehensive, informational websites on current issues such as hunger in America, exploring global peace, or crafting an extensive reference resource to help Cabrini’s growing Latino population. Their work culminates in a formal thesis that uses in-depth research and critical analysis.

Center for Career and Professional Development

The Center for Career and Professional Development advises and supports Cabrini students and alumni in their career discovery. It provides one-on-one coaching, seminars on interviewing and resumes, and job placement assistance. The Center also brings employers to campus in the fall and spring for career fairs and networking events.

Internships

Students can earn anywhere from two to six credits per semester from internships—both on campus and in corporations, nonprofits, and government agencies. Many academic majors have internships embedded in their curriculum, enabling students to gain professional experience before graduation.

Cabrini students have interned at the American Diabetes Association, Bryn Mawr Hospital, Catholic Relief Services, CBS Corporation, Disney World Wide Services, Hoover Financial Advisors, iHeart Media, Make-A-Wish Foundation, Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office, Morgan Stanley, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Stream Companies, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, Wells Fargo Center, and many more.

Beyond Graduation

With the help of the Center for Career and Professional Development, Cabrini alumni have gone on to start their own businesses, advocate for human rights, and leave their mark on businesses of all sizes. They work for places such as Brinker Capital, the City of Houston, Deloitte & Touche, J.P. Morgan, KPMG, PeopleShare, Pureenergy Studio, Simon Public Relations, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), The Devereux Foundation, Vanguard, and others.

ADMISSIONS

ADMISSIONS FALL 2016

3,187 Total Applicants
2,264 Total Admissions
481 Total Freshmen Enrollment

Selectivity
71.04% of applicants admitted

Admissions Deadlines for 2017-18 Admission

Rolling admission? Yes

ADMISSIONS FACTORS

Very Important
Academic GPA
Level of applicant’s interest

Important
Rigor of secondary school record

Considered
Standardized test scores
Recommendation(s)
Interview
Extracurricular activities
Talent/ability
Character/personal qualities
Alumni/ae relation
Volunteer work
Work experience

Admissions Information

Here are some additional facts about Cabrini’s undergraduate admissions process.

• Cabrini’s admission process is test-optional, meaning that students do not need to submit scores for the SAT or ACT to be admitted.
• The average institutional award for first-year students is $16,500 (this does not include federal or state aid).
• Cabrini has bilingual admissions counselors available for Spanish-speaking families.
• Check Cabrini’s website for upcoming events about the admissions and financial aid process.

TUITION AND COSTS

NET PRICE CALCULATOR

https://www.cabrini.edu/undergraduate/paying/net-price-calculator 

FINANCIAL AID

Average Financial Aid Packages 2015-2016 FINAL

$17,185 First year students
$7,627 All undergrads

Financial Aid Breakdown 2015-2016 FINAL

26% of financial need students that had need fully met

$7,627 Average need-based scholarship or grant award
$3,257 Average need-based loan