Notable Four-Year Colleges and Universities in Pennsylvania

This directory-style guide highlights 50 four-year colleges and universities in Pennsylvania. Each institution is identified by its full profile name and location so similarly named organizations are easier to distinguish. “Notable” is a directory label, not an evaluation of quality or an endorsement.

Entries were selected and ordered using enrollment values available in COSMIQ profiles. Enrollment figures are intentionally omitted. The order is an estimate of institution size, not a ranking of academic quality, outcomes, or fit.

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Institutions in this guide

Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus — University Park, Pennsylvania. Public four-year institution.
University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus — Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Public four-year institution.
Temple University — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Public four-year institution.
University of Pennsylvania — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
Drexel University — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
West Chester University of Pennsylvania — West Chester, Pennsylvania. Public four-year institution.
Carnegie Mellon University — Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
Pennsylvania State University-World Campus — University Park, Pennsylvania. Public four-year institution.
Pennsylvania Western University — California, Pennsylvania. Public four-year institution.
Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania — Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania. Public four-year institution.
Villanova University — Villanova, Pennsylvania. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
Indiana University of Pennsylvania-Main Campus — Indiana, Pennsylvania. Public four-year institution.
Thomas Jefferson University — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania — Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania. Public four-year institution.
Duquesne University — Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
Saint Joseph's University — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
Kutztown University of Pennsylvania — Kutztown, Pennsylvania. Public four-year institution.
Lehigh University — Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
Millersville University of Pennsylvania — Millersville, Pennsylvania. Public four-year institution.
Eastern University — Saint Davids, Pennsylvania. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
Widener University — Chester, Pennsylvania. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
Wilkes University — Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania — Shippensburg, Pennsylvania. Public four-year institution.
East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania — East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. Public four-year institution.
University of Scranton — Scranton, Pennsylvania. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
Gannon University — Erie, Pennsylvania. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg — Middletown, Pennsylvania. Public four-year institution.
Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine — Erie, Pennsylvania. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
Pennsylvania College of Technology — Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Public four-year institution.
La Salle University — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
Bucknell University — Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
York College of Pennsylvania — York, Pennsylvania. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
Robert Morris University — Moon Township, Pennsylvania. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College — Erie, Pennsylvania. Public four-year institution.
Point Park University — Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
Messiah University — Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Abington — Abington, Pennsylvania. Public four-year institution.
Harrisburg University of Science and Technology — Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
Arcadia University — Glenside, Pennsylvania. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
DeSales University — Center Valley, Pennsylvania. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
Holy Family University — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
Saint Francis University — Loretto, Pennsylvania. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
Gettysburg College — Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
Mercyhurst University — Erie, Pennsylvania. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
Mount Aloysius College — Cresson, Pennsylvania. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
Lafayette College — Easton, Pennsylvania. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
Marywood University — Scranton, Pennsylvania. Private nonprofit four-year institution.
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona — Altoona, Pennsylvania. Public four-year institution.
Moravian University — Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. Private nonprofit four-year institution.

Selection and source notes

Where enough eligible profiles were available, this guide includes the top 50, 25, or 10 by available enrollment; smaller groups include all eligible profiles. Profile source year: 2022. Check each institution directly for current information.

Sources: NCES IPEDS. Inclusion does not imply endorsement by COSMIQ, and it does not mean that any listed institution endorses COSMIQ.