As the oldest institution of higher learning in Berks County, Albright has a long history of helping generations of students become strong, curious, and creative leaders. Since 1856, students have discovered their talents, explored their interests, and embraced their creativity here at Albright.
Our history spans more than 150 years, and a dedicated team of leaders works hard to promote Albright’s values well into the future.The symbols on the Albright College Seal represent Albright’s core values, which define the very essence of who we are as an institution. Throughout our work and in our planning for the future we will remain grounded in, and committed to, these values.
Our mission is to inspire and educate the scholar and leader in each student, building on a strong foundation in the liberal arts and sciences and a commitment to the best of human values, fostering a commitment to a lifetime of service and learning.
Albright is a residential learning community. In the division of student and campus life we seek to support and grow each student’s unique talents and abilities in and out of the classroom. It is our hope that in a safe, nurturing, creative and challenging environment, students will gain the confidence and skills to make a difference in their professions, their communities and in the organizations with which they become involved.At Albright, we have 70 clubs and organizations, a competitive athletics program, and many ways in which to become a student leader such as a peer orientation person (POP) or a resident assistant (RA).
Whether you’re a traditional undergraduate student, adult learner, or aspiring graduate student, Albright has the program for you. Traditional students can take advantage of over 50 undergraduate programs we have to offer ranging in everything from accounting to theatre. Adult learners can fast-track a Bachelor’s degree while working full time thanks to our Accelerated Degree Program available through the School of Professional Studies. Our master’s degree program in education offers four majors to meet a variety of interests. We emphasize research-based examination of best teaching practices.
Albright College is the oldest institution of higher learning in Berks County and is located on a 118-acre suburban campus nestled at the foot of Mount Penn in Reading, Pa., a city of 80,000.The College dates its beginning to the founding of Union Seminary in 1856. The present Albright College was formed by a series of mergers with other institutions of higher learning founded in the 19th century by the Evangelical Association and the United Evangelical Church. Union and Schuylkill Seminaries were not theological seminaries, but were three-year collegiate institutes.
Albright Collegiate Institute was founded in 1895 and became Albright College in 1898. Union Seminary, founded in 1856 and rechartered as Central Pennsylvania College in 1887, merged with Albright College in 1902. Schuylkill Seminary, founded in 1881, became Schuylkill College in 1923 and merged with Albright College in 1929. With the merger, Albright moved from its campus in Myerstown, Pa., to Schuylkill College’s location on the present Albright campus.
Jacob Albright, after whom the College is named, was a Pennsylvania German evangelical preacher and the founder of the Evangelical Association (later the Evangelical United Brethren Church). He was born in 1759 as Johannes Jacob Albrecht.His family changed their name to Albright after his death in 1808.The Evangelical Association was a German-speaking denomination with beliefs similar to those of the Methodist Church. “The Life and Times of Jacob Albright” by Kenneth R.Good ’47 tells the story of Jacob Albright.
The College’s rigorous liberal arts curriculum has an interdisciplinary focus. Albright’s hallmarks are connecting fields of learning, collaborative teaching and learning, and a flexible curriculum that allows students to create an individualized education. Fully half of Albright students have concentrations that combine two or three fields of learning.
Albright College is affiliated with the United Methodist Church. In 2005, Albright formally reaffirmed its affiliation with the Church, noting the College’s historic roots in the Evangelical and Methodist tradition, as well as a strong present-day relationship with the Eastern and Central Pennsylvania Conferences and the Wyoming Conference of the Church.Jacob Albright, after whom the College is named, was a Pennsylvania German evangelical preacher. (He was born in 1759 as Johannes Jacob Albrecht. His family changed their name to Albright after his death in 1808.) “The Life and Times of Jacob Albright” by Kenneth R. Good ’47 tells the story of Jacob Albright.
Greatly influenced by the teaching of the Methodist Church as a young man, Jacob Albright became the founder of the Evangelical Association, later the Evangelical United Brethren Church. The beliefs of the Evangelical Association and the Methodist Church were closely related. In 1968 the Evangelical United Brethren Church and the Methodist Church merged to become the United Methodist Church.
Today, Albright College is a multifaith community, with a full-time chaplain and associate chaplains representing a number of faith traditions. The Chaplain’s Office and the Multi Faith Center, at 1811 Linden Street, together provide a wide variety of programs and services.
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I went to Albright College for two years before transferring out. I was from New Hampshire so completely out of state, and only saw the college a couple of times before going. Honestly the tour I received made me feel so comfortable with the atmosphere there, everyone was so nice. As soon as I got to the College in the fall of 2015 it wasn't at all what I expected. The public safety facilities didn't do a proper job, my roommate's car tires were stolen while she was parked on campus and the security cameras were so outdated that they said they couldn't do anything about it or pay for it in anyway. There was never much to do on campus, I basically went from my dorm to classes even though I was a part of 4 academic clubs. When I decided to transfer out of the College, I was promised an exit interview with the Dean of Students. However, since the transferring rate was relatively high after spring 2017, the Dean decided to make the exit interview an online survey with only multiple choice questions and statements of why you were leaving Albright. I felt that my voice was diminished at that moment because I had a list of negatives that needed to be fixed in order for the school to be a proper College education and environment. The only thing that made my Albright experience worth it was the friends I made, they are truly amazing and I do miss them. I hope Albright is treating them better than it treated me, because they deserve the world. Unfortunately for me, the education was not worth $53,000 a year.
By Meghan Stackhouse (Mar, 2018) |
Small campus which is good and bad, things get old fast but doesn't take long to get around. Parking is iffy and even if you pay to park in the commuter lot the college can lock it down for other uses. The various admin offices kinda stink (financial aid and whatnot) but the majority of the professors I had were great, can only think of a handful I didn't care for. Most the facilities are old and are probably avoided on the tour from what I've seen, they mostly show potential students and their parents the outsides except for the newer science building and dining facility. Veterans are on their own, what's new, but other schools have VA staff and resources unlike this one. Sports teams are alright, it's D3 so yeah. Club sports like Rugby I would avoid. It's student led so the practices are a joke and as long as you look big/athletic you will play no matter what. So if you show up to practice for 3 years straight and haven't played once, don't be surprised. Public safety, not trying to knock on retired police, but alot of older people or out of shape that ride around on the golf carts playing on their phone. Not sure of the two younger guys still work nights but their goal was to boss around the younger kids and pick up girls, they would even go off campus to do so and drive drunk girls to WAWA and whatnot. The security they are supposed to provide just isn't there, especially for this day in age. I did graduate from here but if I could do it all over again I would go somewhere else for sure.
By Project Mayhem (Nov, 2017) |
Sad to see a college where people are supposed to be able to express themselves crapping on students & punishing them for peacefully sticking to their beliefs.
By Sir Xela (Oct, 2017) |
Albright College is a lie from the second that you step foot on the campus. During the tours they avoid showing you the dilapidated buildings and unsuitable classrooms. The academic buildings haven't been updated since the 60s and do not provide the proper academic environment. The only building they focus on during the tour is the "New" Science building. Looking beyond the misleading façade, you will find a disgrace to the academic field. Most of my professors ( I do not know all the professors and do not wish to bash them all) we're very poor educators and most of the time only having a masters degree in their field. There are many instances of professors are not willing to make time to help with students concerns and confusions. Professors often state that student should've got a tutor from the beginning of the semester and that it is their fault for not understanding the material even though the whole class is doing poorly. None of the faculty nor staff knows the proper protocol for helping students with disabilities. Even the head of disability services was very ignorant to her position and federal regulations. As I was told by the dean of Albright College, the students are customers and Albrigh college is a business. In an attempt to remedy the colleges extremely poor retention and graduation rate, Albright College began to except mass amounts of students, creating crowding of dorm and class. It has gotten to the point where upper class females were forced to move off campus due to lack of housing spaces on campus. It is unfortunate that my experience isn't a needle in a haystack, it's very common for Albright college most freshmen leave by the end of the first year. So if I could give anyone one piece of advice is don't be hypnotized by the aesthetically pleasing campus and the overly excited students. This is all a show, nobody is willing to help you when problems become prevalent even when it's the fault of the college.
By Daniel Caffarello (Oct, 2017) |
Non-stop technical issues on everything from their printers to their school's noodle site. No respect for the adult learners time. I have had to take time off work more than ones to finish my assignments because of their technical problems. But I got an apology, off they still kept all of my money, even after I was out money due to missing work! If you're an adult learner look elsewhere.
By Tim Spangler (Apr, 2017) |
I transferred from this school and I'll be completely honest. Albright college is a school where it has welcoming arms but it isn't mean't for the average person. They are friendly (for the most part) and for the conservative person who doesn't want to broaden their horizons, it would seem like a great school. Unfortunately, college is mean't for students to broaden their horizons and face opportunities like no other. There is small thing to do around the campus but not worth the $53,000 tuition (and climbing). There is nothing to do in the city, and you'll experience the whole campus in less than a day. The athletic teams are competitive but the students and city do not get fully behind the teams because more than half of the 1500 kids would rather attend a play or an event in the campus center. Academics are really good and you get a quality education but there are too many teachers that do not give you a good chance to succeed for the college's size. Only two legitimate places to eat on campus including the cafe and you have a Wawa around the corner, anywhere else you have to drive to get there so if you do not have a car you're screwed but freshman can have their car on campus so if you're fortunate enough you shouldn't have a problem. Everyone you meet will change your life in a little or major way because, as I said before, this school isn't for the average person. If I wasn't so impulsed by the school, I would've stayed because I made friends that I will truly miss. If you're looking for the true college experience, I do not advise going to this school, but if you believe you would love the small environment, I recommend you do not let this review stray you away.
By Rohan Phillip (Apr, 2017) |
Love this college! Great academics and there is always something to do! One of the best science programs out there, but if you're not focused and determined you won't make it. Professors are willing to help and many people get accepted into medical school. Friendly campus and people.
By Michalia Humphrey (Apr, 2017) |
THIS IS THE WORST COLLEGE EVER...STUDENTS BEWARE! FIRST THEY SIGN YOU UP FOR CLASSES WITHOUT FIRST SECURING YOU CAN GET FUNDING, ALLOW YOU TO TAKE CLASSES WITH NO SAID SECURED FUNDING AND THEN WHEN THEIR INCOMPETANT STUDENT AID STAFF CANT FILE PAPER WORK CORRECTLY YOU ARE FORCED TO DROP...BUT WITH A 8K BILL. THEN, WHEN YOU TRY TO COME UP WITH THE FUNDS AND ARE CONTACTING THEM TO RESOLVE THE MATTER AND COLLECT THE CREDITS YOU EARNED THEY WILL NOT CALL YOU BACK AND SEND YOU TO COLLECTIONS, WHO IN RETURN DON'T CALL YOU BACK. THEY ARE TRYING TO COLLECT 8K FOR TWO CLASSES I TOOK! THEY ARE CROOKS AND LIARS...GO TO A BETTER SCHOOL AND BE GLAD YOU DID NOT HAVE TO ENDURE THIS SCHOOL...HEY ALBRIGHT! CALL ME!
By Lynette Howard (Apr, 2016) |
Absolutely Terrible for anyone with a Science Background. Be prepared to fail and be extremely demotivated. The professors will not curve for their lives and their exams are almost impossible.
By Nayem Quadir (Apr, 2015) |
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Albright College in Pennsylvania offers a transformative education experience, where dedicated staff inspire students to unlock their full potential and achieve remarkable growth.
By R.W. (Apr, 2024) |