PA
Widener University
6.65 incidents / 1,000 students
Chester, PA · Clery Act 2024 · Private Nonprofit
Widener University
Across 2022–2024, Widener University reported 49 incidents in the Clery Criminal Offenses section, and the yearly count rose over that span (largest filed category: Aggravated Assault). Nearby same-state same-level comparison: East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania.
- 6.65
- Incidents / 1k students
- #1,769
- Rank of 2,072
- #118
- PA rank
- 5,713
- Enrolled students
6.65 reported score-category incidents per 1,000 students
Widener University reports 6.65 2024 score-category incidents per 1,000 - 4657% above Columbia State Community College. Similar-enrollment scored peers: Columbia State Community College (0.18/1k); Northeast Community College (0.00/1k); Orange County Community College (0.00/1k); Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus (0.35/1k); Unitek College (0.17/1k). Same-state same-level set also includes East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania (5.86/1k); Wilkes University (2.04/1k); Robert Morris University (1.14/1k); Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania (1.55/1k); University of Scranton (2.54/1k); Pennsylvania College of Technology (0.66/1k); Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg (3.57/1k); Millersville University of Pennsylvania (1.15/1k). Largest Criminal Offenses total across filed years: Aggravated Assault.
Data source U.S. Department of Education, OPE Campus Safety and Security Survey
- incidents / 1,000 students
- 6.65
- of 2,072 ranked nationally
- #1,769
- report fewer incidents than this campus
- 85%
- Criminal Offenses, 2024
- 19
Source: U.S. Department of Education OPE Campus Safety and Security Survey
Data updated August 2026
Clery Act plate
Sheet 216852 · Widener University 6.65/1k score rate · #1,769/2,072
RATE-HOT · RANK-BOTTOM · ST-MID · ABOVE-PEER · ZERO-NONE · TREND-UP · CAT-LEAD · ENR-MID · FIRE-ZERO
- RATE-HOT 6.65/1k
- RANK-BOTTOM #1,769/2,072
- ST-MID #118 in state
- ABOVE-PEER Eastern New Mexico University-Main · +6.30
- ZERO-NONE Scored
- TREND-UP ↑ 58%
- CAT-LEAD Aggravated Assault
- ENR-MID 5,713
- FIRE-ZERO 0 fires filed
Nearest enrollment peer: Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus (-6.30/1k)
Widener University sheet RATE-HOT · RANK-BOTTOM · ST-MID · ABOVE-PEER · ZERO-NONE · TREND-UP · CAT-LEAD · ENR-MID · FIRE-ZERO · peer Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus. Codes from this campus OPE filing: score-category rate, national/state rank, named enrollment peer, zero posture, Criminal Offenses trend, lead category, enrollment band, fire filing. Not a moving recommendation.
Clery plate RATE-HOT · RANK-BOTTOM · ST-MID · ABOVE-PEER · ZERO-NONE · TREND-UP · CAT-LEAD · ENR-MID · FIRE-ZERO. Nearest similar-enrollment peer is Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus (-6.30/1k). National rank #1,769 of 2,072 scored campuses. Instrument codes from this campus OPE sheet; compare similarly sized peers before treating any single rate as decisive.
Widener University reports 6.65 2024 score-category incidents per 1,000 - 4657% above Columbia State Community College. Similar-enrollment scored peers: Columbia State Community College (0.18/1k); Northeast Community College (0.00/1k); Orange County Community College (0.00/1k); Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus (0.35/1k); Unitek College (0.17/1k). Same-state same-level set also includes East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania (5.86/1k); Wilkes University (2.04/1k); Robert Morris University (1.14/1k); Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania (1.55/1k); University of Scranton (2.54/1k); Pennsylvania College of Technology (0.66/1k); Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg (3.57/1k); Millersville University of Pennsylvania (1.15/1k). Largest Criminal Offenses total across filed years: Aggravated Assault.
Peer-rate neighbourhood around Widener University
Lowest/highest enrollment peers plus campuses nearest Widener on score-category rate. Full ladder: /rankings/safest-campuses.
- Northeast Community College · lowest peer 0
Northeast Community College — lowest peer
0 per 1,000 students
- Unitek College · near 0.17
Unitek College — near
0.17 per 1,000 students
- Columbia State Community College · near 0.18
Columbia State Community College — near
0.18 per 1,000 students
- Eastern New Mexico University-Main · near 0.35
Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus — near
0.35 per 1,000 students
- Widener University · this campus · highest
Widener University — this campus · highest
6.65 per 1,000 students
What this shows Neighbourhood of similar-enrollment peers around Widener University's 6.65/1k rate, not a full-corpus distribution reprint.
Reporting-period change
What changed in 2024
Widener University increased from 18 to 19 reported on-campus incidents between the 2023 and 2024 reporting years in the U.S. Department of Education OPE Campus Safety Survey.
This is a change in reported incidents, not a measure of individual safety. Enrollment, reporting practice, and category coverage can affect the count.
See national reporting-year changesSignature insight · size does not equal danger
Campus size vs reported safety rate
Among 37 PA 4-year peers in this comparison, Widener University is larger than 78% and safer-reporting than 17% - the larger, higher-reporting quadrant. Axes are within-sample percentiles so outliers share the same frame; a higher safety percentile means a lower Clery incidents-per-1,000 rate.
Read the chart as text
- Point 1: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 75, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 22
- Point 2: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 72, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 61
- Point 3: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 69, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 75
- Point 4: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 67, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 64
- Point 5: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 64, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 53
- Point 6: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 61, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 86
- Point 7: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 58, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 33
- Point 8: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 81, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 72
- Point 9: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 83, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 44
- Point 10: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 56, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 69
- Point 11: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 53, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 58
- Point 12: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 50, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 11
- Point 13: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 86, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 47
- Point 14: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 47, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 31
- Point 15: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 89, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 56
- Point 16: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 44, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 97
- Point 17: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 42, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 94
- Point 18: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 39, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 50
- Point 19: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 36, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 6
- Point 20: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 33, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 19
- Point 21: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 31, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 89
- Point 22: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 92, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 81
- Point 23: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 94, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 36
- Point 24: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 28, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 3
- Point 25: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 97, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 78
- Point 26: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 25, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 42
- Point 27: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 22, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 39
- Point 28: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 19, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 100
- Point 29: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 17, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 83
- Point 30: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 14, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 14
- Point 31: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 11, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 0
- Point 32: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 8, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 92
- Point 33: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 6, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 8
- Point 34: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 3, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 25
- Point 35: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 100, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 67
- Point 36: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 0, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 28
- Widener University: Enrollment size, percentile in sample 78, Safer-reporting percentile (lower rate) 17
Read the chart as a table
| Campus | Enrollment | Rate / 1k | Size pct | Safety pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercyhurst University | 2,632 | 4.56 | 0 | 28 |
| Moravian University | 2,745 | 4.74 | 3 | 25 |
| Lafayette College | 2,775 | 7.93 | 6 | 8 |
| Alvernia University | 2,796 | 0.36 | 8 | 92 |
| Gettysburg College | 2,812 | 12.80 | 11 | 0 |
| Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Abington | 2,885 | 7.28 | 14 | 14 |
| Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine | 2,901 | 0.69 | 17 | 83 |
| Mount Aloysius College | 2,955 | 0.00 | 19 | 100 |
| Saint Francis University | 2,963 | 3.38 | 22 | 39 |
| DeSales University | 2,972 | 3.36 | 25 | 42 |
| La Salle University | 3,153 | 12.05 | 28 | 3 |
| Widener University (this campus) | 5,713 | 6.65 | 78 | 17 |
Sample of 12 campuses from the plot (sorted by enrollment). Source: U.S. Department of Education OPE Campus Safety Survey + IPEDS enrollment. Rate = on-campus Criminal Offenses and VAWA incidents per 1,000 students; lower is safer-reporting, not a personal-risk forecast.
What changed between 2023 and 2024
Reported on-campus incidents at Widener University rose from 18 to 19 (+6%). The increase shows up in Rape (1 to 5), Arson (1 to 2) and Burglary (4 to 5). Falling over the same period: Fondling (4 to 0), Aggravated Assault (6 to 5) and Motor Vehicle Theft (1 to 0).
This describes reported incidents, not crime. Clery counts move with reporting policy, awareness campaigns and how a campus staffs its security authorities, so a rise can reflect better capture of reports and a fall can reflect worse capture. One year of movement at a single campus is not a trend.
What actually gets reported at Widener University
Across 3 reporting years, on-campus incidents were recorded in 7 Clery Act categories here: Aggravated Assault, Rape, Burglary, Fondling, Arson, Robbery and Motor Vehicle Theft.
The remaining 4 categories were reported with no on-campus incidents, Incest, Murder / Non-Negligent Manslaughter, Negligent Manslaughter and Statutory Rape. Under the Clery Act that zero is an affirmative report that nothing in the category occurred, not an absence of data, which is why the table below lists those rows rather than dropping them.
Counts describe incidents reported under the Clery Act for the on-campus geography. Reporting practice varies between institutions, so counts are not a direct measure of relative safety.
Crime Statistics by Year
11 categories 3 reporting years on-campus onlyWidener University: Criminal Offenses by year
Rising 58% (12 → 19 incidents)
Read the chart as text
| Period | On-campus incidents |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 12 |
| 2023 | 18 |
| 2024 | 19 |
| Crime Type | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aggravated Assault | 5 | 6 | 1 |
| Rape | 5 | 1 | 4 |
| Burglary | 5 | 4 | 0 |
| Fondling | 0 | 4 | 2 |
| Arson | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| Robbery | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Incest | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Murder / Non-Negligent Manslaughter | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Negligent Manslaughter | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Statutory Rape | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Source: US Dept of Education OPE Campus Safety Survey. Table figures show the Criminal Offenses section; other Clery tables are separate
Fire Safety
| Year | Fires | Inj. | Deaths | Cat I | Cat II |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Arrests & Disciplinary Actions
27 category-year records| Category | Year | Arrests | Discipline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drugs | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2024 | 0 | 1 |
| Drugs | 2024 | 4 | 27 |
| Liquor | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Liquor | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Liquor | 2024 | 1 | 16 |
| Weapons | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Weapons | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Weapons | 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2023 | 0 | 22 |
| Liquor | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Liquor | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Liquor | 2023 | 0 | 17 |
| Weapons | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Weapons | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Weapons | 2023 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2022 | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 2022 | 0 | 0 |
Widener University vs peer institutions
Side-by-side safety scores for 3 peers of similar enrollment
Scores are $2024 Criminal Offenses and VAWA incidents per 1,000 enrolled students (lower is fewer in those categories).
TN
Columbia State Community College
0.18 incidents / 1,000 students
NE
Northeast Community College
0.00 incidents / 1,000 students
Cost context
Where Widener University sits on price and outcomes
At $25,759, Widener University's reported average net price is cheaper than 75% among 261 Pennsylvania colleges with a reported figure. The state median is $19,954.
- $25,759
- average net price
- $19,954
- Pennsylvania median
- 2.3×
- six-year earnings to median debt
- $11,096
- reported income-bracket spread
Net price moves with income here, but not sharply: $21,200 for families reporting under $30,000 against $32,296 above $110,000, a difference of $11,096. Aid narrows the gap without closing it, so the $25,759 average sits reasonably close to what most brackets report.
Six-year median earnings of $63,375 run about 2.5 times the annual net price. The margin is real but narrow, so how many years of price a student actually pays matters a great deal here.
Average net price reflects grant and scholarship aid for aided students, not a personal offer. Earnings cover former students who received federal aid; neither measure predicts an individual's outcome.
Academic & Financial Profile
Tuition & Costs
- In-State Tuition
- $55,730
- Out-of-State Tuition
- $55,730
- Avg Net Price
- $25,759
- Median Debt
- $27,000
- Pell Grant Recipients
- 33%
Admissions
- Acceptance Rate
- 71%
- SAT Average
- 1180
- SAT Math Range
- 530-640
Outcomes
- 4-Year Graduation Rate
- 66%
- Retention Rate
- 78%
- Median Earnings (6yr)
- $63,375
- Median Earnings (10yr)
- $70,920
- Loan Repayment (3yr)
- 79%
Source: IPEDS & College Scorecard. Methodology.
Similar Institutions
Showing 5 of 1,035 similar institutions by enrollment size.
Columbia State Community College
Columbia, TN · 5,712 enrolled
Safety Score 0.18
Northeast Community College
Norfolk, NE · 5,720 enrolled
Safety Score 0.00
Orange County Community College
Middletown, NY · 5,704 enrolled
Safety Score 0.00
Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus
Portales, NM · 5,725 enrolled
Safety Score 0.35
Unitek College
Fremont, CA · 5,725 enrolled
Safety Score 0.17
Closest by National Rank
Widener University (national rank #1769) sits near University of Maine at Farmington (#1770) and Texas A&M University-Texarkana (#1768) on the scored national list, nearest by rank, not by size or state.
University of Maine at Farmington
Farmington, ME
National Rank #1770
Texas A&M University-Texarkana
Texarkana, TX
National Rank #1768
Loyola Marymount University
Los Angeles, CA
National Rank #1771
University of Evansville
Evansville, IN
National Rank #1767
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts
North Adams, MA
National Rank #1772
Nationwide campuses with similar scale or Clery rate
Two Clery-derived peer sets for Widener University, both outside PA so the neighborhoods are not state containment (Similar Institutions and national-rank neighbors above stay enrollment- or rank-based).
Similar enrollment (nationwide)
Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus
Portales, NM · 5,725 enrolled
Safety score 0.35
Unitek College
Fremont, CA · 5,725 enrolled
Safety score 0.17
Missouri Baptist University
Saint Louis, MO · 5,699 enrolled
Safety score 0.35
Northeastern Illinois University
Chicago, IL · 5,734 enrolled
Safety score 1.57
Midland College
Midland, TX · 5,690 enrolled
Safety score 0.18
Park University
Parkville, MO · 5,736 enrolled
Safety score 0.70
Columbia College
Columbia, MO · 5,689 enrolled
Safety score 0.70
Worcester State University
Worcester, MA · 5,745 enrolled
Safety score 1.91
Similar 2024 Clery rate (nationwide)
University of Maine at Farmington
Farmington, ME · 2,100 enrolled
Safety score 6.67
Texas A&M University-Texarkana
Texarkana, TX · 2,412 enrolled
Safety score 6.63
Loyola Marymount University
Los Angeles, CA · 10,179 enrolled
Safety score 6.68
University of Evansville
Evansville, IN · 2,114 enrolled
Safety score 6.62
Rowan University
Glassboro, NJ · 21,026 enrolled
Safety score 6.61
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts
North Adams, MA · 896 enrolled
Safety score 6.70
College of the Holy Cross
Worcester, MA · 3,126 enrolled
Safety score 6.72
Wheaton College (Massachusetts)
Norton, MA · 1,785 enrolled
Safety score 6.72
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Widener University safe?
Widener University has a safety score of 6.65 (2024 on-campus Criminal Offenses and VAWA incidents per 1,000 enrolled students) and ranks #1,769 nationally out of 2,072 ranked institutions - nearest similar-enrollment comparison: Columbia State Community College (0.18/1k). Same-state same-level set: East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania (5.86/1k); Wilkes University (2.04/1k); Robert Morris University (1.14/1k); Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania (1.55/1k); University of Scranton (2.54/1k); Pennsylvania College of Technology (0.66/1k); Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg (3.57/1k); Millersville University of Pennsylvania (1.15/1k).
What crimes are reported at Widener University?
For calendar year 2024, Widener University reported Aggravated Assault (5), Burglary (5), Rape (5), Arson (2) and Robbery (2) in the Criminal Offenses section. Every other category in that section was reported at zero; other Clery tables are separate.
How does Widener University compare to similar schools?
Widener University reports 4657% more 2024 score-category incidents per 1,000 than Columbia State Community College. Scored similar-enrollment peers on this page: Columbia State Community College (0.18/1k); Northeast Community College (0.00/1k); Orange County Community College (0.00/1k); Eastern New Mexico University-Main Campus (0.35/1k); Unitek College (0.17/1k). Same-state same-level set: East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania (5.86/1k); Wilkes University (2.04/1k); Robert Morris University (1.14/1k); Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania (1.55/1k); University of Scranton (2.54/1k); Pennsylvania College of Technology (0.66/1k); Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg (3.57/1k); Millersville University of Pennsylvania (1.15/1k).
Does Widener University have fire safety data?
Yes. Widener University reports fire safety data for on-campus residential facilities, including total fires, injuries, deaths, and fire damage categories. No fires were reported in the most recent year.
Every figure on PlainCampus is rendered directly from federal Clery Act source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on federal Clery Act source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.
PlainCampus is for informational purposes only and does not constitute safety, security, legal, or enrollment advice; the data describes reported on-campus activity, it is not a complete picture of safety at any campus and cannot predict any individual student's experience. See our appropriate use guidance.
PlainCampus is for informational purposes only and does not constitute safety, security, legal, or enrollment advice.