Find Your Best Colleges

Pennsylvania is located in the Eastern region of the United States, and is bordered by New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and West Virginia. Pennsylvania is often referred to as "The Keystone State" due to its central location among the original 13 colonies.

Colleges in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania has 60 public colleges within two state college systems: the Commonwealth System of Higher Education and the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE).

The Commonwealth system contains five schools, including Pennsylvania's three largest public schools: Penn State, Temple University, and University of Pittsburgh. Penn State is the state's largest school, with 20 campuses and 74,446 undergraduates. PASSHE consists to 14 universities, including West Chester University and Slippery Rock University.

Pennsylvania also has 19 community colleges and 132 private colleges and universities in Pennsylvania.

Best Colleges in PA

University of Pennsylvania is an ivy league school in Philadelphia. Other prestigious private schools in Pennsylvania include Swarthmore, Haverford, Bucknell, and Villanova. See a full list of the best colleges in Pennsylvania.

In-State vs. Out-of-State Tuition

In-state tuition in Pennsylvania is relatively high compared to other states. Average tuition across all PA public schools is $10,621 a semester for Pennsylvania residents and $18,521 for non-Pennsylvania residents.

Across Penn State campuses, the average tuition and fees are about $29,000 a year for an in-state undergraduate, and $40,000 a year for an out-of-state resident. At Temple, estimated annual tuition for PA residents is roughly $32,000 a year, and $46,000 a year for out-of-state residents.

The average tuition across all private colleges in Pennsylvania is $31,409.

Applying early to a school in PA?

See what other early decision and early action applicants are saying about UPenn, Penn State, Swarthmore and more, on the CC Forums.