Admissions Factors
What Villanova Looks For
Villanova rates 3 factors as very important: rigor of high school courses, academic GPA and application essay.
How Villanova rates each factor
Each college sorts 18 factors into four levels on its Common Data Set.
Important
Considered
The numbers behind the class
Overall admit rate
28.1%
7,272 of 25,841 applicants
Early decision admit rate
59.8%
Early decision admits equal 56% of the class
Admitted from the waitlist
1.3%
28 of 2,205 who stayed on it
Enrolled first-years had an average high school GPA of 3.87. 81% of those who reported a class rank were in the top tenth of their class.
Frequently asked questions
What does Villanova look for in applicants?
Villanova rates 3 factors as very important: rigor of high school courses, academic GPA and application essay.
Does Villanova consider legacy status?
Villanova rates alumni relation as "considered" in its 2025-26 Common Data Set.
Does Villanova track demonstrated interest?
Villanova rates the level of an applicant's interest as "not considered".
What is Villanova's waitlist acceptance rate?
2,205 students stayed on the waitlist and 28 were admitted, a rate of 1.3%. The number changes a lot from year to year because it depends on how many admitted students enroll.
What is Villanova's early decision acceptance rate?
Early decision: 1,005 of 1,680 applicants were admitted (59.8%), against 28.1% overall. Early pools include recruited athletes and other students with a strong tie to the college, so the gap overstates the boost for an ordinary applicant.
Source: Villanova’s own Common Data Set 2025-26, Section C. Last checked 2026-10-08. The ratings are the college’s own description of its process. Counts are for one entering class.
