21 Best Colleges in Pennsylvania – 2024

Academic Highlights: 90 distinct degrees are available across four schools. The university boasts an exceptional 27% of courses with an enrollment under ten and 58% with an enrollment under twenty—quite an achievement for a school of Penn’s massive size. It also offers multiple ways for undergrads to conduct research, whether through independent studies or working side-by-side with faculty members. The university publishes 12 distinct journals featuring original undergraduate research. Penn ranks first among Ivies in study abroad participation rate; each year, over 1,400 students head off to earn a semester’s credit in one of 50 countries.

Professional Outcomes: 76% of Class of 2023 grads were employed within six months of graduating, and 16% were in graduate school. Employers hiring the greatest number of 2023 grads included McKinsey & Company, Penn Medicine, Boston Consulting Group, Bain & Company, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and Goldman Sachs. The median starting salary for all graduates is $100,000. For those continuing their educational journeys, the most popular move is to remain at Penn, followed by Harvard and Columbia.

Academic Highlights: Small, seminar-style courses are the norm at Swat—an outstanding 33% of sections enroll fewer than ten students, and 73% contain a maximum of nineteen students. Overall, the average class size is 17. Thanks to an 8:1 student-to-faculty ratio and zero grad students, professors are extremely available in and outside the classroom. As a result, two-thirds of graduates complete at least one undergraduate research or independent creative project, and the college sets aside $800,000 in funding for that express purpose. Forty percent of students elect to study abroad for a semester in one of 300 programs in 60 countries.

Professional Outcomes: 58% of Class of 2023 grads entered the workforce shortly after graduation. Google is a leading employer of Swarthmore grads followed by Amazon, Microsoft, Meta, and a number of top universities.  23% of 2023 grads pursued advanced degrees, with 42% pursuing a PhD and 42% entering master’s programs. Swatties can also be found at Columbia, Stanford, UPenn, Harvard, and UCBerkeley. The cities attracting the highest percentage of Swat alumni were Philadelphia, NYC, Boston, and Chicago. The average starting salary was $81,000, an excellent figure for any liberal arts school.

Academic Highlights: Impressively, particularly for a school with more graduate students than undergrads, CMU boasts a 6:1 student-to-faculty ratio and small class sizes, with roughly one-third containing single digits and 68% having an enrollment of nineteen or fewer. In a given school year, 800+ undergraduates conduct research through the University Research Office, and many others participated through various outside arrangements. Between 500-600 students study abroad for a semester each year in such countries as Japan, China, and Germany.

Professional Outcomes: By the end of the calendar year in which they received their diplomas, 74% of recent grads were employed, and 17% were continuing to graduate school. The companies that have routinely scooped up CMU grads include Google, Meta, Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, TikTok, and NVIDIA. With an average starting salary of $124,107, CMU grads outpace the average starting salary for a college grad nationally.

Academic Highlights: Haverford offers 39 majors, 40 minors, 14 concentrations, and eleven consortium programs—areas of study that can be pursued at partner campuses. The school’s 9:1 student-to-faculty ratio and exclusive emphasis on undergraduate education lead to exceptionally intimate classes, 37% of which have fewer than 10 students, and 71% have fewer than 20. Plenty of summer research opportunities exist in which students can work alongside faculty, and some STEM students conduct and present original research through the Undergraduate Science Research Symposium. The study abroad program has a 49% participation rate, and students can choose from 70+ programs in 30+ countries.

Professional Outcomes: Six months after leaving Haverford, 58% of the Class of 2024 had found employment, 29% had enrolled in graduate school, and 6% were still job hunting. Employers hiring multiple recent Haverford grads include JP Morgan, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Cornerstone Research, and NextGen America. Of the 29% of 2024 grads who elected to continue their education, 23 graduates enrolled at UPenn, with other grads attending the University of Chicago, Columbia, and Sidney Kimmel Medical College.

Academic Highlights: An 8:1 student-to-faculty ratio leads to small class sizes with 78% of sections having fewer than twenty students, and 28% of sections enrolling nine students or fewer. The median class size is just 14 students. This type of academic setting leads to close mentoring from professors. Over 500 undergraduates collaborate on research and independent projects with faculty each year. Those electing to study abroad have more than seventy programs to choose from and, in recent years, 33% of students have spent a semester in 30 countries across six continents.

Professional Outcomes: One year after receiving their diplomas, 63% of Bryn Mawr graduates had found employment and a robust 30% had already entered graduate school. Most of the organizations employing the greatest number of alumni are universities and hospital systems, although Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and Vanguard do employ a fair number of Bryn Mawr graduates. Among recent grads pursuing further education, 70% were in master’s programs, 20% were already working on their PhD, and 5% were in medical school.

Academic Highlights: Lafayette offers over 50 areas of study across four academic divisions. One-on-one attention from professors is a reality at Lafayette, thanks to a 10:1 student-to-faculty ratio and no graduate students to compete with. A solid 63% of sections contain fewer than twenty students; 11% enroll nine or fewer. By the time senior year is nearing its completion, slightly more than half of students have completed a research experience with a faculty member. The school invests almost half a million dollars annually in funding undergraduate research. A majority of students also have studied for a semester in a foreign country as 60-65% of graduates elect to study abroad in one of 50 locations.

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of graduation, a stellar 93% of the Class of 2023 had already landed full-time jobs or were enrolled in graduate/professional school. Companies employing recent Lafayette alumni include Morgan Stanley, Deloitte, Goldman Sachs, PPL, Amazon, and JP Morgan Chase. Those attending graduate school frequently land at some of the top programs in the country within their respective disciplines. Johns Hopkins, Villanova, NYU, Northeastern, Carnegie Mellon, and Columbia are a few of the institutions where Leopards can be found pursuing further education.

Academic Highlights: Getting well-acquainted with your professors is easy with a 9:1 student-faculty ratio, and class sizes are reasonably small. Slightly more than half of courses at Bucknell unfold in a classroom of no more than nineteen students, and approximately 90% of all sections enroll fewer than twenty-nine students. All of Bucknell’s full-time professors spend some of their time teaching undergraduates. More than 500 take advantage of research opportunities on campus

Professional Outcomes: Nine months after graduation, 93% of Bucknell’s most recent graduating class had launched their careers or entered graduate school. Across all disciplines, the average salary for a  grad was $72,735,  which is well above average when compared to other liberal arts colleges. Geographically, most Bucknell grads remain concentrated in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, and the DC metro area.

Academic Highlights: Lehigh has a 10:1 student-to-faculty ratio, but classes aren’t as tiny as one might expect with such favorable staffing numbers. The average class size is 28 but, on the plus side, 41% of courses have enrollments of 19 or fewer. Undergraduate research is commonplace, particularly within the engineering school. Each year, 40% of engineering students gain faculty-led research experience. Additionally, 40% of graduates engage in some type of international experience, whether it’s a semester of academic study abroad or a foreign-based internship. Roughly half of those students took courses in one of 250 study abroad programs approved by the university.

Professional Outcomes: Recent grads quickly found their way toward the next productive step in their lives with 95% landing jobs or grad school placements within six months of leaving Lehigh. The average starting salary for a recent grad is $76,000. Top employers include Amazon, Citigroup, Deloitte, EY, KPMG, Morgan Stanley, ExxonMobil, GE, Google, IBM, Lockheed Martin, Merck, and Microsoft, CBS, People Magazine, and the National Institutes of Health. Twenty-four percent of recent diploma-earners head straight to graduate school and enrolled in programs at Harvard, Temple, Columbia, NYU, Johns Hopkins, Rice, and Vanderbilt.

Academic Highlights: Students can choose one of 55+ programs within four schools. The university sports a 10:1 student-to-faculty ratio and 88% of faculty hold the highest degree in their fields. The Villanova Match Research Program for First Year Students allows second-semester freshmen to work as research assistants alongside distinguished faculty, and the Villanova Undergraduate Research Fellows Summer Program is taken advantage of by many upperclassmen. In total, 87% of recent grads who sought out a research experience were able to find one. Wildcats study abroad in impressive numbers; over 800 students travel to a foreign country each year

Professional Outcomes: Within six months of graduating, Class of 2023 graduates had a placement rate of 96% with 71% entering the workforce and 22% matriculating into graduate or professional school. The most popular employers are Boeing, Merck, Deloitte, JPMorgan Chase, Comcast, Amazon, Microsoft, and Goldman Sachs. The average starting salary was $77,833. Recent grads went on to study at graduate institutions like Boston University, Columbia, Drexel, Duke, George Washington, Georgetown, Johns Hopkins, NYU, Temple, and UPenn.

Academic Highlights: As students immerse themselves in one of 46 areas of concentration, Dickinson supports them with a 9:1 student-to-faculty ratio and average class size of 17, with 75% of classes being capped at 19 students. This type of intimacy allows the school to advertise that: “Not only will you have the opportunity to conduct advanced research as an undergraduate that most wouldn’t experience until graduate school, you’ll also have the chance to work alongside faculty in the process.” The majority of students also elect to venture to other continents as part of their undergraduate experience. Offering study abroad opportunities with 16 global programs, more than 50 study abroad options, and boasts a 60% participation rate.

Professional Outcomes: One year after graduating, 95% of Dickinson grads have found jobs or full-time volunteer work, or have enrolled in graduate school. Companies employing Dickinson alumni include Deloitte, EY, Vanguard, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and Merck. Most alumni are found in Pennsylvania, with the New York City Metropolitan area also proving popular with Red Devil alums.

Academic Highlights: Franklin & Marshall’s student-faculty ratio is 9:1, and 59% of classes have fewer than 20 students enrolled; 40% are in the 20-49 range. The average classroom contains 18 students. Juniors are encouraged to spend a semester abroad, and 50% oblige, jetting off to locations from Argentina to Vietnam. Grants through the Hackman Scholars program allow approximately seventy-five students to conduct research with faculty each summer. Many more Diplomats research with faculty through other means during the academic year and, by graduation, 65% of students have engaged in a one-on-one research experience with a faculty mentor.

Professional Outcomes: Shortly after graduation, 93% of 2023 F&M grads are either employed or continuing their educational journey. Students find work at a cornucopia of interesting companies and organizations from HBO to the Selective Mutism Research Institute to Sotheby’s. Across all graduating years, the companies with the greatest number of Diplomats on staff are Morgan Stanley, Deloitte, Vanguard, EY, Merrill Lynch, IBM, Wells Fargo, and Citi.Sixty-two percent of graduates stay in the Northeast and 20% head down South. There are more alumni living in New York City than in Philadelphia. The median salary for Class of 2023 grads was $55,000.

Academic Highlights: Forty percent of sections have an enrollment of under twenty students while 18% enroll more than 50. Plenty of personal connection with professors is available to those who seek it. Structured undergraduate research opportunities are available within every single school at UPitt; the bi-annual Research & Creative Expression Fair features 100+ projects. There are 350 study abroad programs in 75 countries, and many take advantage.

Professional Outcomes: Within a few months of graduating, 98% of 2023 grads entered full-time employment or full-time graduate or professional school. Employers scooping up the highest number of grads in one recent year included the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (208), PNC (67), BNY Mellon (37), and Deloitte (21). The median salary across all majors was $62,127. Pittsburgh, Philly, New York, and DC host the most alumni.

Academic Highlights: Gettysburg College offers 40+ academic programs. A student-to-faculty ratio of 10:1 allows for incredibly small class sizes; the average is 18. Undergraduate research opportunities are accessible to students in all academic departments. Overall, more than 50% of students get a chance to work on academic/laboratory research with one of their professors and nearly 60% of Gettysburgians elect to study abroad for a semester or longer. The school has formal partnerships in countries like China, Tanzania, and Senegal.

Professional Outcomes: One year after receiving their diplomas, 98% of recent grads landed their first job or had enrolled in graduate/professional school. Large numbers of Gettysburg alumni are employed by Deloitte, Eurofins Lancaster Laboratories, Bank of America, Lockton, Betterment, Ernst & Young, and Fidelity Investments. Nineteen percent enrolled in graduate programs, attending elite institutions like Penn State, George Washington, NYU, UPenn, and Emory. According to PayScale, the school ranks 17th among all liberal arts colleges for early-career and mid-career salaries.

Academic Highlights: Penn State offers 275 majors and a number of top-ranked programs in a host of disciplines. Unlike some public research universities that can have student-to-faculty ratios greater than 20:1, PSU boasts a solid 15:1 ratio. That level of support allows 61% of classes to have an enrollment below thirty students.  Even at such a large institution, it is possible to get involved in undergraduate research. Eberly College of Science professors are running upwards of 3,000 research projects per year, and the school has a well-maintained and up-to-date database of undergraduate research positions. All told, 16% of graduates report having engaged in undergraduate research. 22% of a recent graduating class availed themselves of study abroad opportunities in one of 300+ programs in 50+ countries each year.

Professional Outcomes: By graduation, 79% of Nittany Lions have found their next employment or graduate school home. Over a hundred alumni work at Tesla; Deloitte, Amazon, Google, JP Morgan Chase, Microsoft, IBM, Johnson & Johnson, and Accenture each employ over 500 alumni. Three-quarters of recent graduates employed full-time earned starting salaries of greater than $50k. Penn State graduates mostly settle in the Greater Philadelphia area, with New York City and the Washington DC-Baltimore area also proving popular with alumni.

Academic Highlights: There are over 100 undergraduate majors to choose from at Drexel.  The university offers a reasonable 9:1 student-to-faculty ratio with commensurately reasonable class sizes. Fifty-one percent of sections contain 19 or fewer students, and just 9% of sections contain 50 or more. Drexel students are encouraged to begin seeking undergraduate research opportunities “as early as the freshman year.” An array of research-oriented co-ops exist at local hospitals, museums, and pharmaceutical companies as well. With the emphasis on co-op education, it can be difficult to carve out time to study abroad while at Drexel. In a typical year, roughly 900 students manage to study internationally at one of 60 locations. Co-ops in foreign countries are another way to access the benefits of this type of experience.

Professional Outcomes: One year after graduating, 97% of Dragons have arrived at their next destination; 94% of full-time graduates were satisfied with their position and 87% were working in professions related to their field of study. The largest employers of Drexel alumni are Children’s Hospital of Philadephia, Penn Medicine, Comcast, Lockheed Martin, and Vanguard. The average salary for Drexel grads with a full-time job was $68,650.

Academic Highlights: With an exceptional 8:1 student-to-faculty ratio and average class size of just 15 students, Muhlenberg College offers one of the most personalized undergraduate experiences among national universities. This intimate learning environment shines in the classroom—81% of courses enroll 19 or fewer students—while global perspectives flourish through study abroad programs that attract over half of the student body. Students choose from 40 majors and 37 minors within this supportive academic community that emphasizes close mentorship and intellectual exploration.

Professional Outcomes: Graduates launch successful careers with leading employers like Lehigh Valley Health Network, St. Luke’s, Deloitte, ADP, Merck, and Air Products. Alumni networks thrive in key Northeast metropolitan areas, including Philadelphia, New York, and Washington DC-Baltimore, demonstrating the university’s strong regional connections and the mobility of its degrees. These outcomes reflect the powerful combination of personalized education and professional preparation that defines the Muhlenberg experience.

Academic Highlights: Ursinus College delivers a distinctive liberal arts experience through 60+ areas of study, blending structured intellectual foundations with remarkable flexibility. Beyond the innovative Quest Core Curriculum, students enjoy significant curricular freedom while all complete at least one Experiential Learning Project (XLP)—ensuring hands-on application of knowledge. With an exceptional 9:1 student-to-faculty ratio and representation from 32 states and 8 countries, Ursinus fosters close mentorship within a vibrant intellectual community.

Professional Outcomes: Ursinus graduates achieve outstanding success, with 97% securing positive outcomes. Eighty percent are employed at leading organizations like Penguin Random House, Vanguard, and Adidas, at an average starting salary of $52,721. The remaining 20% advance to elite graduate programs, including Ivy League institutions like Princeton and professional powerhouses like Georgetown. These results showcase Ursinus’s powerful combination of intellectual rigor and real-world readiness, which prepares its graduates to excel across diverse professional fields and advanced academic pursuits.

Academic Highlights: Temple offers 160+ undergraduate programs. Forty-four percent of classes have an enrollment of 19 or fewer students, and 72% of courses contain no more than 29 undergraduates. Undergraduate research positions are available across all 12 undergraduate schools and colleges, including a seven-month-long funded research experience called the Diamond Research Scholars program. The school offers plenty of study abroad opportunities, including its own programs in Spain, Japan, and Italy. A touch over 10% of undergrads take a semester in a foreign country.

Professional Outcomes: Fifty-one percent of recent grads quickly secured employment and another 18% were enrolled in graduate school. Top employers included the School District of Philadelphia, Vanguard, SEI, Amazon, and Lockheed Martin. Hundreds of Owl alumni can be found at Merck, Comcast, GlaxoSmithKline, Johnson & Johnson, JPMorgan Chase, and Bristol Myers Squibb. The highest percentage of grads reside in Philadelphia, with New York City and Washington, DC, next in popularity.

Academic Highlights: A stunning 95% of graduates report engaging in some form of hands-on learning in their time at the college. The 10:1 student-to-faculty ratio may lag slightly behind some other small liberal arts schools featured in this guide, but professors are deployed with enhancing the undergraduate experience in mind. As a result, there are only a handful of classes that enroll 40+ students, and 68% enroll fewer than 20. One marker of Juniata’s success in providing personalized attention to undergrads is the fact that a stunning 95% of those who ultimately graduate do so in four years or less. Study abroad placements are available in 24 countries spread across six continents, and roughly 40% of students take advantage.

Professional Outcomes: Ninety-six percent of Juniata students are employed or attending graduate school six months after diplomas are awarded. More than ten alumni work for the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Merck, Geisinger, WellSpan Health, and the US Army. In the last few years, grads have landed positions at the Walt Disney Company, the National Football League, Boeing, Google, Showtime, and The Wall Street Journal. Recent graduate school acceptances include Columbia, Wake Forest, Johns Hopkins, and MIT; clearly, top-shelf graduate and professional schools are on the table for Juniata grads The majority of Juniata alumni stay in the Keystone State with heavy concentrations in State College, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Harrisburg, but sizable pockets also can be found in Washington, DC, and New York City.

Academic Highlights: At Elizabethtown, 91% of students report that their professors care about them as a person and 76% had a mentor help them pursue their goals. A 12:1 student-to-faculty ratio makes all of this individualized attention available and 55% of courses enroll 19 or fewer students.

Professional Outcomes: Recent grads have gone on to land jobs at the likes of PwC, Hershey, Amazon, PepsiCo, Vanguard, and Lockheed Martin. Graduate schools attended include state institutions like Penn State and the University of Delaware, as well as elite universities like UPenn, Notre Dame, Carnegie Mellon, and William & Mary. Only 9% of recent alumni were still looking for their next step six months after earning their undergraduate degree.

Academic Highlights: Thomas Jefferson University provides a career-focused education through its 10 colleges and 3 schools, supported by an excellent 13:1 student-to-faculty ratio that ensures 55% of classes maintain fewer than 20 students. With access to 32 hospital campuses and multiple research centers, students gain unparalleled hands-on experience in various fields. Global perspectives are cultivated through 45+ study abroad programs across 35 countries, preparing graduates to lead in an interconnected professional landscape.

Professional Outcomes: Jefferson’s Class of 2024 achieved impressive early outcomes, with 52% securing employment and 43% continuing to graduate programs immediately after commencement. Alumni launch careers at premier healthcare institutions, including Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Jefferson Health, while others contribute to leading architecture/engineering firms like HDR and CRB Group. Those pursuing advanced degrees frequently choose top-tier institutions, including Northwestern University and Villanova, with many returning to Jefferson’s own renowned graduate programs, demonstrating the strong foundation provided by the university’s integrated undergraduate experience.