Alvernia University

First founded in 1926 as a private college, Alvernia gained full university status in 2008.

Closely linked with the Roman Catholic Church, Alvernia is a relatively small university located in the city of Reading, Pennsylvania. Alvernia’s campus is situated on the outskirts of Reading, in a relatively quiet area.

The campus is intended to be largely self-sufficient, with students having access to accommodation, dining areas, and some extensive athletics facilities centred around Track and Schlager Memorial Field, the university’s running track and home field for Alvernia’s various competitive sports teams. Some sports practised at the university include American football, soccer, golf, ice hockey, lacrosse, basketball, baseball, tennis, and track and field.

In addition to the dedicated university facilities, the university’s students are within 10 minutes of the city of Reading, and just over an hour’s drive from the much larger city of Philadelphia.

Aside from the various recreational opportunities available for Alvernia’s students, the university also plays host to a range of important academic facilities and study centres.

The university offers around 40 different majors for undergraduates, as well as a number of minors which cover a wide range of subject areas, from sciences to the humanities and social studies.

In addition, to these undergraduate offerings, the university also has a smaller number of postgraduate degrees available, albeit in a more limited range of subjects, including Master’s and Doctoral degrees.

Some of Alvernia’s best-known alumni include the magician Wayne Hoffman.