This page compares the best colleges in Pennsylvania with tuition, admission, and more academic facts (Ranking data from College Evaluator). For the academic year 2021-2022, University of Pennsylvania rank first in the best Pennsylvania college ranking and Swarthmore College is placed in second.
Admission Comparison Between Best Colleges in Pennsylvania
2 public and 8 private schools rank in the best Pennsylvania colleges. The schools' average acceptance rate is 34.80% where University of Pennsylvania has the tightest (lowest) acceptance rate of 9% and Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus has the highest rate of 76%. Total 146,241 students are attending one of the best Pennsylvania schools where Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus has the largest population with 46,810 students and Haverford College has the smallest number of students (1,307 students). The average graduation rate is 89.20% and the average students to faculty ratio is 9.90:1 at those colleges.
| Rank | Name | Acceptance Rate | SAT Score | Graduation Rate | Population | Student-Faculty Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA | 9% | 1,515 | 96% | 26,552 | 6:1 (16.67 %) |
| 2 | Swarthmore College Swarthmore, PA | 9% | 1,468 | 97% | 1,437 | 8:1 (12.50 %) |
| 3 | Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PA | 17% | 1,510 | 93% | 13,519 | 10:1 (10.00 %) |
| 4 | Lehigh University Bethlehem, PA | 50% | 1,347 | 88% | 7,067 | 9:1 (11.11 %) |
| 5 | Haverford College Haverford, PA | 18% | 1,440 | 93% | 1,307 | 8:1 (12.50 %) |
| 6 | Lafayette College Easton, PA | 36% | 1,345 | 90% | 2,514 | 10:1 (10.00 %) |
| 7 | Villanova University Villanova, PA | 31% | 1,390 | 92% | 11,032 | 11:1 (9.09 %) |
| 8 | Bucknell University Lewisburg, PA | 38% | 1,340 | 88% | 3,726 | 9:1 (11.11 %) |
| 9 | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus University Park, PA | 76% | 1,190 | 71% | 46,810 | 14:1 (7.14 %) |
| 10 | University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA | 64% | 1,332 | 84% | 32,277 | 14:1 (7.14 %) |
| Average | 34.80% | 1,388 | 89.20% | 146,241 (Total) | 9.90:1 (10.10 %) |
Best Pennsylvania Colleges 2022 Tuition Comparison and 2023 Estimated Costs
The following table lists 2021-2022 tuition & fees and compares them between the best Pennsylvania colleges. The 2021-2022 costs are officially published by IPEDS, U.S. Department of Education. The estimated costs for the academic year 2022-2023 are calculated and estimated based on each school's rate of tuition change from 2021 to 2022.
For the undergraduate programs, the average tuition & fees of the best Pennsylvania colleges is $54,221 where University of Pennsylvania has the most expensive costs at $61,710 and University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus has the lowest amount of tuition at $35,394. The average graduate tuition & fees of the best Pennsylvania colleges is $35,067 where Carnegie Mellon University has the highest tuition with $47,347 and Villanova University has the lowest amount of graduate school tuition with $21,199.
| Rank | School Name | 2022 Tuition & Fees | 2023 Estimated Tuition & Fees | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| In-State | Out-of-State | In-State | Out-of-State | ||
| 1 | University of Pennsylvania | $61,710 | $63,424 | ||
| 2 | Swarthmore College | $56,056 | $57,703 | ||
| 3 | Carnegie Mellon University | $58,924 | $59,038 | ||
| 4 | Lehigh University | $57,470 | $59,768 | ||
| 5 | Haverford College | $61,210 | $63,329 | ||
| 6 | Lafayette College | $57,114 | $58,520 | ||
| 7 | Villanova University | $59,020 | $60,622 | ||
| 8 | Bucknell University | $59,802 | $61,446 | ||
| 9 | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus | $18,450 | $35,514 | - | - |
| 10 | University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus | $20,362 | $35,394 | $21,070 | $63,658 |
| Average | $19,406 | $54,221 | $21,070 | $60,834 | |
| Rank | School Name | 2022 Tuition & Fees | 2023 Estimated Tuition & Fees | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| In-State | Out-of-State | In-State | Out-of-State | ||
| 1 | University of Pennsylvania | $42,932 | $44,137 | ||
| 2 | Swarthmore College | - | - | ||
| 3 | Carnegie Mellon University | $47,347 | $47,368 | ||
| 4 | Lehigh University | $27,130 | $27,130 | ||
| 5 | Haverford College | - | - | ||
| 6 | Lafayette College | - | - | ||
| 7 | Villanova University | $21,199 | $21,690 | ||
| 8 | Bucknell University | $26,112 | $26,831 | ||
| 9 | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus | $22,994 | $38,728 | $22,994 | - |
| 10 | University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus | $25,248 | $42,024 | $25,248 | $26,053 |
| Average | $24,121 | $35,067 | $26,053 | $35,067 | |