Best Colleges in Pennsylvania + Full List of Schools
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.
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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.
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$53,166
- Out-of-state$53,166
- In-State$37,678
- Out-of-state$37,678
- Retention Rate95%
- Acceptance Rate9%
- Students Enrolled26,552
- Institution TypePrivate
- Percent Online Enrollment85%
- AccreditationYes
- In-State$54,256
- Out-of-state$54,256
- In-StateN/A
- Out-of-stateN/A
- Retention Rate86%
- Acceptance Rate9%
- Students Enrolled1,437
- Institution TypePrivate
- Percent Online Enrollment100%
- AccreditationYes
Carnegie Mellon University
- Pittsburgh, PA
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$57,560
- Out-of-state$57,560
- In-State$46,441
- Out-of-state$46,441
- Retention Rate96%
- Acceptance Rate17%
- Students Enrolled13,519
- Institution TypePrivate
- Percent Online Enrollment3%
- AccreditationYes
Lehigh University
- Bethlehem, PA
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$54,790
- Out-of-state$54,790
- In-State$27,000
- Out-of-state$27,000
- Retention Rate91%
- Acceptance Rate50%
- Students Enrolled7,067
- Institution TypePrivate
- Percent Online Enrollment6%
- AccreditationYes
- In-State$58,402
- Out-of-state$58,402
- In-StateN/A
- Out-of-stateN/A
- Retention Rate88%
- Acceptance Rate18%
- Students Enrolled1,307
- Institution TypePrivate
- Percent Online EnrollmentN/A
- AccreditationYes
Villanova University
- Villanova, PA
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$56,730
- Out-of-state$56,730
- In-State$20,619
- Out-of-state$20,619
- Retention Rate96%
- Acceptance Rate31%
- Students Enrolled11,032
- Institution TypePrivate
- Percent Online Enrollment95%
- AccreditationYes
- In-State$53,180
- Out-of-state$53,180
- In-State$45,240
- Out-of-state$45,240
- Retention Rate87%
- Acceptance Rate38%
- Students Enrolled1,634
- Institution TypePrivate
- Percent Online EnrollmentN/A
- AccreditationYes
University of Pittsburgh
- Pittsburgh, PA
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$18,628
- Out-of-state$32,656
- In-State$23,530
- Out-of-state$39,898
- Retention Rate93%
- Acceptance Rate64%
- Students Enrolled32,277
- Institution TypePublic
- Percent Online Enrollment23%
- AccreditationYes
Pennsylvania State University
- University Park, PA
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-StateN/A
- Out-of-stateN/A
- In-StateN/A
- Out-of-stateN/A
- Retention RateN/A
- Acceptance RateN/A
- Students EnrolledN/A
- Institution TypePublic
- Percent Online EnrollmentN/A
- AccreditationYes
Temple University
- Philadelphia, PA
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$16,080
- Out-of-state$28,992
- In-State$16,956
- Out-of-state$23,346
- Retention Rate87%
- Acceptance Rate71%
- Students Enrolled37,236
- Institution TypePublic
- Percent Online Enrollment92%
- AccreditationYes
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). Schools with fewer than 500 undergrads were not included in this list.
| School | Total Student Enrollment | Avg. Annual Net Price | Acceptance Rate | Number of Applicants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albright College | 1,498 | $21,496 | 85% | 5,578 |
| Allegheny College | 1,353 | $26,719 | 70% | 4,148 |
| Alvernia University | 2,484 | $27,091 | 59% | 5,703 |
| Arcadia University | 3,026 | $29,692 | 78% | 6,321 |
| Bryn Mawr College | 1,742 | $39,072 | 31% | 3,594 |
| Bucknell University | 3,787 | $39,965 | 33% | 11,707 |
| Cabrini University | 1,613 | $21,981 | 79% | 3,403 |
| Cairn University-Langhorne | 1,031 | $25,923 | 81% | 468 |
| Carlow University | 2,104 | $17,437 | 93% | 1,124 |
| Carnegie Mellon University | 16,002 | $33,499 | 11% | 34,261 |
| Cedar Crest College | 1,324 | $23,500 | 84% | 946 |
| Chatham University | 2,387 | $28,322 | 66% | 3,514 |
| Chestnut Hill College | 1,420 | $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 | 2,178 | $29,256 | 95% | 2,299 |
| DeSales University | 2,991 | $29,104 | 77% | 3,662 |
| Dickinson College | 2,137 | $37,610 | 35% | 8,261 |
| Drexel University | 22,344 | $39,267 | 80% | 37,040 |
| Duquesne University | 8,107 | $33,919 | 87% | 12,376 |
| East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania | 5,143 | $17,278 | 94% | 5,679 |
| Eastern University | 5,769 | $26,669 | 63% | 2,994 |
| Elizabethtown College | 2,021 | $26,723 | 81% | 2,977 |
| Franklin and Marshall College | 1,990 | $31,135 | 36% | 8,923 |
| Gannon University | 4,665 | $22,200 | 81% | 6,678 |
| Geneva College | 1,232 | $20,999 | 79% | 1,575 |
| Gettysburg College | 2,854 | $33,882 | 56% | 5,696 |
| Grove City College | 2,316 | $23,538 | 71% | 2,174 |
| Gwynedd Mercy University | 2,091 | $28,122 | 58% | 1,063 |
| Harrisburg University of Science and Technology | 3,082 | $10,022 | 84% | 1,160 |
| Haverford College | 1,421 | $23,476 | 14% | 5,657 |
| Holy Family University | 2,912 | $12,379 | 77% | 1,986 |
| Immaculata University | 2,361 | $29,188 | 70% | 2,188 |
| Indiana University of Pennsylvania | 8,816 | $20,205 | 92% | 8,603 |
| Juniata College | 1,212 | $29,926 | 76% | 2,563 |
| Keystone College | 1,131 | $15,559 | 81% | 1,572 |
| King’s College | 1,993 | $25,869 | 96% | 3,216 |
| Kutztown University of Pennsylvania | 7,455 | $20,776 | 96% | 7,248 |
| La Roche University | 2,068 | $24,233 | 97% | 3,222 |
| La Salle University | 4,049 | $17,552 | 94% | 5,214 |
| Lafayette College | 2,729 | $37,186 | 34% | 10,500 |
| Lancaster Bible College | 2,066 | $21,415 | 97% | 351 |
| Lebanon Valley College | 2,080 | $26,743 | 77% | 3,130 |
| Lehigh University | 7,394 | $30,453 | 37% | 15,163 |
| Lincoln University | 1,824 | $15,502 | 81% | 6,699 |
| Lycoming College | 1,059 | $19,697 | 75% | 3,039 |
| Marywood University | 2,729 | $22,504 | 81% | 2,645 |
| Mercyhurst University | 2,801 | $24,935 | 81% | 3,625 |
| Messiah University | 3,231 | $24,120 | 79% | 2,438 |
| Millersville University of Pennsylvania | 6,775 | $21,076 | 92% | 6,506 |
| Misericordia University | 2,242 | $27,033 | 89% | 2,196 |
| Moravian University | 2,533 | $31,168 | 67% | 3,284 |
| Mount Aloysius College | 2,752 | $20,564 | 86% | 1,865 |
| Muhlenberg College | 1,959 | $32,926 | 66% | 4,329 |
| Neumann University | 2,155 | $28,707 | 85% | 3,501 |
| Peirce College | 856 | $9,621 | 100% | N/A |
| Penn State (Pennsylvania State University) | 50,028 | $26,747 | 55% | 85,784 |
| Penn State Abington | 3,090 | $20,460 | 93% | 6,463 |
| Penn State Altoona | 2,577 | $20,621 | 96% | 7,523 |
| Penn State Beaver | 522 | $18,113 | 93% | 1,707 |
| Penn State Berks | 2,077 | $21,728 | 97% | 5,605 |
| Penn State Brandywine | 1,196 | $21,600 | 96% | 2,440 |
| Penn State Erie-Behrend College | 3,295 | $21,968 | 95% | 4,363 |
| Penn State Harrisburg | 4,572 | $22,096 | 96% | 9,925 |
| Penn State Lehigh Valley | 888 | $18,142 | 94% | 1,806 |
| Penn State Mont Alto | 670 | $19,838 | 91% | 678 |
| Penn State Schuylkill | 623 | $17,252 | 86% | 928 |
| Penn State Scranton | 875 | $16,594 | 94% | 2,297 |
| Penn State World Campus | 13,979 | $19,551 | 82% | 857 |
| Penn State York | 718 | $18,910 | 93% | 2,005 |
| Pennsylvania Western University | 12,778 | $18,527 | 94% | 8,463 |
| Point Park University | 3,288 | $24,702 | 82% | 6,033 |
| Robert Morris University | 3,431 | $23,572 | 94% | 4,684 |
| Saint Francis University | 2,857 | $27,459 | 73% | 2,167 |
| Saint Joseph’s University | 7,861 | $33,777 | 89% | 9,708 |
| Saint Vincent College | 1,536 | $23,121 | 73% | 2,163 |
| Seton Hill University | 1,988 | $24,576 | 78% | 2,558 |
| Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania | 5,162 | $21,462 | 88% | 6,367 |
| Slippery Rock University | 8,221 | $17,873 | 74% | 5,591 |
| Susquehanna University | 2,231 | $28,605 | 77% | 6,375 |
| Swarthmore College | 1,625 | $20,715 | 7% | 14,707 |
| Temple University | 33,196 | $23,935 | 80% | 38,666 |
| The University of the Arts | 1,313 | $42,467 | 80% | 1,086 |
| Thiel College | 907 | $22,732 | 82% | 1,878 |
| Thomas Jefferson University | 8,286 | $28,110 | 89% | 5,723 |
| University of Pennsylvania | 28,201 | $26,123 | 7% | 54,588 |
| University of Pittsburgh | 33,767 | $24,286 | 49% | 53,072 |
| University of Pittsburgh-Bradford | 1,074 | $16,505 | 94% | 5,071 |
| University of Pittsburgh-Greensburg | 1,328 | $18,194 | 98% | 3,003 |
| University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown | 2,043 | $17,545 | 97% | 3,470 |
| University of Scranton | 4,731 | $35,526 | 84% | 9,530 |
| University of Valley Forge | 583 | $25,825 | 82% | 370 |
| Ursinus College | 1,527 | $33,546 | 82% | 3,237 |
| Villanova University | 10,383 | $34,837 | 23% | 23,835 |
| Washington & Jefferson College | 1,151 | $25,636 | 88% | 3,414 |
| Waynesburg University | 1,366 | $22,281 | 76% | 2,157 |
| West Chester University of Pennsylvania | 17,275 | $22,973 | 88% | 14,778 |
| Westminster College | 1,211 | $22,645 | 75% | 2,225 |
| Widener University | 5,416 | $32,185 | 88% | 5,961 |
| Wilkes University | 5,207 | $27,918 | 94% | 4,798 |
| Wilson College | 1,360 | $23,923 | 94% | 739 |
| York College of Pennsylvania | 3,656 | $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 offers nearly 100 four-year nonprofit public and private colleges. Pennsylvania also has over a dozen 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 in fall 2022. That means that only 7 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?
Peirce College boasts the lowest average annual net price of all four-year nonprofit colleges in Pennsylvania, at just $9,621 in fall 2022. Many public colleges and universities in Pennsylvania offer affordable tuition rates as well, including Lincoln University ($15,502 net price) and the University of Pittsburgh-Bradford ($16,505 net price).
Two-year colleges in Pennsylvania are even more affordable, with in-state students paying around $5,440 per year.
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 University Park, Pennsylvania, enrolls around 50,000 students.
Other large colleges in Pennsylvania include the University of Pittsburgh, with 33,800 students; Temple University, with 33,200 students; and the University of Pennsylvania, with 28,200 students.
Explore More College Resources
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