Best Colleges in Pennsylvania + Full List of Schools
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From its Ivy League university to its top-ranked liberal arts colleges, the Keystone State has something for every student. But what are the best colleges in Pennsylvania?
Whether you're looking for an affordable public university, a picturesque college town, or a prominent private college, Pennsylvania has it.
Ready to check out which schools made the list? Then, keep reading for our ranking of the best colleges in Pennsylvania.
Featured Online Programs
Best Colleges in Pennsylvania of 2023
Methodology
With nearly 300 colleges, it's not easy to narrow down the best colleges in Pennsylvania. Our list factors in academic reputation, graduation rates, and financial aid opportunities.
We also included a variety of school types, including public and private colleges, urban and rural campuses, and small and large student bodies. These are the colleges that stand out in Pennsylvania.
These rankings were compiled by our
BestColleges Ranking Team
and include
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University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA - 4 years
- Online + Campus
Pennsylvania's only Ivy League university, the University of Pennsylvania dates back to 1740. Today, more than 13,000 undergrads attend UPenn, with around half in the College of Arts and Sciences. Wharton and the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences also enroll around 3,500 undergrads.
Nearly 55,000 students applied to UPenn for the Class of 2026, and only 6% received an admission offer. That makes the private university one of the most selective in the state.
ROI Value Score: High
We’ve reviewed hundreds of schools to find the ones that give you the best bang for your buck.
We compared how much you could earn in 10 years with a degree from this school versus only having a high school diploma. Then we compared that amount against school costs and financial aid opportunities. A higher return for your investment results in a higher score for this school.
Swarthmore College
Swarthmore, PA - 4 years
- Campus
With its tree-filled campus, this liberal arts college feels like an escape from urban life. But top-ranked Swarthmore College is just 11 miles from Philadelphia.
Swarthmore offers more than 40 majors, plus the option to design your own major. And while the private college sets high standards, first-year students enroll in classes pass/fail for their first semester.
At Swarthmore, you'll take a hands-on approach to learning with fieldwork and internship opportunities. You can conduct an undergraduate research project, study abroad, or escape to Parrish Beach — a student lawn hangout that's only missing water.
ROI Value Score: Low
We’ve reviewed hundreds of schools to find the ones that give you the best bang for your buck.
We compared how much you could earn in 10 years with a degree from this school versus only having a high school diploma. Then we compared that amount against school costs and financial aid opportunities. A higher return for your investment results in a higher score for this school.
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA - 4 years
- Online + Campus
Founded as a technical school in Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University ranks as one of the best colleges in Pennsylvania. Over 14,500 students attend the private university, which stands out for its research and interdisciplinary programs.
You can study engineering, information science, or computer science at Carnegie Mellon. Or dive into business, the social sciences, or the humanities. The university's experiential learning focus is one reason that top companies like Google, Deloitte, and Pixar recruit at Carnegie Mellon.
ROI Value Score: High
We’ve reviewed hundreds of schools to find the ones that give you the best bang for your buck.
We compared how much you could earn in 10 years with a degree from this school versus only having a high school diploma. Then we compared that amount against school costs and financial aid opportunities. A higher return for your investment results in a higher score for this school.
Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA - 4 years
- Online + Campus
The Lehigh Valley is one of Pennsylvania's most scenic spots. And Lehigh University brings around 7,400 students to the scenic town of Bethlehem. You choose from over 100 majors, including over a dozen interdisciplinary programs. Lehigh encourages innovation and hands-on learning in its programs.
As a private university, Lehigh offers many need-based financial aid programs. The college also reports that the average starting salary for its 2022 graduates reached $75,000.
ROI Value Score: Medium
We’ve reviewed hundreds of schools to find the ones that give you the best bang for your buck.
We compared how much you could earn in 10 years with a degree from this school versus only having a high school diploma. Then we compared that amount against school costs and financial aid opportunities. A higher return for your investment results in a higher score for this school.
Haverford College
Haverford, PA - 4 years
- Campus
Looking for a liberal arts college with quick access to a major city? Haverford College boasts a 200-acre arboretum campus that's a 20-minute train ride to Philadelphia. At Haverford, you choose from over 50 majors and complete a senior thesis. Nearly half of the 1,400 undergrads receive grants to pay for their degrees.
Just how many trees fill the Haverford campus? The private college reports a 6-to-1 tree-to-student ratio.
ROI Value Score: Low
We’ve reviewed hundreds of schools to find the ones that give you the best bang for your buck.
We compared how much you could earn in 10 years with a degree from this school versus only having a high school diploma. Then we compared that amount against school costs and financial aid opportunities. A higher return for your investment results in a higher score for this school.
Villanova University
Villanova, PA - 4 years
- Online + Campus
It's the only Augustinian Catholic university in the U.S. Villanova University offers personalized attention with a global perspective. You choose from over 60 majors, with several options for a joint bachelor's and master's degree.
Located 12 miles from Philadelphia, Villanova enrolls 6,700 undergrads. The school's 260-acre campus offers easy access to the city with three campus rail stops. You can qualify for merit-based scholarships and need-based grants at this private university.
ROI Value Score: Medium
We’ve reviewed hundreds of schools to find the ones that give you the best bang for your buck.
We compared how much you could earn in 10 years with a degree from this school versus only having a high school diploma. Then we compared that amount against school costs and financial aid opportunities. A higher return for your investment results in a higher score for this school.
Bryn Mawr College
Bryn Mawr, PA - 4 years
- Campus
It's one of the top women's colleges in the country. Bryn Mawr College offers undergraduate programs for women and coed graduate schools. Thanks to its partnerships with Swarthmore, Haverford, and UPenn, Bryn Mawr students can expand their course options.
You benefit from a residential college feel with easy access to Philadelphia. The liberal arts college provides grant-based financial aid to meet 100% of the demonstrated need for undergrads.
ROI Value Score: Low
We’ve reviewed hundreds of schools to find the ones that give you the best bang for your buck.
We compared how much you could earn in 10 years with a degree from this school versus only having a high school diploma. Then we compared that amount against school costs and financial aid opportunities. A higher return for your investment results in a higher score for this school.
University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA - 4 years
- Online + Campus
This public university has multiple regional campuses in the greater Pittsburgh area. The University of Pittsburgh boasts over 650 degree and certificate programs through its 16 schools and colleges.
And the college offers a high-quality education at an affordable price for Pennsylvania residents. Thanks to the Pitt Pell Plus program, students who qualify for the Federal Pell Grant receive a match from Pitt. Over 5,000 students take advantage of the program, with an average grant award of $4,500.
ROI Value Score: Medium
We’ve reviewed hundreds of schools to find the ones that give you the best bang for your buck.
We compared how much you could earn in 10 years with a degree from this school versus only having a high school diploma. Then we compared that amount against school costs and financial aid opportunities. A higher return for your investment results in a higher score for this school.
Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA - 4 years
- Campus
If you're a sports fan, you've probably heard of this Pennsylvania college. Pennsylvania State University is also the state's largest, with over 100,000 enrolled students when counting those enrolled at regional and online campuses.
You have over 275 majors to choose from at Penn State. Or expand your options with Penn State World Campus, which has more than 175 degrees and certificates. As a distance learner, you can pay a flat tuition rate and you'll also qualify for federal financial aid.
ROI Value Score: Medium
We’ve reviewed hundreds of schools to find the ones that give you the best bang for your buck.
We compared how much you could earn in 10 years with a degree from this school versus only having a high school diploma. Then we compared that amount against school costs and financial aid opportunities. A higher return for your investment results in a higher score for this school.
Temple University
Philadelphia, PA - 4 years
- Online + Campus
This public university dates back to 1884, when it was founded as a night school. Today, Temple University is the largest college in Philadelphia. The top-ranked school also offers over 500 academic programs at an affordable tuition rate.
The Philadelphia skyline shines from Temple's main campus. Or you can earn a Temple degree online. Over half of Temple students receive merit-based scholarships, and the school awards over $100 million in scholarship annually.
ROI Value Score: Medium
We’ve reviewed hundreds of schools to find the ones that give you the best bang for your buck.
We compared how much you could earn in 10 years with a degree from this school versus only having a high school diploma. Then we compared that amount against school costs and financial aid opportunities. A higher return for your investment results in a higher score for this school.
List of All Colleges in Pennsylvania
We've created a complete list of all four-year nonprofit universities in Pennsylvania. You can use the table below to compare data on student population, average net cost, acceptance rate, and number of applicants.
The following school data comes from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).
School | Total Student Enrollment | Avg. Annual Net Price | Acceptance Rate | Number of Applicants |
---|---|---|---|---|
Albright College | 1,465 | $21,496 | 85% | 5,578 |
Allegheny College | 1,575 | $26,719 | 70% | 4,148 |
Alvernia University | 2,536 | $27,091 | 59% | 5,703 |
Arcadia University | 3,064 | $29,692 | 78% | 6,321 |
Bryn Mawr College | 1,778 | $39,072 | 31% | 3,594 |
Bucknell University | 3,757 | $39,965 | 33% | 11,707 |
Cabrini University | 1,760 | $21,981 | 79% | 3,403 |
Cairn University | 1,116 | $25,923 | 81% | 468 |
Carlow University | 1,984 | $17,437 | 93% | 1,124 |
Carnegie Mellon University | 15,057 | $33,499 | 11% | 34,261 |
Cedar Crest College | 1,440 | $23,500 | 84% | 946 |
Chatham University | 2,439 | $28,322 | 66% | 3,514 |
Chestnut Hill College | 1,505 | $25,357 | 98% | 1,543 |
Cheyney University of Pennsylvania | 697 | $11,588 | 100% | N/A |
Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania | 12,074 | $17,412 | 94% | 9,570 |
Delaware Valley University | 2,168 | $29,256 | 95% | 2,299 |
DeSales University | 3,101 | $29,104 | 77% | 3,662 |
Dickinson College | 2,186 | $37,610 | 35% | 8,261 |
Drexel University | 23,216 | $39,267 | 80% | 37,040 |
Duquesne University | 8,300 | $33,919 | 87% | 12,376 |
East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania | 5,129 | $17,278 | 94% | 5,679 |
Eastern University | 4,429 | $26,669 | 63% | 2,994 |
Elizabethtown College | 1,933 | $26,723 | 81% | 2,977 |
Franklin and Marshall College | 2,145 | $31,135 | 36% | 8,923 |
Gannon University | 4,596 | $22,200 | 81% | 6,678 |
Geneva College | 1,315 | $20,999 | 79% | 1,575 |
Gettysburg College | 2,401 | $33,882 | 56% | 5,696 |
Grove City College | 2,317 | $23,538 | 71% | 2,174 |
Gwynedd Mercy University | 2,521 | $28,122 | 58% | 1,063 |
Harrisburg University of Science and Technology | 3,206 | $10,022 | 84% | 1,160 |
Haverford College | 1,420 | $23,476 | 14% | 5,657 |
Holy Family University | 3,011 | $12,379 | 77% | 1,986 |
Immaculata University | 2,478 | $29,188 | 70% | 2,188 |
Indiana University of Pennsylvania | 9,298 | $20,205 | 92% | 8,603 |
Juniata College | 1,290 | $29,926 | 76% | 2,563 |
Keystone College | 1,244 | $15,559 | 81% | 1,572 |
King's College | 2,130 | $25,869 | 96% | 3,216 |
Kutztown University of Pennsylvania | 7,673 | $20,776 | 96% | 7,248 |
La Roche University | 1,235 | $24,233 | 97% | 3,222 |
La Salle University | 4,043 | $17,552 | 94% | 5,214 |
Lafayette College | 2,725 | $37,186 | 34% | 10,500 |
Lancaster Bible College | 1,967 | $21,415 | 97% | 351 |
Lebanon Valley College | 2,041 | $26,743 | 77% | 3,130 |
Lehigh University | 7,263 | $30,453 | 37% | 15,163 |
Lincoln University | 1,916 | $15,502 | 81% | 6,699 |
Lycoming College | 1,089 | $19,697 | 75% | 3,039 |
Marywood University | 2,647 | $22,504 | 81% | 2,645 |
Mercyhurst University | 3,041 | $24,935 | 81% | 3,625 |
Messiah University | 3,276 | $24,120 | 79% | 2,438 |
Millersville University of Pennsylvania | 7,191 | $21,076 | 92% | 6,506 |
Misericordia University | 2,239 | $27,033 | 89% | 2,196 |
Moravian University | 2,560 | $31,168 | 67% | 3,284 |
Mount Aloysius College | 2,706 | $20,564 | 86% | 1,865 |
Muhlenberg College | 2,095 | $32,926 | 66% | 4,329 |
Neumann University | 2,212 | $28,707 | 85% | 3,501 |
Peirce College | 875 | $9,621 | 100% | N/A |
Pennsylvania State University | 88,914 | $26,747 | 55% | 85,784 |
Penn State Abington | N/A | $20,460 | 93% | 6,463 |
Penn State Altoona | N/A | $20,621 | 96% | 7,523 |
Penn State Beaver | N/A | $18,113 | 93% | 1,707 |
Penn State Berks | N/A | $21,728 | 97% | 5,605 |
Penn State Brandywine | N/A | $21,600 | 96% | 2,440 |
Penn State Behrend | N/A | $21,968 | 95% | 4,363 |
Penn State Harrisburg | N/A | $22,096 | 96% | 9,925 |
Penn State Lehigh Valley | N/A | $18,142 | 94% | 1,806 |
Penn State Mont Alto | N/A | $19,838 | 91% | 678 |
Penn State Schuylkill | N/A | $17,252 | 86% | 928 |
Penn State Scranton | N/A | $16,594 | 94% | 2,297 |
Penn State York | N/A | $18,910 | 93% | 2,005 |
Pennsylvania State University World Campus | N/A | $19,551 | 82% | 857 |
Pennsylvania Western University | N/A | $18,527 | 94% | 8,463 |
Point Park University | 3,505 | $24,702 | 82% | 6,033 |
Robert Morris University | 3,764 | $23,572 | 94% | 4,684 |
Rosemont College | 635 | $19,741 | 76% | 950 |
Saint Francis University | 3,034 | $27,459 | 73% | 2,167 |
Saint Joseph's University | 6,464 | $33,777 | 89% | 9,708 |
Saint Vincent College | 1,592 | $23,121 | 73% | 2,163 |
Seton Hill University | 2,012 | $24,576 | 78% | 2,558 |
Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania | 5,667 | $21,462 | 88% | 6,367 |
Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania | 8,405 | $17,873 | 74% | 5,591 |
Susquehanna University | 2,202 | $28,605 | 77% | 6,375 |
Swarthmore College | 1,651 | $20,715 | 7% | 14,707 |
Temple University | 35,626 | $23,935 | 80% | 38,666 |
The University of the Arts | 1,557 | $42,467 | 80% | 1,086 |
Thiel College | 845 | $22,732 | 82% | 1,878 |
Thomas Jefferson University | 8,270 | $28,110 | 89% | 5,723 |
University of Pennsylvania | 28,038 | $26,123 | 7% | 54,588 |
University of Pittsburgh-Bradford | 1,164 | $16,505 | 94% | 5,071 |
University of Pittsburgh-Greensburg | 1,320 | $18,194 | 98% | 3,003 |
University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown | 2,121 | $17,545 | 97% | 3,470 |
University of Pittsburgh | 33,230 | $24,286 | 49% | 53,072 |
University of Scranton | 4,692 | $35,526 | 84% | 9,530 |
University of Valley Forge | 583 | $25,825 | 82% | 370 |
Ursinus College | 1,556 | $33,546 | 82% | 3,237 |
Villanova University | 10,870 | $34,837 | 23% | 23,835 |
Washington & Jefferson College | 1,157 | $25,636 | 88% | 3,414 |
Waynesburg University | 1,470 | $22,281 | 76% | 2,157 |
West Chester University of Pennsylvania | 17,614 | $22,973 | 88% | 14,778 |
Westminster College | 1,225 | $22,645 | 75% | 2,225 |
Widener University | 5,875 | $32,185 | 88% | 5,961 |
Wilkes University | 5,276 | $27,918 | 94% | 4,798 |
Wilson College | 1,405 | $23,923 | 94% | 739 |
York College of Pennsylvania | 3,852 | $20,916 | 96% | 4,529 |
What Is the Cost of College in Pennsylvania?
Institution Type | Average Tuition & Required Fees |
---|---|
Public 4-Year (In-State) | $14,532 |
Public 4-Year (Out-of-State) | $25,697 |
Private 4-Year | $43,926 |
Public 2-Year (In-State) | $5,441 |
Public 2-Year (Out-of-State) | $12,808 |
4 Benefits of Studying in Pennsylvania
Whether you're interested in colleges in Pennsylvania's scenic, forested valleys or its bustling cities, here are some of the benefits of studying in the Keystone State.
- Top-Ranked Colleges: PA has some of the best colleges in the country. If you're looking for an Ivy League experience, check out UPenn. If you want the state's biggest, most sports-dominant public university, turn to Penn State. And for a liberal arts college experience, there's Swarthmore, Haverford, Bryn Mawr, and more.
- Financial Aid: The cost of college in Pennsylvania is slightly higher than the national average, according to NCES data. But you can make college affordable by researching schools with lower tuition rates and looking into financial aid opportunities. Many colleges also offer grants and scholarships, like the Pitt Pell Plus Program, which matches Pell Grants.
- Internship Opportunities: Pennsylvania is home to many Fortune 500 companies and smaller businesses. And many of those companies partner with colleges in Pennsylvania to offer internships. Gain hands-on experience by interning at a finance, healthcare, or engineering company.
- History and Culture: Interested in historic sites? Pennsylvania has it covered, from Independence Hall to the Gettysburg battlefield. Cities like Philadelphia and Pittsburgh are also known for their art, culture and food. When you're not hitting the books, you'll benefit from everything Pennsylvania has to offer.
Frequently Asked Questions About Colleges in Pennsylvania
How many colleges are in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania has nearly 300 colleges, universities, and technical schools. Six Pennsylvania colleges boast ranks in the top 100 nationwide. The state's colleges include 14 four-year public universities and dozens of private colleges. Pennsylvania also has 15 community colleges that charge affordable tuition rates.
What are the best colleges in Pennsylvania?
The best colleges in Pennsylvania include private colleges like UPenn and Carnegie Mellon. Public universities like Pitt and Penn State are also great options for college students. And the Keystone State has many outstanding liberal arts colleges, including Swarthmore, Haverford, and Bryn Mawr.
What is the hardest college to get into in Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania has many selective colleges. According to NCES data, both Swarthmore and UPenn reported a 7% admission rate. That means that only seven in 100 applicants receive an admission offer. Carnegie Mellon is the next hardest to get into, with an 11% acceptance rate.
What's the most affordable college in PA?
Several colleges in Pennsylvania offer affordable tuition rates. For example, the state's 14 public four-year colleges cost $14,530 per year for tuition and fees, according to 2021 NCES data. Two-year colleges are even more affordable, with in-state students paying around $5,440.
What is the biggest college in Pennsylvania?
Penn State is by far the biggest college in Pennsylvania. The public university reports a population of around 88,000 students in fall 2022 across its Pennsylvania campuses, with even more students enrolling in online programs through Penn State World Campus. The main campus in State College, Pennsylvania, enrolls around 48,000 students.
Other large colleges in Pennsylvania include Temple University, with 35,600 students; the University of Pittsburgh, with 33,200 students; and the University of Pennsylvania, with 28,000 students.