Top Pennsylvania Colleges and Universities

About this article
Pennsylvania is located in the middle Atlantic region of the United States. There are many nationally recognized colleges and universities in the university school system of Pennsylvania, five of which are described below.
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Top Five Schools in Pennsylvania

University of Pennsylvania

The University of Pennsylvania is a private educational institution and was founded in 1740 by Benjamin Franklin. It is also a member of the Ivy League and was ranked fifth in the country by U.S. News & World Report. The school is located in Philadelphia and has an undergraduate student population of 9,710. Penn, as it is often commonly referred to, was one of the first universities in the U.S. to focus on several different areas of study, such as commerce, classics, medicine and theology. Today, the school has grown to include 12 professional schools, such as the Annenberg School for Communication, School of Education, Law School, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, School of Dental Medicine, School of Design, Graduate School of Engineering and Applied Science, School of Medicine, Graduate School of Nursing, School of Social Policy and Practice, School of Veterinary Medicine and the nationally-recognized Wharton School of Business. The undergraduate tuition is $35,918.

Carnegie Mellon University

Carnegie Mellon University is a private educational institution and was founded by Andrew Carnegie in 1900. It has an undergraduate student population of 5,495 and the U.S. News & World Report ranked its undergraduate program as 22nd in the nation. Carnegie Mellon is also nationally known for its outstanding programs in engineering, science, graphic design, public policy analysis and business. The university comprises seven professional schools and universities, which are the Tepper School of Business, John Heinz III School of Public Policy and Management, Mellon College of Science, the Institute of Technology, the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, the College of Fine Arts and the School of Computer Science. The undergraduate tuition is $36,950.

Lehigh University

Lehigh University was founded in 1865 by Asa Packer and is a private institution. The university is located in Bethlehem and has 4,720 undergraduate students on campus. The university was originally conceived as a four-year technical school but has since grown to include four colleges: Business and Economics, Arts and Sciences, Engineering and Applied Science and Education. The undergraduate tuition at Lehigh University is $35,310.

Pennsylvania State University-University Park

Pennsylvania State University is a public educational institution and was founded in 1855. The school is located in State College and boasts a student population of over 84,000, which easily ranks it as one of the largest universities in the country. Students attending Penn State can choose from among a mind-boggling 160 majors. Pennsylvania State University is ranked 48th by U.S. News & World Report. Even though the university is quite large it also has some 19 commonwealth campuses located throughout Pennsylvania. The undergraduate tuition for a resident is $13,520 and is $24,708 for non-residents.

University of Pittsburgh

The University of Pittsburgh, founded in 1787, is a public educational institution. The university is located in Pittsburgh and has an undergraduate student population of 17,246. The University of Pittsburgh is known nationally for its work in developing the first polio vaccine as well as its stellar programs in philosophy and medicine. Pitt, as it is commonly referred to, was ranked 59th among all other national universities by U.S. News & World Report. Today Pitt is known as being a university with very high research activity especially in the fields of engineering and science. For residents the undergraduate tuition is $12,106 and $21,606 for non-residents. For students wishing to enter into the schools of business administration, engineering, information sciences, nursing or health and rehab sciences, the costs are higher.

Popular Schools

  • Online Programs Available
    1. Grand Canyon University

    Program Options

    Doctorate
      • Ed.D in Teaching and Learning with an Emphasis in Adult Learning - Qualitative Research
      • Ed.D in Teaching and Learning with an Emphasis in Adult Learning - Quantitative Research
      • Doctor of Philosophy in General Psychology: Performance Psychology (Qualitative Research)
      • Doctor of Philosophy in General Psychology: Performance Psychology (Quantitative Research)
      • Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
      • Education Specialist in Teaching and Learning
    Master's
      • M.S. Psychology with an Emphasis in Gerontology
      • M.S. in Psychology with an Emphasis in Human Factors
      • MA in Curriculum and Instruction
      • MS in Psychology: General Psychology
      • M.A. in Communication with an Emphasis in Education
      • M.Ed. in Secondary Education with an Emphasis in Humanities (ITL)
    Bachelor's
      • BS in Psychology
      • B.S. in Psychology with an Emphasis in Performance and Sports Psychology
      • Bachelor of Arts in Communications with an Emphasis in Interpersonal Communication and Human Relationships
      • Bachelor: Business Admin
      • BA in Digital Film - Screenwriting
      • Bachelor: Accounting
  • Online Programs Available
    2. Bryant & Stratton College

    Program Options

    Bachelor's
      • BA - General Management
      • BBA Human Resources Management
      • BBA Medical Services Management
      • BS Human & Social Services
      • General Management (GM) - BBA
      • Health Services Administration - BS
    Associate's
      • Criminal Justice Studies - AAS
      • AS - Business
      • AS - Criminal Justice
      • AS - Accounting
      • AS - Human Resources Specialist
      • AS - IT Networking
    Certificate
      • Business Assistant Diploma
      • Criminal Justice and Security Services Diploma
      • Business - AAS
      • Business Assistant - Diploma
      • Criminal Justice and Security Svcs. - Diploma
      • Accounting Assistant Diploma
  • Online Programs Available
    3. Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education and Psychology

    Program Options

    Master's
      • Masters in Psychology
      • Masters in Dispute Resolution
      • Masters in Legal Studies
      • Masters in Applied Behavior Analysis
  • Online Programs Available
    4. Penn Foster High School

    Program Options

    High School Diploma
      • HS Diploma
  • Online Programs Available
    5. Fordham University

    Program Options

    Master's
      • Master of Studies in Law in Corporate Compliance
      • Masters in Social Work
  • Online Programs Available
    6. Liberty University

    Program Options

    Doctorate
      • DME: Doctor of Music Education
      • LLM: International Legal Studies
      • EDD: Curriculum and Instruction
      • EDD: Curriculum and Instruction/Elementary Education
      • EDD: Curriculum and Instruction/Middle Grades Education
      • EDD: Curriculum and Instruction/Secondary Education
    Bachelor's
      • Bachelor of Science in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics
    Certificate
      • CTG: Communication
      • CTG: Criminal Justice
      • CTG: Curriculum and Instruction
      • CTG: Higher Education Administration
      • CTG: Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
      • CTG: Psychology
  • Campus and Online Programs
    7. The Chicago School

    Program Options

    Master's
      • M.A. Psychology
      • M.A. Behavioral Economics
      • M.A. Clinical Mental Health Counseling
      • M.A. Forensic Psychology
      • M.A. Industrial and Organizational Psychology: ARP Track
      • M.A. International Psychology
    Certificate
      • Suicide and Cyberbullying Prevention Certificate
      • Graduate Certificate in Online Teaching and Learning
      • Certificate in Forensic Psychology - M.A. Non-Licensure Track to Licensure Bridge Program
      • Certificate in Behavioral Economics
      • Graduate Certificate in Applied Behavior Analysis
      • Certificate in Organizational Leadership
  • Campus and Online Programs
    8. Full Sail University

    Program Options

    Master's
      • Master of Science - Film Production
      • MS - Entertainment Business (Campus)
      • Game Design Masters - Campus
      • Entertainment Business Masters - Campus
      • Computer Science Masters - Online
      • M.S. - Entertainment Business
    Bachelor's
      • Sportscasting Bachelors - Campus
      • Bachelor of Science - Software Development
      • Communications Bachelors with Creative Writing Concentration - Campus
      • Film Production Masters - Campus
      • Communications Bachelors with Media Communications Concentration - Campus
      • Visual Arts Bachelors with Game Art Concentration - Campus
    Certificate
      • Computer Science Bachelors with AI Concentration - Online
      • User Experience Bachelors - Online
  • Online Programs Available
    9. Penn Foster

    Program Options

    Certificate
      • Career Diploma - Dental Assistant
      • Career Diploma - Motorcycle Repair Technician
      • Career Diploma - Payroll Clerk
      • Career Diploma - Diesel Mechanics/Heavy Truck Maintenance
      • Career Diploma - Home Remodeling and Repair
      • Career Diploma - Medical Billing and Coding
  • West Chester, PA

    West Chester University of Pennsylvania

Featured Schools

Grand Canyon University

  • Ed.D in Teaching and Learning with an Emphasis in Adult Learning - Qualitative Research
  • M.S. Psychology with an Emphasis in Gerontology
  • BS in Psychology

What is your highest level of education?

Bryant & Stratton College

  • BA - General Management
  • Criminal Justice Studies - AAS
  • Business Assistant Diploma

What is your high school graduation status?

Pepperdine University Graduate School of Education and Psychology

  • Masters in Psychology
  • Masters in Dispute Resolution
  • Masters in Legal Studies

What is your highest level of education completed?

Penn Foster High School

  • HS Diploma

What is your highest level of education?

Fordham University

  • Master of Studies in Law in Corporate Compliance
  • Masters in Social Work

What is your highest level of education completed?

Liberty University

  • DME: Doctor of Music Education
  • Bachelor of Science in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics
  • CTG: Communication

What is your highest level of education?

The Chicago School

  • M.A. Psychology
  • M.A. Behavioral Economics
  • Suicide and Cyberbullying Prevention Certificate
  • Graduate Certificate in Online Teaching and Learning

What is your highest level of education completed?

Full Sail University

  • Master of Science - Film Production
  • Sportscasting Bachelors - Campus
  • Computer Science Bachelors with AI Concentration - Online

What is your highest level of education?