The Alvernia Advantage

Alvernia University was founded in 1958 by the Bernardine Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis. Through its main campus in Reading and locations in Philadelphia and Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, the university serves 3,000 students of diverse backgrounds from around the country.

Alvernia students


Alvernia offers a unique blend of rigorous liberal arts core education for development of the mind, strong technical training in many high demand majors, experiential learning through study abroad and internship experiences, and engagement with the community through our Franciscan-based community service model. We call our model of transformational education the Alvernia Advantage, and we believe this style of education transforms students into ethical leaders with moral courage.


Alvernia offers more than 50 undergraduate majors and minors that are uniquely combined with a strong liberal arts foundation to develop critical thinking, communication and an understanding of human behavior.


Master's degrees are awarded in business administration, clinical counseling, education, leadership, nursing, occupational therapy, and social work. Alvernia offers a seven-year Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program, as well as Doctor of Philosophy in Leadership program.


Alvernia University ranks in the top 100 among 2021 Best Regional Universities in the North by U.S. News & World Report, and we're recognized as a College of Distinction for our commitment to engaged, experiential education.


Alvernia has a longstanding commitment to helping students develop their innate talents, discover their passions and lead successful lives with deep meaning and purpose. Through experiential learning, students graduate well prepared for success in the workplace.


The Alvernia Advantage results in a superior track record of career placements and quality graduate school opportunities. 95% of our students are employed or enrolled in graduate programs within six months of graduation.

About