Best Community Colleges in Pennsylvania 2023

Best Community Colleges in Pennsylvania 2023

The best community colleges provide an effective springboard into higher education, offering students high-quality two-year degree programs in a wide range of disciplines. The top-rated community colleges in Pennsylvania offer a broad selection of associate’s degrees, affordable tuition rates, and strong partnerships with public four-year schools so that students can easily transfer their credits into accredited bachelor’s degree programs.

10 Best Community Colleges in Pennsylvania

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Colleges and Universities in Pennsylvania

Prospective students hoping to earn an associate, bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree have over 100 higher learning institutions to choose from. The largest public university is Pennsylvania State University, or Penn State, with a tuition of $18,000, and a student population of over 95,000 across its campuses. As a private institution, the University of Pennsylvania, or simply Penn, is known for its medical, nursing, social work, and business fields. Tuition is $56,000, and the school boasts a 95% graduation rate.

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Students can also attend one of the more than 60 religiously affiliated schools, such as Villanova University or Lafayette College, each with a tuition of about $53,000. Some of the most affordable colleges in the state include the Curtis Institute of Music and the Talmudical Yeshiva of Philadelphia, with tuitions set at $3,000 and $9,000, respectively. Though the average tuition for college in Pennsylvania comes in above the national average, those who practice medicine in underserved areas may qualify for up to $100,000 in loan forgiveness through the Pennsylvania Primary Care Loan Repayment Program.

As the nation’s second state, Pennsylvania’s history runs deep. It’s here where Betsy Ross made the first American flag and where the Declaration of Independence was signed. The Keystone State is also home to some culinary delights, including whoopie pies, soft pretzels, and the famous Philly cheesesteak. Students looking to earn their degree in Pennsylvania will undoubtedly enjoy what the state has to offer.

Check out the state’s top programs and learn more about earning your degree in Pennsylvania.


What are Pennsylvania’s Colleges & Universities?

Pennsylvania’s Best Overall

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We’ve identified 20 community colleges in Pennsylvania. The following list shows the best community colleges and primarily associate degree granting colleges in Pennsylvania.

Best Community Colleges in Pennsylvania

  1. #1

    Manor College

    Jenkintown , PA

    Tuition + fees

    $19K

    Acceptance

    95%

    Graduation

    38%

    Student body

    <1K

    What is Manor College known for?

    Manor College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

  2. Tuition + fees

    $8K

    Graduation

    17%

    Student body

    9K

    What is Community College of Allegheny County known for?

    Community College of Allegheny County’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    Most Influential Alumni

  3. Tuition + fees

    $9K

    Graduation

    26%

    Student body

    5K

    What is Bucks County Community College known for?

    Bucks County Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    Most Influential Alumni

  4. Tuition + fees

    $12K

    Acceptance

    47%

    Graduation

    23%

    Student body

    <1K

    What is University of Pittsburgh at Titusville known for?

    University of Pittsburgh at Titusville’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

  5. Tuition + fees

    $9K

    Graduation

    18%

    Student body

    11K

  6. Tuition + fees

    $10K

    Graduation

    21%

    Student body

    6K

    What is Montgomery County Community College known for?

    Montgomery County Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

  7. Tuition + fees

    $10K

    Graduation

    21%

    Student body

    6K

    What is Northampton Community College known for?

    Northampton Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    Most Influential Alumni

  8. #8

    Harcum College

    Bryn Mawr , PA

    Tuition + fees

    $27K

    Graduation

    39%

    Student body

    <1K

    What is Harcum College known for?

    Harcum College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    Most Influential Alumni

  9. Tuition + fees

    $10K

    Graduation

    22%

    Student body

    3K

    What is Westmoreland County Community College known for?

    Westmoreland County Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    Most Influential Alumni

  10. Tuition + fees

    $13K

    Graduation

    26%

    Student body

    1K

    What is Community College of Beaver County known for?

    Community College of Beaver County’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    Most Influential Alumni

  11. Tuition + fees

    $10K

    Graduation

    20%

    Student body

    3K

    What is Luzerne County Community College known for?

    Luzerne County Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    Most Influential Alumni

  12. Tuition + fees

    $10K

    Graduation

    23%

    Student body

    6K

    What is Delaware County Community College known for?

    Delaware County Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    Most Influential Alumni

  13. #13

    Lehigh Carbon Community College

    Schnecksville , PA

    Tuition + fees

    $8K

    Graduation

    25%

    Student body

    4K

    What is Lehigh Carbon Community College known for?

    Lehigh Carbon Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

  14. Tuition + fees

    $9K

    Graduation

    38%

    Student body

    1K

    What is Pennsylvania Highlands Community College known for?

    Pennsylvania Highlands Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

  15. Tuition + fees

    $8K

    Acceptance

    89%

    Graduation

    60%

    Student body

    1K

    What is Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology known for?

    Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

  16. Tuition + fees

    $8K

    Graduation

    25%

    Student body

    2K

    What is Butler County Community College known for?

    Butler County Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    Most Influential Alumni

  17. #17

    Triangle Tech

    Pittsburgh , PA

    Tuition + fees

    $18K

    Graduation

    62%

    Student body

    <1K

    What is Triangle Tech known for?
  18. #18

    Johnson College

    Scranton , PA

    Tuition + fees

    $20K

    Acceptance

    97%

    Graduation

    68%

    Student body

    <1K

    What is Johnson College known for?

    Johnson College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

  19. #19

    New Castle School of Trades

    New Castle , PA

    Tuition + fees

    $21K

    Acceptance

    100%

    Graduation

    78%

    Student body

    <1K

    What is New Castle School of Trades known for?
  20. Tuition + fees

    $10K

    Graduation

    24%

    Student body

    2K

    What is Reading Area Community College known for?

    Reading Area Community College’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

2021 Ranking Archive

Many of our 2022 undergraduate focused rankings look considerably different than 2021. That’s because we took a fundamentally different apporach. For 2021 we utilized our Concentrated Influence algorithm, designed to take away the size advantage larger schools have when we rank their faculty and alumni’s academic influence. Concentrated influence highlights smaller schools that are proportionally as successful as larger universities at cultivating influential alumni and faculty.

  1. University of Pittsburgh at Titusville
  2. Community College of Beaver County
  3. Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology
  4. Bucks County Community College
  5. Pennsylvania Highlands Community College
  6. Lehigh Carbon Community College
  7. Westmoreland County Community College
  8. Community College of Philadelphia
  9. Community College of Allegheny County
  10. Luzerne County Community College
  11. Delaware County Community College
  12. Northampton Community College
  13. Montgomery County Community College
  14. Butler County Community College
  15. Reading Area Community College