2023 Best Schools in Pennsylvania
It's not easy to decide which program to enroll in when you have so many options available. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Also there are many trade schools and bpptcamp that offer short-term programs that open up more career options.
Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Schools in Pennsylvania to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 106 schools in Pennsylvania to see which ones offered the best programs for students.
View our full ranking methodology.
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Top Schools in Pennsylvania
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our analysis found Bucknell University to be the best school for students in Pennsylvania. Bucknell is located in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania and has a small student population. In , this school awarded 1,066 degrees to qualified students.
After graduating from Bucknell, students go on to jobs where they make an average of $64,331 during the early years of their career.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Carnegie Mellon University. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Schools in Pennsylvania list. Carnegie Mellon is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and has a fairly large student population. In , this school awarded 6,586 degrees to qualified students.
By the time they get their degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $66,382 in student loans. Once they receive their degree, Carnegie Mellon graduates enter the workforce, making an average salary of $89,327 during the early year of their career.
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The excellent programs at University of Pennsylvania helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools in Pennsylvania. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the large private not-for-profit school awarded 11,126 diplomas to qualifed students in .
On average, students take out $61,044 in loans while pursuing their degree. Once they receive their degree, UPenn graduates enter the workforce, making an average salary of $99,682 during the early year of their career.
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Out of the 106 schools in Pennsylvania that were part of this year’s ranking, Lafayette College landed the # 4 spot on the list. Lafayette is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Easton, Pennsylvania. It awarded 746 degrees in .
After graduating from Lafayette, students go on to jobs where they make an average of $59,513 during the early years of their career.
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Out of the 106 schools in Pennsylvania that were part of this year’s ranking, Swarthmore College landed the # 5 spot on the list. Located in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 562 diplomas to qualifed students in .
During the early years of their career, Swarthmore graduates make an average of $66,971 annually.
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Lehigh University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for students. It came in at #6 on the list. Lehigh University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania that handed out 2,096 degrees in .
Degree recipients from Lehigh accumulate an average of $42,722 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. During the early years of their career, Lehigh graduates make an average of $70,321 annually.
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Villanova University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Schools in Pennsylvania list. Villanova is a private not-for-profit institution located in Villanova, Pennsylvania. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 3,960 degrees in .
On average, students take out $55,557 in loans while pursuing their degree.After graduating from Villanova, students go on to jobs where they make an average of $72,601 during the early years of their career.
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Gettysburg College landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best programs. Gettysburg College is a small private not-for-profit school located in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania that handed out 788 degrees in .
Once they receive their degree, Gettysburg graduates enter the workforce, making an average salary of $43,376 during the early year of their career.
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Lebanon Valley College landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best programs. Located in Annville, Pennsylvania, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 669 diplomas to qualifed students in .
By the time they get their degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $39,665 in student loans. Once they receive their degree, LVC graduates enter the workforce, making an average salary of $49,801 during the early year of their career.
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Elizabethtown College landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best programs. Etown is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania. It awarded 603 degrees in .
Degree recipients from Etown accumulate an average of $46,823 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. Once they receive their degree, Etown graduates enter the workforce, making an average salary of $57,397 during the early year of their career.
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Thomas Jefferson University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Schools in Pennsylvania list. Thomas Jefferson University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that handed out 2,597 degrees in .
Degree recipients from Thomas Jefferson University accumulate an average of $48,035 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. Once they receive their degree, Thomas Jefferson University graduates enter the workforce, making an average salary of $64,243 during the early year of their career.
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Franklin and Marshall College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for students. It came in at #12 on the list. Lancaster, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out degrees to 636 students in .
Degree recipients from Franklin and Marshall accumulate an average of $67,814 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. Once they receive their degree, Franklin and Marshall graduates enter the workforce, making an average salary of $43,020 during the early year of their career.
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Dickinson College landed the #13 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best programs. Located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 483 diplomas to qualifed students in .
Once they receive their degree, Dickinson graduates enter the workforce, making an average salary of $39,937 during the early year of their career.
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Saint Joseph’s University landed the #14 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best programs. Saint Joseph’s University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that handed out 3,220 degrees in .
On average, students take out $62,039 in loans while pursuing their degree.After graduating from St. Joe’s, students go on to jobs where they make an average of $65,421 during the early years of their career.
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Washington & Jefferson College ranked #15 on this year’s Best Schools in Pennsylvania list. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Washington, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 276 degrees in .
Once they receive their degree, W&J graduates enter the workforce, making an average salary of $38,980 during the early year of their career.
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With a ranking of #16, Lycoming College did quite well on this year’s best schools for students working. Lycoming College is a small private not-for-profit school located in Williamsport, Pennsylvania that handed out 219 degrees in .
Degree recipients from Lycoming accumulate an average of $43,769 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.After graduating from Lycoming, students go on to jobs where they make an average of $34,280 during the early years of their career.
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University of Scranton ranked #17 on this year’s Best Schools in Pennsylvania list. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 1,508 degrees in .
On average, students take out $53,895 in loans while pursuing their degree.After graduating from University of Scranton, students go on to jobs where they make an average of $56,861 during the early years of their career.
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Saint Vincent College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. Saint Vincent College is a small private not-for-profit school located in Latrobe, Pennsylvania that handed out 391 degrees in .
By the time they get their degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $48,418 in student loans.After graduating from Saint Vincent, students go on to jobs where they make an average of $54,916 during the early years of their career.
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Ursinus College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for students. It came in at #19 on the list. Located in Collegeville, Pennsylvania, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 411 degrees in .
By the time they get their degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $50,272 in student loans. Once they receive their degree, Ursinus graduates enter the workforce, making an average salary of $36,805 during the early year of their career.
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Muhlenberg College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for students. It came in at #20 on the list. Muhlenberg is a private not-for-profit institution located in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 712 degrees in .
By the time they get their degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $61,361 in student loans.After graduating from Muhlenberg, students go on to jobs where they make an average of $35,641 during the early years of their career.
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University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus ranked #21 on this year’s Best Schools in Pennsylvania list. Pitt is a large public school situated in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It awarded 9,555 degrees in .
On average, students take out $49,187 in loans while pursuing their degree.After graduating from Pitt, students go on to jobs where they make an average of $56,926 during the early years of their career.
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Juniata College ranked #22 on this year’s Best Schools in Pennsylvania list. Juniata is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania. It awarded 338 degrees in .
During the early years of their career, Juniata graduates make an average of $30,552 annually.
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With a ranking of #23, West Chester University of Pennsylvania did quite well on this year’s best schools for students working. Located in West Chester, Pennsylvania, the fairly large public school handed out 4,740 degrees in .
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King’s College came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Schools in Pennsylvania ranking. Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out degrees to 611 students in .
Degree recipients from King’s College PA accumulate an average of $41,967 in student debt by the time they complete their degree. During the early years of their career, King’s College PA graduates make an average of $45,414 annually.
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Duquesne University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Schools in Pennsylvania list. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out degrees to 2,631 students in .
On average, students take out $58,211 in loans while pursuing their degree. Once they receive their degree, Duquesne graduates enter the workforce, making an average salary of $54,826 during the early year of their career.
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Notes and References
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
References
- Read more about our ranking methodology.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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