State Rankings

Best Colleges in Pennsylvania

Top colleges in Pennsylvania ranked by national standing and graduate outcomes — updated 2026.

Colleges listed: 50

Avg grad earnings: $70,740

Public / Private: 6 / 44

Top Colleges in Pennsylvania

Nationally ranked schools appear first. Remaining schools are ordered by median graduate earnings.

State #	School	Type	Grad Earnings	Admit Rate	SAT Avg	Grad Rate	Out-of-State
1	Swarthmore College Swarthmore#28 national	Private	$80,257	6.9%	1,527	94.1%	$62,412
2	Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh#38 national	Private	$114,862	11.4%	1,545	92.5%	$63,829
3	Lafayette College Easton#41 national	Private	$91,410	31.5%	1,419	88.0%	$62,574
4	Lehigh University Bethlehem#43 national	Private	$105,584	29.3%	1,432	89.2%	$62,180
5	Bucknell University Lewisburg#65 national	Private	$93,807	32.0%	1,389	86.2%	$64,772
6	University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia#68 national	Private	$111,371	5.9%	1,545	96.8%	$66,104
7	Haverford College Haverford#69 national	Private	$79,966	12.9%	1,498	89.4%	$68,300
8	Villanova University Villanova#77 national	Private	$100,423	25.1%	1,466	92.4%	$64,701
9	Bryn Mawr College Bryn Mawr#80 national	Private	$75,217	31.1%	1,404	85.6%	$62,560
10	Franklin and Marshall College Lancaster#83 national	Private	$76,124	31.8%	1,394	86.0%	$68,380
11	Drexel University Philadelphia#118 national	Private	$84,648	77.5%	1,337	77.1%	$60,663
12	Gettysburg College Gettysburg#145 national	Private	$71,517	47.5%	1,350	82.7%	$64,230
13	Muhlenberg College Allentown#177 national	Private	$69,107	64.0%	1,327	80.3%	$60,240
14	Penn State University Park#186 national	Public	$63,435	54.2%	1,316	85.7%	$40,188
15	Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia Philadelphia#199 national	Private	$86,881	86.4%	1,256	79.8%	$51,340
16	Dickinson College Carlisle#204 national	Private	$70,204	43.1%	N/A	83.4%	$63,475
17	University of Scranton Scranton#210 national	Private	$74,652	84.4%	1,237	80.8%	$52,309
18	Duquesne University Pittsburgh#240 national	Private	$74,742	78.8%	1,257	75.5%	$47,146
19	University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh#267 national	Public	$66,125	49.7%	1,371	84.3%	$39,890
20	Thomas Jefferson University Philadelphia#268 national	Private	$77,449	86.1%	1,259	68.2%	$45,683
21	Saint Francis University Loretto#274 national	Private	$62,101	76.9%	1,151	72.8%	$41,720
22	Allegheny College Meadville#276 national	Private	$62,069	58.5%	1,292	66.5%	$54,960
23	Saint Vincent College Latrobe#281 national	Private	$59,982	59.1%	1,120	72.2%	$41,100
24	Elizabethtown College Elizabethtown#296 national	Private	$62,399	76.8%	1,190	77.1%	$36,842
25	Moravian University Bethlehem#332 national	Private	$61,860	54.0%	1,154	71.1%	$52,000
26	West Chester University of Pennsylvania West Chester#336 national	Public	$61,258	79.2%	1,184	69.8%	$22,511
27	Lebanon Valley College Annville#347 national	Private	$62,621	74.5%	1,190	72.5%	$50,320
28	Holy Family University Philadelphia#351 national	Private	$62,235	74.2%	1,030	60.4%	$33,968
29	Washington & Jefferson College Washington#358 national	Private	$67,918	81.5%	N/A	71.4%	$28,185
30	Misericordia University Dallas#403 national	Private	$64,313	84.9%	N/A	69.2%	$38,370
31	DeSales University Center Valley#408 national	Private	$61,295	78.6%	1,199	71.0%	$44,800
32	Grove City College Grove City#411 national	Private	N/A	73.4%	1,261	79.7%	$20,890
33	Messiah University Mechanicsburg#417 national	Private	$54,064	78.5%	1,214	78.5%	$40,640
34	Susquehanna University Selinsgrove#424 national	Private	$61,723	78.7%	1,211	74.1%	$57,400
35	Robert Morris University Moon Township#443 national	Private	$62,105	90.6%	N/A	65.5%	$34,940
36	Marywood University Scranton#447 national	Private	$55,817	83.7%	1,153	72.5%	$39,570
37	Temple University Philadelphia#450 national	Public	$63,727	82.9%	N/A	74.7%	$37,462
38	Gannon University Erie#453 national	Private	$58,845	76.7%	N/A	69.5%	$37,951
39	Immaculata University Immaculata#455 national	Private	$75,701	78.5%	1,163	64.5%	$28,550
40	Saint Joseph's University - Lancaster Lancaster#463 national	Private	$69,731	44.1%	N/A	67.0%	$31,866
41	Widener University Chester#475 national	Private	$70,920	84.0%	1,170	63.5%	$53,638
42	Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology Lancaster#478 national	Public	$54,681	52.9%	1,120	N/A	$9,050
43	Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania Slippery Rock#481 national	Public	$53,032	74.6%	1,086	65.9%	$14,615
44	Ursinus College Collegeville#491 national	Private	$73,721	87.4%	1,304	76.6%	$59,196
45	UPMC Shadyside School of Nursing Pittsburgh#513 national	Private	$68,801	65.1%	N/A	N/A	$16,190
46	Arcadia University Glenside#532 national	Private	$58,336	79.2%	1,210	64.0%	$48,290
47	Seton Hill University Greensburg#533 national	Private	$51,748	75.8%	1,186	71.0%	$41,414
48	Lycoming College Williamsport#617 national	Private	$56,210	67.9%	1,169	59.6%	$47,675
49	La Salle University Philadelphia#620 national	Private	$67,416	86.2%	N/A	57.9%	$35,570
50	Westminster College New Wilmington#621 national	Private	$53,861	85.5%	N/A	65.9%	$39,470

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Excludes for-profit institutions.

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