Best Small Colleges in Pennsylvania 2023

Published: Mar 23, 2021
Updated: May 22, 2023

Small colleges in Pennsylvania are a great option for students interested in a more intimate campus experience, more personal attention from excellent professors, and more immediate access to support services. Whether the focus is on the technical or on the liberal arts, small colleges give you the chance to pursue a well-rounded education while working closely with classmates and professors in a dynamic community atmosphere.

10 Best Small Colleges in Pennsylvania 2022

61%

56%

51%

46%

Washington & Jefferson College

46%

Dickinson College

45%

Bucknell University

42%

Lincoln University, Pennsylvania

42%

Allegheny College

41%

Ursinus College

38%

Chestnut Hill College

98%

Wilkes University

95%

Robert Morris University

94%

Widener University

85%

Washington & Jefferson College

84%

84%

83%

82%

81%

University of Scranton

80%

University of Pittsburgh at Bradford

17 to 1

Lincoln University, Pennsylvania

14 to 1

Robert Morris University

14 to 1

13 to 1

13 to 1

13 to 1

13 to 1

13 to 1

13 to 1

University of Scranton

12 to 1

Franklin & Marshall College

$63,406

$61,210

$59,960

$59,802

$58,733

$57,114

$56,600

$56,320

$56,056

$55,830

$48,328

Elizabethtown College

$34,000

$27,311

$26,112

$25,100

$24,000

$21,120

$19,980

$19,200

$18,882

24%

University of Pittsburgh at Bradford

24%

25%

25%

26%

26%

Robert Morris University

27%

27%

28%

28%

18%

35%

Franklin & Marshall College

38%

39%

41%

48%

56%

68%

69%

7 to 1

8 to 1

8 to 1

8 to 1

9 to 1

Franklin & Marshall College

9 to 1

Muhlenberg College

9 to 1

Allegheny College

9 to 1

Lafayette College

9 to 1

Washington & Jefferson College

10 to 1

Lincoln University, Pennsylvania

$8,228

University of Pittsburgh at Bradford

$13,394

Grove City College

$19,310

Albright College

$27,678

Robert Morris University

$32,770

La Salle University

$33,150

Gannon University

$34,526

Elizabethtown College

$34,600

Eastern University

$35,590

Chestnut Hill College

$38,635

La Salle University

$885

Albright College

$1,450

Dickinson College

$3,750

Washington & Jefferson College

$8,400

Grove City College

$8,550

Lincoln University, Pennsylvania

$10,106

University of Scranton

$11,580

Eastern University

$13,716

Juniata College

$13,950

Chestnut Hill College

$17,400

Key Takeaways

Look beyond the large universities in Pennsylvania and consider the merits of a small college in the Keystone State. The strong sense of community combined with personalized attention from the faculty and staff members and excellent access to support services are among its benefits.
Many of the best small colleges featured here have notable roles in the formation of higher education in the United States. Washington & Jefferson College is the oldest liberal arts school, while Bryn Mawr College is part of the prestigious Seven Sisters colleges.
Pennsylvania is an excellent place to pursue higher education, too. Historical landmarks and attractions abound, thus, attracting history buffs. There are rich and diverse employment opportunities, too, thanks to the presence of Fortune 500 companies. Many of the country’s largest industries are also located here, from broadcast and telecommunications to agriculture and food manufacturing.

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Pennsylvania’s Pride: Top-rated Small Colleges

Did you know that one of the outstanding small colleges in Pennsylvania on our list is only 41 years younger than the University of Pennsylvania, the Keystone State’s oldest institution of higher education? Established in 1781, Washington & Jefferson College started as three colleges in log cabins that became two competing colleges—Washington College and Jefferson College. By 1865, the two colleges merged to become W&J College.

Dickinson College (1783) is the second-oldest in our list of Pennsylvania’s best small colleges in Pennsylvania, followed by Franklin & Marshall College (1787), Lycoming College (1812) Allegheny College (1815), and Lafayette College (1826). Indeed, Pennsylvania has a solid history of higher education that continues to strengthen its society, economy, and culture!

Bryn Mawr College, ranked #3 on our list, is also notable for being part of the so-called Seven Sisters colleges, a group of highly selective liberal arts colleges known for being historically women’s colleges.

Love for Liberal Arts Education

With the exception of Gannon University, the top 10 best small colleges in Pennsylvania are private liberal arts colleges. This is a strong indication that Pennsylvania places immeasurable value on liberal arts in higher education!

What makes for a liberal arts college in the first place? Liberal arts colleges emphasize the study of liberal arts and sciences in their undergraduate programs. Their programs of study encourage students to develop broad general knowledge and skills, particularly in terms of general intellectual abilities.

These are typically four-year undergraduate institutions with a wide range of bachelor’s degree programs in liberal arts. But many also offer graduate programs at the master’s and doctoral degree levels.

Students may choose a particular major or discipline but gain a comprehensive exposure to a wide range of subjects. These can include social and natural sciences, arts and humanities, and mathematics, but can also include subjects not traditionally taught under a liberal arts curriculum.

Examples include computer science, business administration, and accounting, even engineering. Swarthmore College and Bucknell University, for example, have undergraduate engineering programs.

While vocational, technical, and professional programs of study emphasize the development of technical skills (i.e., skills specific to the profession or occupation), the emphasis in liberal arts is on transferable skills. Students acquire soft skills like communication, critical thinking, and collaboration skills, as well as problem-solving skills, which are vital to life, citizenship, and work.

Most of the best small colleges in Pennsylvania are also private institutions; the exceptions are Lincoln University and University of Pittsburgh at Bradford, both of which are state-related institutions. Note that private colleges in Pennsylvania aren’t directly funded by the state and federal governments, meaning these colleges have greater reliance on diverse revenue sources. These include tuition and fees, donations, and endowments.

For this reason, many prospective students turn away from private liberal arts schools due to the higher cost of education compared with public institutions. However most of the best small colleges in Pennsylvania offer generous merit and need-based scholarships in addition to federal aid.

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania also offers several scholarship programs for its college students, many of which are available to students in private small colleges, too. Examples include:

Pennsylvania also has loan forgiveness programs available for students pursuing degrees in high-demand professions that are, at their core, award-for-service programs. Explore the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program and the Federal Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program.

Reasons to Love Studying in Pennsylvania

If you’re into liberal arts and its study, you will find that Pennsylvania is the perfect place to satisfy your curiosity and even make new discoveries!

Known as the Keystone State for its pivotal role in US history, Pennsylvania appeals to history buffs with its abundance of historic landmarks and attractions. The Independence National Historical Park, Gettysburg National Military Park, and Carnegie Museum of Natural History are a few examples.

Let’s not forget that Pennsylvania is also a hub for higher education with many of the world’s best universities located here! The University of Pennsylvania, an Ivy League university, and the University of Pittsburgh are a few examples—and, of course, the best small colleges featured here.

The cost of living in Pennsylvania is also affordable! At 1% lower than the national average, the Quaker State is a student-friendly place, indeed.

And the employment opportunities abound for graduates, too! Pennsylvania is home to several Fortune 500 corporations like H.J. Heinz, GE Transportation, and Walmart.

Among its largest industries are the coal, steel, and railroad industries; the agriculture industry particularly in mushrooms, apples, Christmas trees, milk and chickens, grapes and wines; and broadcasting and telecommunications.

Known as the Snack Food Capital of World, job opportunities are also present in its 2,300+ food manufacturing companies. There’s even a thriving casino gambling industry!

Indeed, now is the best time to consider enrolling in one of the best small colleges in Pennsylvania! You will not only get a well-rounded education in liberal arts and in other fields, but you can put your skills to good use

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

The following list of the best small colleges and universities in Pennsylvania is composed mainly of four-year undergraduate schools (though a handful also offer graduate programs). We’ve identified 78 small colleges in Pennsylvania. The list below of the 30 best small colleges in Pennsylvania. To be included schools must fully accredited, and must have student body populations below 5,000 students.

How do we determine Pennsylvania's best small colleges and universities?

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.

Best Small Colleges in Pennsylvania 2022

Pennsylvania’s Best Small College in Your Area of Interest

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.

Best Small Colleges in Pennsylvania 2023

10 Best Small Colleges in Pennsylvania 2022

Key Takeaways

Pennsylvania’s Pride: Top-rated Small Colleges

Love for Liberal Arts Education

Reasons to Love Studying in Pennsylvania

Colleges and Universities in Pennsylvania

What are Pennsylvania’s Colleges & Universities?

Best Small Colleges in Pennsylvania 2022

Most Influential Alumni

Most Influential Alumni

Most Influential Alumni

Most Influential Alumni

Most Influential Alumni

Most Influential Alumni

Most Influential Alumni

Most Influential Alumni

Most Influential Alumni

Most Influential Alumni

Most Influential Alumni

Most Influential Alumni

Most Influential Alumni

Most Influential Alumni

Most Influential Alumni

Most Influential Alumni

Most Influential Alumni

Most Influential Alumni

Most Influential Alumni

Most Influential Alumni

Most Influential Alumni

Most Influential Alumni

Most Influential Alumni

Most Influential Alumni

Most Influential Alumni

University of Pittsburgh at Bradford’s Online Degrees

Degree Concentrations

Most Influential Alumni

Most Influential Alumni

Most Influential Alumni

Most Influential Alumni

Albright College’s Online Degrees

Pennsylvania’s Best Small College in Your Area of Interest

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