Desales University
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
DESALES IS A CATHOLIC, SALESIAN UNIVERSITY THAT INSPIRES TRANSFORMATIVE LEARNING THROUGH THE LIBERAL ARTS AND PROFESSIONAL STUDIES BY ENERGIZING STUDENTS TO BE WHO THEY ARE AND BE THAT WELL.
- Income
- $149.7 million
- Spending
- $147.0 million
- Spent on programs
- 96%
- Reserves
- -0.6 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- fees for its services, 82%
- Employees
- 1,782
- Volunteers
- 129
- Highest pay
- $230,089, chair- division of business
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 58 out of 100. Higher than 37% of charities in its peer group (education, over $100m).
Reserves
0 of 35Spendable reserves are negative: it owes or has committed more than it holds.
Debt
16 of 20It owes 26% of what it owns.
Living within its means
12 of 15Income exceeded spending by 2% of income.
Income trend
15 of 15Income rose 5% on the year before.
Spending floor
15 of 1596% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 14 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 100 out of 100. Higher than 41% of charities in its peer group (education, over $100m).
Independent board
25 of 2523 of 24 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
15 of 15Its accounts were audited by an independent accountant.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (1)
- $140.6 million spent. DESALES UNIVERSITY IS A MEDIUM-SIZED, PRIVATE, FOUR-YEAR CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY WITH A SALESIAN MISSION ADMINISTERED BY THE OBLATES OF ST. FRANCIS DE SALES. STUDENTS AT DESALES ARE EXPOSED TO CATHOLIC TEACHINGS BUT ARE ALSO AFFORDED THE LUXURY OF EXPLORING IN AN ATMOSPHERE OF INTELLECTUAL FREEDOM. IT IS THE MISSION OF DESALES UNIVERSITY TO INSPIRE TRANSFORMATIVE LEARNING THROUGH THE LIBERAL ARTS AND PROFESSIONAL STUDIES BY ENERGIZING STUDENTS TO BE WHO THEY ARE AND BE THAT WELL. THE PHILOSOPHY OF DESALES UNIVERSITY IS FIRMLY AND PUBLICLY COMMITTED TO THE PRINCIPLES OF ROMAN CATHOLIC DOCTRINE AND MORALITY. IT ALSO FULLY RECOGNIZES THAT THE SEARCH FOR TRUTH REQUIRES AN ATMOSPHERE OF INTELLECTUAL FREEDOM, AND THAT LOVE DEMANDS AN OPENNESS TO ALL THAT IS GOOD. DESALES CAREFULLY DISTINGUISHES BETWEEN THE FREE PURSUIT OF TRUTH - WHICH IT GUARANTEES EVERY MEMBER OF THE CAMPUS COMMUNITY - AND ITS OWN COMMITMENT TO THE TEACHINGS OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH. FOR DESALES UNIVERSITY, CHRISTIAN HUMANISM MEANS THAT EVERY ASPECT OF HUMAN EXPERIENCE IS CAPABLE OF ENLIGHTENMENT BY THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST. THIS GOSPEL BRINGS LIGHT TO EACH DIMENSION OF PERSONAL EXISTENCE (PHYSICAL, INTELLECTUAL, SOCIAL, MORAL, AESTHETIC, AND RELIGIOUS) AND EVERY ENVIRONMENTAL DOMAIN (NATURAL WORLD, SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS, CULTURAL ACHIEVEMENTS, HISTORICAL PERIODS, AND RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES). THE ENCOUNTER BETWEEN THE WORD OF GOD AND THE CONCRETE WORLD OF THE HUMAN PERSON MAKES A FULLY MEANINGFUL EXISTENCE POSSIBLE. DESALES UNIVERSITY STRIVES TO TEACH THE STUDENT WHAT IT MEANS TO BE CHRISTIAN IN A SALESIAN WAY, WHAT IT MEANS TO EMBRACE ONE'S OWN LIFE, AND WHAT IT MEANS TO BRING THIS GOOD NEWS TO THE HUMAN FAMILY.THE DESALES MAIN CAMPUS IS LOCATED IN CENTER VALLEY, PA ON 550 ACRES APPROXIMATELY 50 MILES NORTH OF PHILADELPHIA, PA AND 90 MILES SOUTHWEST OF NEW YORK CITY. THE UNIVERSITY OFFERS TRADITIONAL, ONLINE, AND HYBRID COURSES AND PROGRAMS AT THE UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE LEVELS. DESALES UNIVERSITY IS ACCREDITED BY THE MIDDLE STATES COMMISSION ON HIGHER EDUCATION (MSCHE). SEVERAL PROGRAM-SPECIFIC ACCREDITATIONS ARE ALSO HELD BY THE UNIVERSITY INCLUDING THE ACCREDITATION REVIEW COMMISSION ON EDUCATION FOR THE PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT (ARC-PA), COMMISSION ON COLLEGIATE NURSING EDUCATION (CCNE), THE COMMISSION ON ACCREDITATION IN PHYSICAL THERAPY EDUCATION (CAPTE), THE ASSOCIATION OF COLLEGIATE BUSINESS SCHOOLS AND PROGRAMS (ACBSP), AND CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER BOARD REGISTERED PROGRAMS. DESALES HAS ALSO BEEN APPROVED BY THE PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION (PDE) TO PARTICIPATE IN THE NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR STATE AUTHORIZATION RECIPROCITY AGREEMENTS (NC-SARA) FOR POSTSECONDARY DISTANCE EDUCATION.THE UNIVERSITY OFFERS OVER 50 BACHELOR'S DEGREES, 12 MASTER'S DEGREES, AND 2 DOCTORAL DEGREES IN A WIDE RANGE OF DISCIPLINES. OVER 40 UNDERGRADUATE AND GRADUATE CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS ARE ALSO OFFERED. WITH MANY DEGREE AND CERTIFICATE PROGRAMS OFFERED VIA DISTANCE EDUCATION, 22% OF STUDENTS ENROLLED EXCLUSIVELY IN DISTANCE EDUCATION AND ANOTHER 19% ENROLLED IN AT LEAST ONE DISTANCE COURSE.AS OF OFFICIAL CENSUS IN FALL 2024, DESALES UNIVERSITY ENROLLED A TOTAL OF 2,986, WITH 2,172 UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS AND 814 GRADUATE STUDENTS. THE STUDENT-FACULTY RATIO AT DESALES UNIVERSITY IS 12:1, AND THE SCHOOL HAS 62% OF ITS CLASSES WITH FEWER THAN 20 STUDENTS. THE FRESHMAN RETENTION RATE, AN INDICATOR OF STUDENT SATISFACTION, IS 83%. WITHIN SIX YEARS, 72% OF FULL-TIME, FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS GRADUATE WITH A BACHELOR'S DEGREE. THE MOST POPULAR UNDERGRADUATE MAJORS AT DESALES UNIVERSITY INCLUDE NURSING, MEDICAL STUDIES, BIOLOGY, PSYCHOLOGY, CRIMINAL JUSTICE, THEATRE, AND BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION. MORE THAN 95% OF UNDERGRADUATE, FIRST-TIME, FULL-TIME STUDENTS RECEIVE SOME FORM OF FINANCIAL AID.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Worth knowing.
Not individually listed by the IRS as eligible, which is usual for local chapters covered by a parent organization's exemption. The master file records contributions to it as deductible.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending June 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since March 1946.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated October 13, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 21, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.