There are 300 colleges in Pennsylvania: 84 public and 216 private, teaching a combined 651,052 students. The statewide average acceptance rate is 75.80%, and average tuition at four-year institutions runs about $34,666 on the out-of-state rate.
Put those two numbers next to Illinois and something jumps out. Illinois has 245 institutions teaching 740,314 students. Pennsylvania has 55 more colleges and roughly 90,000 fewer students in them. The average Pennsylvania institution enrolls about 2,170 people against roughly 3,020 in Illinois.
That is the single most useful thing to understand before you apply here. Pennsylvania runs the most fragmented higher education market in the country, and it is why the state has led national college closure lists for three years running.
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How Many Colleges Are in Pennsylvania?
| Category | Count |
| Total institutions | 300 |
| Public | 84 |
| Private | 216 |
| Institutions with undergraduate programs | 285 |
| Institutions with graduate programs | 113 |
| Total enrollment | 651,052 students |
| Average acceptance rate | 75.80% |
A 300-institution list is not a shortlist, and that 75.80% average is close to useless on its own. The real spread runs from 4.8% at the University of Pennsylvania to 60% at Penn State University Park, a more than twelve-fold difference between two schools whose names differ by one word.
The Three Public Tuition Tiers Nobody Explains
Most states have one public tuition rate. Pennsylvania has three, and they are set by three different mechanisms. This is the part of the state's system that catches applicants out, and it is worth five minutes.
| Tier | What it is | In-state tuition, 2026-27 |
| State-owned (PASSHE) | 10 universities across 14 campuses, owned and run by the Commonwealth | $8,338 |
| State-related | Penn State, Pitt, Temple, Lincoln. Legally private, publicly funded in part | $20,878 at Penn State University Park |
| Private | 216 institutions, no residency discount at all | Varies widely |
State-related is a category almost unique to Pennsylvania. Penn State, Pitt, Temple and Lincoln are not state-owned. They are legally separate private entities operating under their own charters, with their own boards and their own assets. In exchange for an annual state appropriation they must offer a tuition discount to Pennsylvania residents.
Here is why that matters to your budget: state appropriations account for less than 10% of each state-related university's operating budget. They are funded overwhelmingly by tuition. That is the structural reason Penn State charges a Pennsylvania resident $20,878 while West Chester, a genuinely state-owned university, charges $8,338. Both are public in ordinary conversation. They cost two and a half times apart.
If cost is your binding constraint and you are a Pennsylvania resident, the PASSHE universities are the answer, and most applicants never seriously look at them. From fall 2027 the system is adding the PASSHE Pledge, a last-dollar scholarship covering remaining tuition for Pennsylvania students who receive federal Pell and state grants. It excludes room, board and fees, so housing remains your cost to manage.
Flagged for review. PASSHE raised tuition 4.3% for 2026-27, its largest increase in a decade, after holding rates flat for seven years. Both figures in that table reset each July.
Acceptance Rates at Pennsylvania Colleges
| Institution | Acceptance rate | Cycle | Guide |
| University of Pennsylvania | 4.8% | Class of 2029 | Penn acceptance rate |
| Carnegie Mellon | 11.6% | Class of 2028 | Carnegie Mellon acceptance rate |
| Penn State University Park | 60% | Class of 2028 | Penn State acceptance rate |
Penn is not Penn State. They are 190 miles apart, one admits fewer than one applicant in twenty and the other admits three in five, and the confusion is common enough that it is worth stating plainly. If a page quotes you a "Penn acceptance rate" near 60%, it is describing a different university.
At Carnegie Mellon the headline is equally misleading for a different reason. CMU admits by college, and the spread inside the university runs from 4% for Drama to 34% for Architecture. That is an eight-fold range under one 11.6% figure.
What Colleges in Pennsylvania Cost to Attend
Tuition is only part of it. At Penn State University Park, housing and meals add roughly $15,346 a year on top of tuition, which takes an out-of-state student past $63,000 before books.
The state's out-of-state premium is where Pennsylvania is genuinely unusual. Penn State charges non-residents $44,574 against $20,878 for residents, a gap of $23,696. Our Penn State tuition and fees guide works through what each line actually covers and why the same degree costs different amounts at different Penn State campuses.
Where Students Live in Pennsylvania
Four markets account for most student housing in the state, and one of them behaves in a way that surprises people.
Philadelphia. Penn, Drexel and Temple sit within a few miles of each other, with Villanova and Swarthmore in the suburbs. Average rent is $2,036 a month, the highest of the state's three main cities. Browse student accommodation in Philadelphia.
Pittsburgh. Carnegie Mellon and the University of Pittsburgh share the Oakland neighborhood, with Point Park downtown. Average rent is $1,834, and the city's overall cost of living sits about 4% below the Pennsylvania average. See student accommodation in Pittsburgh.
State College. Penn State University Park, in a borough of roughly 40,000 people in the center of the state. Student accommodation in State College is a market built almost entirely around one university.
Bethlehem. Lehigh University, in the Lehigh Valley about an hour north of Philadelphia. Quieter and cheaper than either city. See student accommodation in Bethlehem.
The Rent Number That Misleads Everyone
Here is the fact that changes how you read every Pennsylvania cost comparison you will see.
| City | Average rent | Studio | 1 bed | 2 bed | 3 bed |
| State College | $2,127 | $1,232 | $1,478 | $1,965 | $2,411 |
| Philadelphia | $2,036 | $1,488 | $1,859 | $2,350 | $3,520 |
| Pittsburgh | $1,834 | $1,490 | $1,689 | $2,052 | $2,687 |
State College has the highest average rent in Pennsylvania. Higher than Philadelphia. Higher than Pittsburgh. A rural borough of 40,000 out-prices the sixth largest city in the United States.
And that average is close to meaningless, which is the actual lesson. Work it out per bedroom:
| City | 3 bed per bedroom | 2 bed per bedroom |
| State College | $804 | $983 |
| Pittsburgh | $896 | $1,026 |
| Philadelphia | $1,173 | $1,175 |
Per bedroom, State College is the cheapest of the three, by a wide margin on three-bed units. Its headline average is high because the housing stock is overwhelmingly three and four-bedroom student shares, and averaging across unit types compares a college town's shared houses against a city's studios.
The practical consequence: in State College, sharing is not a way to save money, it is the market. A student who insists on a studio there pays $1,232 for 377 square feet and gives up the town's only real price advantage. In Philadelphia, by contrast, sharing a three-bed saves you comparatively little against a one-bed, so the calculation genuinely goes the other way.
Flagged for review. These are August 2026 market averages across all housing, not student-specific rates. Confirm against current listings before budgeting.
The Closure Risk Is Real, and It Is Worth Ten Minutes
Pennsylvania has lost a notable run of institutions recently. The University of the Arts in Philadelphia closed in June 2024 with seven days' notice and later filed for bankruptcy. Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts ended its degree programs in spring 2025. Clarks Summit University and Pittsburgh Technical College both closed in 2024. Lackawanna and Peirce merged in 2025, as did Keystone the year before.
This is not a reason to avoid Pennsylvania. It is a reason to spend ten minutes on any small private institution before you commit, and it follows directly from the fragmentation at the top of this page: 300 institutions competing for 651,052 students in a state with a falling college-age population.
What to look at, in order:
- Enrollment trend over five years. A sustained decline is the clearest single signal.
- The most recent accreditation action. Probation or a warning from Middle States is public and searchable.
- Whether the institution has merged, renamed or consolidated campuses recently. It is often the step before something larger.
- Teach-out agreements. Ask admissions directly what happens to your credits if the college closes. A confident, specific answer is reassuring; a vague one is information too.
None of this applies to Penn State, Pitt, Temple, Penn, CMU or the PASSHE universities. It applies to the long tail, which in Pennsylvania is longer than anywhere else.
On Campus or Off?
Most Pennsylvania four-year institutions guarantee first-year housing and many require it. After the first year the calculation changes sharply by city: in State College the off-campus market is large, purpose-built and competitive, while in Philadelphia university housing often holds its own on price.
Our comparison of college dorms versus off-campus housing works through the trade-off, and how to book on-campus housing at US universities covers the application process.
Before you sign anything, take our apartment tour checklist to viewings. If you are coming from abroad, read renting without a credit history in the USA and co-signing student leases in the USA early, because a guarantor takes time to arrange. If you may leave for a summer internship, read what subletting means before you sign a twelve-month lease.
Who Pennsylvania Suits
A strong fit if you are a Pennsylvania resident willing to look seriously at PASSHE, where $8,338 tuition is among the lowest in the Northeast. Also if you want a major city at below New York or Boston housing costs, or you are targeting a specific Carnegie Mellon or Penn State program and understand how each admits.
Think carefully if you are out of state and looking at Penn State, where you will pay $44,574 for a degree that a resident gets for $20,878 and an admission that is barely more competitive. Also if you are considering a small private college without checking its enrollment trend first.
The community college route is strong here. Pennsylvania's community colleges feed into both the PASSHE and state-related systems, and it is the most effective way to cut the cost of a four-year degree. See the best community colleges in the US.
Compare with our guides to colleges in Illinois and colleges in Massachusetts if you are choosing between states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many colleges are in Pennsylvania?
There are 300 colleges and universities in Pennsylvania: 84 public and 216 private, teaching 651,052 students in total. Of those, 285 offer undergraduate programs.
What are the best colleges in Pennsylvania?
The state includes the University of Pennsylvania, Carnegie Mellon, Penn State, Pitt, Temple, Lehigh, Villanova, Swarthmore and Bryn Mawr. Best depends on your subject and budget, and at Carnegie Mellon it depends heavily on which college you apply to.
What is the difference between Penn and Penn State?
They are entirely separate universities 190 miles apart. The University of Pennsylvania is a private Ivy League institution in Philadelphia with a 4.8% acceptance rate. Penn State is a public, state-related university in State College with a 60% acceptance rate at University Park.
What does state-related mean in Pennsylvania?
Penn State, Pitt, Temple and Lincoln are state-related: legally private institutions that receive a state appropriation and must offer a tuition discount to Pennsylvania residents. The appropriation is less than 10% of their budgets, which is why their in-state tuition is much higher than the state-owned PASSHE universities.
How much does college cost in Pennsylvania?
It depends entirely on the tier. PASSHE in-state tuition is $8,338 for 2026-27. Penn State University Park charges Pennsylvania residents $20,878 and non-residents $44,574. Private institutions set their own rates with no residency discount.
What is the average acceptance rate for colleges in Pennsylvania?
About 75.80% statewide, but the range runs from 4.8% at the University of Pennsylvania to 60% at Penn State University Park.
Which city in Pennsylvania is cheapest for students?
Per bedroom, State College, where a three-bed works out at about $804 per person against $1,173 in Philadelphia. Pittsburgh is the cheapest of the two big cities at $1,834 average rent against Philadelphia's $2,036.
Why is rent in State College higher than Philadelphia?
Because the average compares different products. State College's stock is overwhelmingly three and four-bedroom student shares, which have high total rents and low per-person rents. Per bedroom it is the cheapest of Pennsylvania's main student markets.
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The Bottom Line
The colleges in Pennsylvania are not one system but three, and the difference between them is the largest avoidable cost in your decision. A Pennsylvania resident choosing West Chester over Penn State saves $12,540 a year in tuition alone. An out-of-state student choosing Penn State pays $44,574 for an admission rate barely tighter than the one residents face.
Then read the rent numbers per bedroom rather than per unit, because Pennsylvania is the state where that distinction is worth the most. State College looks like the most expensive market here and is in practice the cheapest, provided you share.