Pennsylvania’s Best Research Universities of 2021
Interested in attending a STEM school in Pennsylvania? Our ranking of top research universities for bachelor’s degrees displays schools that will best prepare you for STEM careers.
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.
What are Pennsylvania’s Colleges & Universities?
- 18 Research Universities
- 97 Liberal Arts Colleges & Universities
- 35 Graduate Schools
- 41 Public Colleges & Universities
- 76 Private Colleges & Universities
- 45 Christian Colleges & Universities
- 92 Small Colleges & Universities (fewer than 5,000 students)
- 37 Affordable Colleges (below national average of $16,000/year)
- 21 Community Colleges
Pennsylvania’s Best Overall
Related: Differences between research universities and teaching colleges
How do we determine Pennsylvania's best colleges and universities?
The best colleges pound for pound!
The people affiliated with a school are ultimately what make it great. This is why, at the undergraduate level, we rank the best colleges and universities based on what we call Concentrated Influence.
Concentrated Influence takes the combined influence score of a college or university’s top academic influencers (including faculty and alums) and divides it by the school’s total number of undergraduates.
Using concentrated influence gives small and mid-sized schools an opportunity to shine by taking away the size advantage of larger universities. A small school with proportionately more influential faculty than a large school, whose influence in absolute terms may be bigger, will nonetheless score higher in a concentrated influence ranking. Our approach highlights undergraduate schools that truly rank for excellence, regardless of size.
A research university is a great option for students interested in obtaining STEM degrees. Research universities invest heavily in research, which consequently provides meaningful and extensive opportunities for its students and faculty to participate in research. There are 18 research universities in Pennsylvania. The list below of the 15 best research universities in the state satisfies the following four conditions:
- It must be a fully accredited university.
- It must offer doctoral degrees across the range of STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math).
- It must report high levels of research activity based upon the number of research and/or practice doctorates awarded each year.
- It must have a graduation rate of greater than 50%.
15 Best Research Universities in Pennsylvania
- #1Carnegie Mellon University#46 institution's overall influence#35 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$55K
Acceptance
17%
Graduation
90%
Student body
16K
Median SAT/ACT
1500/34
Pittsburgh, PAView profile
What is Carnegie Mellon University known for?
Carnegie Mellon University's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Computer Science
- Engineering
- Business
- Economics
- Chemistry
- Mathematics
- Psychology
- Physics
- Sociology
- Biology
Most Influential Alumni
- #2University of Pennsylvania#17 institution's overall influence#10 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$56K
Acceptance
8%
Graduation
95%
Student body
27K
Median SAT/ACT
1485/33
Philadelphia, PAView profile
What is University of Pennsylvania known for?
University of Pennsylvania's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Medical
- Nursing
- Social Work
- Business
- Anthropology
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Literature
- Communications
- Law
Most Influential Alumni
- #3University of Pittsburgh#71 institution's overall influence#987 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$19K
Acceptance
59%
Graduation
81%
Student body
27K
Median SAT/ACT
1350/30
Pittsburgh, PAView profile
What is University of Pittsburgh known for?
University of Pittsburgh's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Social Work
- Philosophy
- Medical
- Biology
- Sociology
- Psychology
- Chemistry
- Nursing
- Computer Science
- History
Most Influential Alumni
- #4Chatham University#626 institution's overall influence#1163 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$38K
Acceptance
55%
Graduation
52%
Student body
2K
Pittsburgh, PAView profile
What is Chatham University known for?
Chatham University's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Physics
- Economics
- Literature
- Medical
- Mathematics
- Social Work
- Education
- History
Most Influential Alumni
- #5Lehigh University#314 institution's overall influence#89 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$53K
Acceptance
22%
Graduation
89%
Student body
7K
Median SAT/ACT
1360/31
Bethlehem, PAView profile
What is Lehigh University known for?
Lehigh University's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Engineering
- Mathematics
- Earth Sciences
- Physics
- Philosophy
- Chemistry
- Biology
- Computer Science
- Psychology
- Business
Most Influential Alumni
- #6Wilkes University#1028 institution's overall influence#386 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$36K
Acceptance
75%
Graduation
62%
Student body
4K
Median SAT/ACT
1145/24
Wilkes-Barre, PAView profile
What is Wilkes University known for?
Wilkes University's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Literature
- Earth Sciences
- Mathematics
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Education
- Engineering
- Communications
- Nursing
- History
Most Influential Alumni
- #7Drexel University#264 institution's overall influence#54 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$53K
Acceptance
77%
Graduation
70%
Student body
23K
Median SAT/ACT
1275/27
Philadelphia, PAView profile
What is Drexel University known for?
Drexel University's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Engineering
- Nursing
- Medical
- Computer Science
- Business
- Biology
- Communications
- Education
- Chemistry
- Criminal Justice
Most Influential Alumni
- #8Pennsylvania State University#108 institution's overall influence
Tuition + fees
$18K
Acceptance
56%
Graduation
86%
Student body
47K
Median SAT/ACT
1260/27
University Park, PAView profile
What is Pennsylvania State University known for?
Pennsylvania State University's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Earth Sciences
- Mathematics
- Chemistry
- Education
- Physics
- Engineering
- Computer Science
- Philosophy
- Psychology
- Biology
Most Influential Alumni
- #9Villanova University#480 institution's overall influence#198 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$53K
Acceptance
29%
Graduation
90%
Student body
10K
Median SAT/ACT
1385/31
Villanova, PAView profile
What is Villanova University known for?
Villanova University's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Nursing
- Philosophy
- Religious Studies
- Biology
- Computer Science
- History
- Law
- Business
- Political Science
- Communications
Most Influential Alumni
- #10Thomas Jefferson University#663 institution's overall influence#568 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$41K
Acceptance
58%
Student body
7K
Median SAT/ACT
1150/25
Philadelphia, PAView profile
What is Thomas Jefferson University known for?
Thomas Jefferson University's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Medical
- Biology
- Nursing
- Chemistry
- Engineering
- Psychology
- Criminal Justice
- Social Work
- Law
- Business
Most Influential Alumni
- #11Temple University#182 institution's overall influence#1402 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$17K
Acceptance
59%
Graduation
71%
Student body
34K
Philadelphia, PAView profile
What is Temple University known for?
Temple University's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Sociology
- Criminal Justice
- Religious Studies
- Social Work
- Political Science
- Literature
- Education
- Anthropology
- Communications
- Psychology
Most Influential Alumni
- #12Widener University#879 institution's overall influence#583 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$46K
Acceptance
69%
Graduation
57%
Student body
5K
Median SAT/ACT
1110/23
Chester, PAView profile
What is Widener University known for?
Widener University's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Law
- Anthropology
- Business
- Social Work
- Nursing
- History
- Engineering
- Communications
- Medical
- Chemistry
Most Influential Alumni
- #13Duquesne University#785 institution's overall influence#1080 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$38K
Acceptance
72%
Graduation
77%
Student body
8K
Median SAT/ACT
1210/26
Pittsburgh, PAView profile
What is Duquesne University known for?
Duquesne University's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Philosophy
- Nursing
- Law
- Psychology
- Criminal Justice
- Sociology
- Religious Studies
- Social Work
- History
- Education
Most Influential Alumni
- #14Indiana University of Pennsylvania#1185 institution's overall influence#334 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$13K
Acceptance
93%
Graduation
54%
Student body
11K
Median SAT/ACT
1015/20
Indiana, PAView profile
What is Indiana University of Pennsylvania known for?
Indiana University of Pennsylvania's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Criminal Justice
- Mathematics
- Education
- Biology
- Philosophy
- Literature
- Political Science
- Communications
- Computer Science
- History
Most Influential Alumni
- #15Gannon University#3486 institution's overall influence#301 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$33K
Acceptance
81%
Graduation
64%
Student body
3K
Median SAT/ACT
1120/23
Erie, PAView profile
What is Gannon University known for?
Gannon University's faculty and alumni have been influential in:
- Political Science
- Philosophy
- Business
- Psychology
- Engineering
- Communications
- Criminal Justice
- Social Work
- Medical
- Education
Most Influential Alumni
Find the Best Research Universities in Pennsylvania for your Major
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