20 Most Affordable Colleges in Pennsylvania in 2024

Curtis Institute of Music is a small and elite niche school with an enrollment of only 130 undergraduates. Although not the absolute lowest in average cost, Curtis ranks tops on our list because of its high, 64% graduation rate. Furthermore, 100% of its students receive financial aid.

Talmudical Yeshiva is a private Jewish college. It is a very small school with an enrollment of 123 undergraduates. It is restrictive in its programs, only offering a degree in Talmudic and Rabbinical Studies. Fully 47% of the school’s undergraduates go on to achieve their degrees.

Peirce is a small private college with the lowest average cost on our list. Business is the largest major here. Other popular programs are information technology and paralegal studies. Peirce generously offers aid to 100% of its undergraduate student base.

This private Catholic university is home to 2,134 full- and part-time undergraduate students. Popular majors at Holy Family include nursing, psychology, business, and criminal justice. With a 58% graduation rate, students go on to jobs with good earning power: Their average starting salary is $42,000 per year.

Program Data:

• Median Salary of Seniors in their first job: $42,000
• Median Salary of young Alumni (last 5 years): $60,000

Other points of distinction:

• Ranked by Money Magazine’s 2019-20 Best Colleges for your Money, 22nd in Pennsylvania and 273rd overall.
• Georgetown University’s new ranking of ROI for US Colleges and Universities ranked Holy Family University 20th in Pennsylvania for best return on investment. (2019, A First Try at ROI: Ranking 4,500 Colleges, Carnevale, Cheah, Van Der Werf)
• 25th in Pennsylvania in the Overall Mobility Index (the likelihood that a student moved up two or more income quintiles). Equality of Opportunity Project 2017
• Holy Family University ranks 6th in lowest net price for 4-year, private, not-for-profits in Pennsylvania Based on the 2018 College Affordability and Transparency Data produced by the U.S. Department of Education
• Nationally, Holy Family University ranks in the top 20% (18.9%) of student incomes at the age of 34 (Equality of Opportunity Project) 2017

Bloomsburg University is a medium-sized public university in central-eastern Pennsylvania. Admission is somewhat competitive, with 77% of applicants accepted for undergraduate courses. Popular majors include business, criminal justice, and psychology. Over 95% of graduating students are employed after two years after receiving their degree.

Located in the greater Philadelphia area, this public university has a strong commitment to its roots as the nation’s first degree-granting Historically Black College and University (HBCU) and as a liberal arts institution. With an enrollment of under 2,000 undergraduates, Lincoln offers degrees in a wide variety of social sciences, business, media, and health-related sciences. Admission is competitive.

East Stroudsburg is a mid-sized public university near the Delaware Water Gap in eastern Pennsylvania. Some of the most popular degree programs are business, criminal justice, and psychology. Over 90% of students receive some form of financial aid.

Penn State Shenango’s tradition of academic excellence, student success, unrivaled opportunities and greater career potential makes the campus a great place to study. With a 1:11 faculty-to-student ratio, the campus is dedicated to providing quality and rigor in their 14 majors that students expect at a world-class campus of Penn State University.

This public small school has the lowest tuition among the five campuses of the University of Pittsburgh, making it an outstanding value. It has a very low faculty to student ratio of 1:7. Students at the school can study to become registered nurses. Also instructive, 95% of graduates are employed within half a year after graduation. As of Fall 2020 they have 23 full-time students, 10 part-time students, 29 full-time faculty and staff, 3 part-time faculty and staff, 26.3 total students full-time equivalent enrollment (FTE), and 30 total faculty and staff FTE.

Popular majors at Penn State – Wilkes Barre include business, criminal justice, engineering, and nursing. The school’s small size makes for a friendly campus and plenty of student-professor interaction. The median earning of its students six years after graduation is $50,100.

Located in the capital city of the Keystone State, Harrisburg is a small-sized, private institution. With an acceptance rate of 100%, this may be a school for you. Popular majors include information science, game design, natural sciences, and biotechnology. Fully 97% of undergraduates receive some form of financial aid.

At this small-sized public college, students are likely to enroll in nursing, business, and human development studies. Students are on record indicating how much the Penn State – Eberly faculty is involved in their success. Over 95% of undergraduates are awarded financial assistance to pursue their degrees.

As their motto says, Edinboro University is “For those who strive”. This mid-sized private university was founded in 1857. The school is nationally known for its program in studio arts. Additionally, business and liberal arts are popular programs of study as well.

Business, information studies, criminal justice, and communications are among the top undergraduate programs at Penn State Beaver. Fully 94% of its graduates are employed within two years of graduation. While in attendance, over 90% of the undergrads are recipients of financial aid.

This small Jewish college offers a single degree program in Talmudic and Rabbinical Studies. From a pure cost perspective, Yeshivath is one of the cheapest on our list.  It doesn’t rank as high as some because its graduation rate is only 21%, compared to the national average of 49% for undergraduate colleges. Because of its ultra-small enrollment, the student-faculty ratio is excellent, at 6:1.

The small public college has a certain appeal for its students who report that the faculty makes them feel at home. Popular courses of study include criminal justice, nursing, radiation therapy, and business.  Admission to the undergraduate program is somewhat competitive: Penn State – Schuylkill has a 74% acceptance rate.

Lackawanna is a small private college in Scranton that may provide good value. It has an acceptance rate of 100%. Almost 95% of its students receive some type of aid. Business is the most popular degree program here. Other coveted majors include sonography and ultrasound technology, mental health and social services, and police and criminal studies.

Manor is a small private college in the greater Philadelphia area. Many undergraduates pursue studies in the health professions, humanities, and the veterinary field. Over 85% of Manor’s graduates have become employed within two years of their graduation.

Central Penn is a small, for-profit college that provides degrees in business, physical therapy, criminal justice, and other fields. Over 95% of students receive aid from this school. In addition to in-person, campus-based studies, fully 16 online degree programs are offered.

Cheney is a small, historically black public university founded in 1837 and located in the greater Philadelphia metro area. With an acceptance rate of 100%, this school may be just the ticket for your undergraduate degree. Popular fields of study are business, sociology, biology, and psychology.