Delaware Valley University (DVU)

Delaware Valley University, otherwise known as “DelVal,” is a small school located about thirty miles outside of Philadelphia. DelVal was originally founded as an agriculture school, but now strives to bring its 1,700 undergraduates an interdisciplinary education with a curriculum that relies on an experiential learning component called “E360.” This is very apparent in the more than 1,000 acres of land that act as living laboratories for students to get “hands-on opportunities” in “environmental, agriculture, and animal sciences.” There is “a lot of technology integrated into the programs,” “many work-study opportunities that you cannot find at other schools,” and plentiful farm opportunities for “lucky” animal science majors that “provide a foot in the door for a job.”

Professors at DelVal are “devoted, enthusiastic and eager to teach,” and they “try to make the material interesting and understandable.” They “want to see students succeed and are usually enthusiastic to help.” Small classes (with no TAs) offer students the ability to be deeply involved with their learning and “to create relationships with the professors in the classes and network for different careers.” Often times, students “utilize the campus for teaching moments:” the landscape majors learn on the school grounds, greenhouses and school farm land are used “heavily by professors and used to teach students.” Many teachers will use the campus in other ways, such as “taking walks or having class outside if the weather is good.”

One of the greatest strengths of DelVal is “their policies on respecting all people,” and it is “a place where you can feel safe, respected, and welcomed regardless of your background.” This is “a small school full of people with passion for and dedication to their field” and has “every group, and you will find your crowd,” though diversity is relatively non-existent. Given the nature of the school the population is “mostly country kids to a few city kids and everyone in between,” and many students “can be found in farm clothes with dirt on their jeans and under their nails.” There tends to be a breakdown into farm/animal lovers and athletes, but all groups get along, even if they don’t interact much, and “almost everyone knows what career they want to pursue when they graduate.”

Beautiful Doylestown is “quiet but decent for a college town,” and it’s also “the perfect distance from Philadelphia if you are looking to do a day trip to the city.” However, there is always “plenty to do” both “on campus and off campus,” such as “nationally recognized magicians and comedians…an escape room, roller blading, or [a] trampoline park,” all of which are completely free for students, and transportation is provided when needed. Most people are “very involved in clubs and devote quite a bit of their time each week to these.” Many students go home on weekends and commuters don’t tend to linger during the week; “going off campus for food is normal” as “the food could be a whole lot better.” DelVal is “definitely not a party school,” and students here are “serious about their education.” “The school endorses outdoor activities,” and on sunny warm days, you can see “people playing all sorts of games out on the massive grassy quad,” laying in hammocks, and “lots of people take walks and bike down around the large pond on the east end of campus.” Many “equine students will go down to the barn to visit the horses” as well.