# West Chester University of Pennsylvania

> public university in southeastern Pennsylvania

**Wikidata**: [Q3443893](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3443893)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Chester_University)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/west-chester-university-of-pennsylvania

## Key Facts
- **Founded:** 1871
- **Location:** West Chester, Pennsylvania, United States (coordinates: 39.9522°N, 75.6001°W)
- **Address:** University Avenue and High Street, West Chester, PA 19383
- **Type:** Public university; part of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education
- **Enrollment:** Approximately 18,000 students
- **Employees:** 1,869 (as of September 2020)
- **Endowment:** $26,092,198 (as of June 30, 2022)
- **Athletics:** West Chester Golden Rams
- **Website:** http://www.wcupa.edu
- **Carnegie Classification:** Master's colleges and universities with larger programs; very high undergraduate; four-year, large, primarily residential; more selective, higher transfer-in
- **Admissions:** Acceptance rate of 86% and yield rate of 23% (2020)
- **Academic Calendar:** Semester system

## FAQs
### Q: Is West Chester University a public or private school?
A: West Chester University of Pennsylvania is a public university. It is part of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education.

### Q: How many students attend West Chester University?
A: The university has an enrollment of approximately 18,000 students.

### Q: Where is West Chester University located?
A: The university is located in West Chester, Pennsylvania, at the intersection of University Avenue and High Street, with the ZIP code 19383.

### Q: What is the West Chester University endowment?
A: As of June 30, 2022, the university's endowment was $26,092,198.

## Why It Matters
As the largest university within the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education by enrollment, West Chester University of Pennsylvania plays a pivotal role in providing accessible, high-quality public higher education in the southeastern region of the state. Its Carnegie classification as a master's college with larger programs and a very high undergraduate focus indicates a strong commitment to comprehensive undergraduate education alongside select graduate programs. The university's significant student body of approximately 18,000 and a workforce of nearly 1,900 employees make it a major educational and economic contributor to the region. Furthermore, its broad network of memberships in organizations such as the American Association of State Colleges and Universities and the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities underscores its active engagement in national educational policy and research collaboration.

## Notable For
- Being the largest university in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education by student enrollment.
- Holding a Carnegie Classification indicating "very high undergraduate" enrollment and "larger programs" at the master's level.
- Maintaining a substantial digital presence with verified social media accounts across major platforms.
- A history dating back to its inception in 1871.
- Operating with an admissions profile that is "more selective, higher transfer-in" per its Carnegie Classification.

## Body
### Overview and Classification
West Chester University of Pennsylvania is a public educational institution classified as a university. According to its Carnegie Classification, it is categorized as a "master's colleges and universities: larger programs" institution with "very high undergraduate" enrollment and "postbaccalaureate: comprehensive programs." It is further described as a "four-year, large, primarily residential" institution with a "balanced arts & sciences/professions, some graduate coexistence" profile. The university's admissions are characterized as "four-year, full-time, more selective, higher transfer-in."

### Operations and Finance
The university had 1,869 employees as of September 2020. Its financial endowment was valued at $26,092,198 as of June 30, 2022. In the 2020 admissions cycle, the university reported an admission rate of 86% and an admission yield rate of 23%.

### Affiliations and Memberships
The institution is a member of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. It also holds memberships in several key academic organizations, including:
- Association of American Colleges and Universities
- American Council on Education
- National Humanities Alliance
- American Association of State Colleges and Universities
- Center for Research Libraries
- Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations
- Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities

### Athletics and Identity
The university's athletic program is known as the West Chester Golden Rams. It is commonly referred to by the aliases WCU and West Chester University.

### Digital and Informational Presence
West Chester University maintains a significant online presence. Its official website is http://www.wcupa.edu. The university utilizes social media with verified accounts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads under the handle "wcuofpa" or "WCUPA." It also has an official subreddit named "wcupa."

### Identifiers and Codes
The institution is identified by numerous international and national codes and IDs, including:
- **ISIL:** OCLC-QWC
- **ROR ID:** 0053n5071
- **GRID ID:** grid.268132.c
- **ISNI:** 0000000107012416
- **VIAF ID:** 146684658
- **Library of Congress Authority ID:** n88080372
- **Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System ID:** 216764

## References

1. Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System
2. GRID Release 2017-01-10
3. Virtual International Authority File
4. [Source](https://web.archive.org/web/20240120073011/https://secure.aacu.org/iMIS/AACUR/Membership/MemberListAACU.aspx)
5. [Source](https://web.archive.org/web/20240120080233/https://acememberdirectory.azurewebsites.net/)
6. [Source](https://web.archive.org/web/20240126121019/https://nhalliance.org/about/members/)
7. [Source](https://aascu.org/our-members/)
8. [Source](https://web.archive.org/web/20231016073235/https://www.crl.edu/membership/members)
9. [Source](https://pano.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/pano/publicaccess/membershipDirectory.do)
10. [Source](https://www.cumuonline.org/membership/cumu-members/)
11. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
12. Czech National Authority Database
13. MusicBrainz
14. [Source](http://www.wcupa.edu)
15. [Source](http://km.aifb.kit.edu/services/crunchbase/)
16. GRID Release 2016-05-31
17. GRID Release 2016-12-06
18. Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education
19. Quora
20. Aligned ISNI and Ringgold identifiers for institutions
21. YouTube API
22. [Source](https://orcid.org/signin)
23. Microsoft Academic Knowledge Graph
24. [U.S. and Canadian 2022 NTSE Participating Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year 2022 Endowment Market Value, Change in Market Value from FY21 to FY22, and FY22 Endowment Market Values Per Full-time Equivalent Student (Excel). 2023](https://www.nacubo.org/Research/2022/Public-NTSE-Tables)
25. National Library of Israel Names and Subjects Authority File
26. [OpenAlex](https://docs.openalex.org/download-snapshot/snapshot-data-format)
27. National Center for Education Statistics