Best Colleges in Pennsylvania for Associate, Bachelor’s & Master’s

Pennsylvania College Guide – What You Need to Know

Get Matched With Pennsylvania Programs

The East Coast is full of great schools, and Pennsylvania is no exception. Some of the best colleges and universities in Pennsylvania are also at the top of most national lists. University of Pennsylvania, for instance, is home to a top business school and tops most national lists. The state is packed with great public schools, as well.

Penn State is home to eighteen different colleges that offer a comprehensive list of graduate and undergraduate degrees. You can study Agricultural Sciences, Nursing, Technology, or Law, among many others. While Penn State's home campus in University Park educates a running population of about 40,000 students, other schools in the Penn State University system are a bit smaller. Slippery Rock University, for example, has a campus population of around 8,000 and still manages to offer a comprehensive slate of degree programs. SRU offers students a foundation in Arts, Communications, Business programs, and Wellness/Fitness, among many more.

What are the most popular bachelor's degrees offered in Pennsylvania?

If you are a student seeking one of the bachelor's degrees offered in Pennsylvania, you will have a lot to choose from. You can study pretty much any topic you choose without leaving the state. While there are many obscure fields you could pursue and thrive in, there are naturally a few select bachelor's degrees that are more popular. Pennsylvanians tend to be involved in many of the same majors that are popular nationwide, such as Business Administration, Health Sciences, and Psychology, to name three. The Liberal Arts seem more popular in Pennsylvania than other states, and Information Science is less commonly found in a state's top five most popular majors.

Regardless of what the most popular majors are, you should seek out the major that speaks most to you. Whether that happens to be Business, Philosophy, or Nursing, if you seek personal success and achievement over what you think others expect then you will graduate with an education that you can be proud of.

The top degrees in Pennsylvania include:

Education Level & National Average Median Compensation


NO FORMAL EDUCATION HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA ASSOCIATE DEGREE BACHELOR’S DEGREE MASTER’S DEGREE DOCTORAL DEGREE
$30,784* $38,792* $46,124* $64,896* $77,844* $96,772*

Compare Popular Online Pennsylvania Programs

Best Associate Degrees in Pennsylvania


You can get your foot in the door for an entry-level position with just a two-year degree or you can use this to improve your transcripts or experience to earn a place at a more exclusive college or university. Pennsylvania has numerous associate degree programs available including culinary arts, cyber security, histotechnology, marketing management, network administration, paramedic training, and more. Take a look at some of these top-rated colleges below.

Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology
College Type
2-year, Public
Campus Housing
Yes
Student Population
1,227
Graduation Rate
55%
Net Price
$6,884
Grads Salary
$49,700
Pennsylvania College of Technology
College Type
4-year, primarily associate's, Public
Campus Housing
Yes
Student Population
4,972
Graduation Rate
47%
Net Price
$22,973
Grads Salary
$48,500
University of Pittsburgh-Titusville
College Type
2-year, Public
Campus Housing
Yes
Student Population
225
Graduation Rate
31%
Net Price
$15,312
Grads Salary
$44,300
Bucks County Community College
College Type
2-year, Public
Campus Housing
No
Student Population
7,480
Graduation Rate
25%
Net Price
$7,312
Grads Salary
$44,900
Harcum College
College Type
2-year, Private not-for-profit
Campus Housing
Yes
Student Population
1,150
Graduation Rate
34%
Net Price
$22,565
Grads Salary
$42,200
Montgomery County Community College
College Type
2-year, Public
Campus Housing
Yes
Student Population
10,309
Graduation Rate
25%
Net Price
$7,810
Grads Salary
$41,000
Pittsburgh Technical College
College Type
4-year, primarily associate's, Private not-for-profit
Campus Housing
Yes
Student Population
1,559
Graduation Rate
59%
Net Price
$25,399
Grads Salary
$37,300
Butler County Community College
College Type
2-year, Public
Campus Housing
No
Student Population
2,984
Graduation Rate
29%
Net Price
$5,430
Grads Salary
$31,100
Delaware County Community College
College Type
2-year, Public
Campus Housing
No
Student Population
9,989
Graduation Rate
21%
Net Price
$9,647
Grads Salary
$41,100
Community College of Beaver County
College Type
2-year, Public
Campus Housing
No
Student Population
1,713
Graduation Rate
20%
Net Price
$7,317
Grads Salary
$34,700
Full Ranking Report

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Best Bachelor's Degrees in Pennsylvania


Attaining your bachelor's degree can help set you up for future career success. Some of the best programs available in Pennsylvania are computer science, physical therapy, medical assisting, mathematics and statistics, nursing, and accounting. No matter what field you are interested in, there is likely an option within the state that can get you started in your career with a bachelor’s degree. Take a look at our list of excellent colleges and universities to find the degree program for you.

University of Pennsylvania
College Type
4-year, Private not-for-profit
Campus Housing
Yes
Student Population
26,675
Graduation Rate
96%
Net Price
$24,167
Grads Salary
$85,400
Swarthmore College
College Type
4-year, Private not-for-profit
Campus Housing
Yes
Student Population
1,437
Graduation Rate
97%
Net Price
$20,360
Grads Salary
$78,300
Carnegie Mellon University
College Type
4-year, Private not-for-profit
Campus Housing
Yes
Student Population
13,519
Graduation Rate
93%
Net Price
$36,983
Grads Salary
$100,700
Lehigh University
College Type
4-year, Private not-for-profit
Campus Housing
Yes
Student Population
7,067
Graduation Rate
88%
Net Price
$29,098
Grads Salary
$84,600
University of the Sciences
College Type
4-year, Private not-for-profit
Campus Housing
Yes
Student Population
2,375
Graduation Rate
81%
Net Price
$31,497
Grads Salary
$91,000
Haverford College
College Type
4-year, Private not-for-profit
Campus Housing
Yes
Student Population
1,307
Graduation Rate
93%
Net Price
$25,215
Grads Salary
$72,700
University of Pittsburgh
College Type
4-year, Public
Campus Housing
Yes
Student Population
32,277
Graduation Rate
84%
Net Price
$22,346
Grads Salary
$74,000
Lafayette College
College Type
4-year, Private not-for-profit
Campus Housing
Yes
Student Population
2,514
Graduation Rate
90%
Net Price
$28,735
Grads Salary
$78,000
Grove City College
College Type
4-year, Private not-for-profit
Campus Housing
Yes
Student Population
2,277
Graduation Rate
83%
Net Price
$22,371
Grads Salary
$69,800
Holy Family University
College Type
4-year, Private not-for-profit
Campus Housing
Yes
Student Population
3,087
Graduation Rate
57%
Net Price
$15,234
Grads Salary
$76,600
Full Ranking Report

Best Master's Degrees in Pennsylvania


By earning an advanced degree, you can much more easily edge out your competition in the Pennsylvania job market. You might be considering furthering your education with a degree in speech-language pathology, theology, vision rehabilitation, professional studies in data analytics, or any number of other fields. If you are looking to acquire a master's or doctorate in the state of Pennsylvania, consider the following colleges, which offer excellent master’s and doctorate programs throughout the state.

University of Pennsylvania
College Type
4-year, Private not-for-profit
Campus Housing
Yes
Student Population
26,675
Graduation Rate
96%
Net Price
$24,167
Grads Salary
$85,400
Carnegie Mellon University
College Type
4-year, Private not-for-profit
Campus Housing
Yes
Student Population
13,519
Graduation Rate
93%
Net Price
$36,983
Grads Salary
$100,700
Lehigh University
College Type
4-year, Private not-for-profit
Campus Housing
Yes
Student Population
7,067
Graduation Rate
88%
Net Price
$29,098
Grads Salary
$84,600
University of the Sciences
College Type
4-year, Private not-for-profit
Campus Housing
Yes
Student Population
2,375
Graduation Rate
81%
Net Price
$31,497
Grads Salary
$91,000
University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh
College Type
4-year, Public
Campus Housing
Yes
Student Population
32,277
Graduation Rate
84%
Net Price
$22,346
Grads Salary
$74,000
Holy Family University
College Type
4-year, Private not-for-profit
Campus Housing
Yes
Student Population
3,087
Graduation Rate
57%
Net Price
$15,234
Grads Salary
$76,600
Villanova University
College Type
4-year, Private not-for-profit
Campus Housing
Yes
Student Population
10,848
Graduation Rate
92%
Net Price
$38,303
Grads Salary
$83,100
Thomas Jefferson University
College Type
4-year, Private not-for-profit
Campus Housing
Yes
Student Population
8,026
Graduation Rate
70%
Net Price
$29,255
Grads Salary
$83,200
Pennsylvania State University
College Type
4-year, Public
Campus Housing
Yes
Student Population
91,427
Graduation Rate
73%
Net Price
$25,548
Grads Salary
$75,000
Bucknell University
College Type
4-year, Private not-for-profit
Campus Housing
Yes
Student Population
3,726
Graduation Rate
88%
Net Price
$39,359
Grads Salary
$82,600
Full Ranking Report
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