Best Grad Schools in Pennsylvania 2024

Published: Mar 23, 2021
Updated: Oct 26, 2023

Graduate school may be a critical step in your higher education, whether you are interested in expanding your knowledge, learning a specialization, or earning advanced credentials required by your profession. The best graduate schools in Pennsylvania offer advanced degrees, such as master’s and doctoral degrees, as well as opportunities for independent research, mentorships, and professional networking.

Wilkes University 95%
Indiana University of Pennsylvania 94%
Robert Morris University 94%
West Chester University 89%
Widener University 85%
Duquesne University 84%
Gannon University 84%
Neumann University 84%
Drexel University 83%
Saint Joseph's University 83%

Slippery Rock University 21 to 1
West Chester University 20 to 1
Indiana University of Pennsylvania 18 to 1
Neumann University 14 to 1
University of Pittsburgh 14 to 1
Robert Morris University 14 to 1
Gannon University 13 to 1
Wilkes University 13 to 1
Temple University 13 to 1
Holy Family University 13 to 1

University of Pennsylvania $61,710
Villanova University $59,020
Carnegie Mellon University $58,924
Lehigh University $57,470
Drexel University $57,136
Bryn Mawr College $56,320
Widener University $49,706
University of Scranton $48,462
Saint Joseph's University $47,940
Arcadia University $46,220

Bryn Mawr College $48,328
Carnegie Mellon University $46,441
University of Pennsylvania $38,732
Drexel University $36,234
Arcadia University $27,311
Lehigh University $27,000
Widener University $25,100
Duquesne University $24,534
University of Pittsburgh $24,118
Wilkes University $24,000

Slippery Rock University
Neumann University
Holy Family University
Immaculata University
Gannon University
Arcadia University
Wilkes University
Eastern University
Point Park University
Robert Morris University

University of Pennsylvania 6%
Carnegie Mellon University 14%
Villanova University 25%
Bryn Mawr College 39%
Lehigh University 46%
University of Pittsburgh 67%
Eastern University 69%
Temple University 72%
Holy Family University 77%
Thomas Jefferson University 78%

Carnegie Mellon University 5 to 1
University of Pennsylvania 6 to 1
Bryn Mawr College 8 to 1
Lehigh University 9 to 1
Immaculata University 10 to 1
Drexel University 11 to 1
Villanova University 11 to 1
Saint Joseph's University 11 to 1
Arcadia University 11 to 1
University of Scranton 12 to 1

West Chester University $7,716
Slippery Rock University $7,716
Indiana University of Pennsylvania $9,570
Temple University $16,488
University of Pittsburgh $19,092
Immaculata University $27,750
Holy Family University $31,640
Robert Morris University $32,770
Neumann University $34,460
Gannon University $34,526

West Chester University $9,288
Indiana University of Pennsylvania $9,288
Slippery Rock University $9,288
University of Scranton $11,580
Holy Family University $11,851
Immaculata University $12,780
Eastern University $13,716
Neumann University $14,400
Point Park University $15,858
Temple University $17,388

Table of Contents

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.

Find college admissions consultants in your state.

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

How do we determine Pennsylvania's best grad schools?

Methodology

The people affiliated with a school are ultimately what make it great! If you are serious about finding the best colleges and universities for a bachelor’s degree, you should be asking where the most influential professors are teaching and whether their graduates are themselves advancing the school’s reputation for academic excellence in their fields of study.

Most ranking sites rely on an opaque combination of reputation surveys and arbitrary performance metrics. Concentrated Influence provides a ranking that is freer from bias, insulated from manipulation, and reflective of real-world educational outcomes.

To rank the influence of schools, we first determine the influence of scholars and professionals based on the number of citations and publications they have had over the past 10 years. In addition to publications and citations, we consider the web links to and from these sources, and the page views of those sources. We then match the influential people to their alma maters and institutions of employment, so that their influence is attributed to those schools. Our machine-learning Influence Ranking algorithm produces a numerical score of academic achievements, merits, and citations across Wikipedia, wikidata, Crossref, Semantic Scholar and an ever-growing body of data. If you are interested in exploring how and why we rank by influence, explore our methodology in more depth.

There are 34 doctorate-granting graduate schools in Pennsylvania. Our ranking of the best graduate schools in the Pennsylvania is composed of both private and public schools. To be included, schools must be fully accredited non-profit institutions, and must offer doctoral degrees and a broad array of graduate degrees.

Best Grad Schools in Pennsylvania 2023

Pennsylvania’s Best Grad School for Your Area of Interest

Whether you’re just getting started on your college search, you’re looking for survival tips on your way to a bachelor’s degree, or you’re preparing for the transition into grad school, we’ve got guides, how to’s and tons of other valuable resources to keep you moving forward in your educational journey.

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.

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Best Grad Schools in Pennsylvania 2024

10 Best Grad Schools in Pennsylvania

Colleges and Universities in Pennsylvania

What are Pennsylvania’s Colleges & Universities?

Best Grad Schools in Pennsylvania 2023

Career Outlook for degree at University of Pennsylvania

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Carnegie Mellon University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at University of Pittsburgh

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Temple University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Lehigh University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Drexel University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Villanova University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Bryn Mawr College

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Duquesne University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Thomas Jefferson University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Gannon University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Indiana University of Pennsylvania

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Widener University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Saint Joseph's University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at University of Scranton

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at West Chester University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Eastern University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Slippery Rock University, Pennsylvania

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Arcadia University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Robert Morris University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Wilkes University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Immaculata University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Neumann University

Career Outlook for degree at Holy Family University

Career Outlook for degree at Point Park University

Most Influential Alumni

Pennsylvania’s Best Grad School for Your Area of Interest

Resources for Prospective Grad Students