Ranking
Most Selective Colleges in Pennsylvania by Acceptance Rate 2026
The hardest Pennsylvania colleges to get into — ranked by lowest undergraduate acceptance.
- Schools ranked
- 25
- Cheapest net price
- $11,150
- Top earnings 10y
- $114,862
- Public / Private
- 3 / 21
University of Pennsylvania
B- Acceptance
- 5.4%
- Net price
- $28,699
- Earnings 10y
- $111,371
- Acceptance
- 5.4%
Swarthmore College
B- Acceptance
- 7.5%
- Net price
- $23,149
- Earnings 10y
- $80,257
- Acceptance
- 7.5%
Carnegie Mellon University
B- Acceptance
- 11.7%
- Net price
- $31,944
- Earnings 10y
- $114,862
- Acceptance
- 11.7%
Haverford College
B- Acceptance
- 12.4%
- Net price
- $25,314
- Earnings 10y
- $79,966
- Acceptance
- 12.4%
Lehigh University
C- Acceptance
- 25.9%
- Net price
- $36,931
- Earnings 10y
- $105,584
- Acceptance
- 25.9%
Villanova University
C- Acceptance
- 27%
- Net price
- $43,756
- Earnings 10y
- $100,423
- Acceptance
- 27%
Franklin and Marshall College
D- Acceptance
- 28.2%
- Net price
- $36,425
- Earnings 10y
- $76,124
- Acceptance
- 28.2%
Bucknell University
C- Acceptance
- 28.9%
- Net price
- $40,766
- Earnings 10y
- $93,807
- Acceptance
- 28.9%
Bryn Mawr College
C- Acceptance
- 29.4%
- Net price
- $31,759
- Earnings 10y
- $75,217
- Acceptance
- 29.4%
Lafayette College
C- Acceptance
- 31.5%
- Net price
- $34,433
- Earnings 10y
- $91,410
- Acceptance
- 31.5%
University of Pittsburgh-Titusville
A- Acceptance
- 34.8%
- Net price
- $11,150
- Earnings 10y
- $66,125
- Acceptance
- 34.8%
Gettysburg College
C- Acceptance
- 38.9%
- Net price
- $31,490
- Earnings 10y
- $71,517
- Acceptance
- 38.9%
Saint Joseph's University - Lancaster
D- Acceptance
- 41.2%
- Net price
- $42,478
- Earnings 10y
- $86,881
- Acceptance
- 41.2%
Dickinson College
D- Acceptance
- 42.1%
- Net price
- $37,607
- Earnings 10y
- $70,204
- Acceptance
- 42.1%
Walnut Hill College
D- Acceptance
- 42.7%
- Net price
- $32,351
- Earnings 10y
- $36,689
- Acceptance
- 42.7%
ASPIRA City College
C- Acceptance
- 50%
- Net price
- $13,671
- Earnings 10y
- $34,857
- Acceptance
- 50%
Moravian University
D- Acceptance
- 54.2%
- Net price
- $30,670
- Earnings 10y
- $61,860
- Acceptance
- 54.2%
Allegheny College
C- Acceptance
- 54.6%
- Net price
- $22,940
- Earnings 10y
- $62,069
- Acceptance
- 54.6%
Lancaster Bible College
D- Acceptance
- 55.9%
- Net price
- $25,480
- Earnings 10y
- $44,096
- Acceptance
- 55.9%
Moore College of Art and Design
D- Acceptance
- 56.5%
- Net price
- $43,086
- Earnings 10y
- $37,839
- Acceptance
- 56.5%
Alvernia University
D- Acceptance
- 58.1%
- Net price
- $28,138
- Earnings 10y
- $55,055
- Acceptance
- 58.1%
University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus
C- Acceptance
- 58.1%
- Net price
- $30,434
- Earnings 10y
- $66,125
- Acceptance
- 58.1%
Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus
D- Acceptance
- 60.6%
- Net price
- $32,875
- Earnings 10y
- $63,435
- Acceptance
- 60.6%
Marywood University
C- Acceptance
- 60.6%
- Net price
- $23,388
- Earnings 10y
- $55,817
- Acceptance
- 60.6%
University of Valley Forge
D- Acceptance
- 61.2%
- Net price
- $32,265
- Earnings 10y
- $39,016
- Acceptance
- 61.2%
How we picked this list
This list starts with Pennsylvania colleges that report a standard admission rate, then sorts by acceptance rate. The set's average EduGradify ROI score is 6.15 (3 public, 21 private).
Every figure comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. See our full methodology for the formulas.
FAQ
Who leads this ranking?
University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, PA tops this ranking. Acceptance rate is 5.4%.
How does EduGradify pick this list?
We rank this set by acceptance using the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard — see our methodology for the full formula. No paid placements, no surveys.
How many Pennsylvania colleges are in this list?
119 Pennsylvania colleges qualified for this ranking based on available federal data.
What does net price mean here?
Net price is what students actually pay after grants and scholarships — not the sticker price. It is reported by each college to the U.S. Department of Education.