Lowest-Debt Colleges in Pennsylvania
Where graduates leave with the least median federal debt — among colleges with solid completion rates.
Showing Pennsylvania
Clear state| # | College | Type | 5-yr earnings | Net price | Median debt | 10-yr ROI | DR Rating | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Haverford College Haverford, PA | Private | — | $25,314 | $13,621 | — | Not enough data | |
| 2 | Thomas Jefferson University Philadelphia, PA | Private | $67,895 | $28,928 | $14,744 | +89% | Strong return | |
| 3 | University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA | Private | $113,510 | $28,699 | $15,715 | +468% | Strong return | |
| 4 | Lafayette College Easton, PA | Private | $86,228 | $34,433 | $16,000 | +187% | Strong return | |
| 5 | Swarthmore College Swarthmore, PA | Private | $107,113 | $23,149 | $17,500 | +528% | Strong return | |
| 6 | Dickinson College Carlisle, PA | Private | $77,021 | $37,607 | $19,000 | +104% | Strong return | |
| 7 | Franklin and Marshall College Lancaster, PA | Private | $75,967 | $36,425 | $19,000 | +103% | Strong return | |
| 8 | Lancaster Bible College Lancaster, PA | Private | $37,232 | $25,480 | $20,500 | -171% | Poor return | |
| 9 | Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PA | Private | $111,544 | $31,944 | $21,750 | +390% | Strong return | |
| 10 | Cheyney University of Pennsylvania Cheyney, PA | Public | $46,490 | $14,265 | $21,785 | -77% | Poor return | |
| 11 | Lehigh University Bethlehem, PA | Private | $99,040 | $36,931 | $21,960 | +247% | Strong return | |
| 12 | Central Penn College Summerdale, PA | For-profit | $50,333 | $18,953 | $23,194 | -37% | Poor return | |
| 13 | Chatham University Pittsburgh, PA | Private | $72,132 | $29,954 | $23,250 | +112% | Strong return | |
| 14 | West Chester University of Pennsylvania West Chester, PA | Public | $63,380 | $23,331 | $23,500 | +80% | Strong return | |
| 15 | Millersville University of Pennsylvania Millersville, PA | Public | $55,524 | $20,787 | $23,507 | +15% | Break-even | |
| 16 | Pennsylvania Western University California, PA | Public | $51,076 | $18,256 | $23,725 | -26% | Poor return | |
| 17 | Pennsylvania College of Technology Williamsport, PA | Public | $66,975 | $25,110 | $23,961 | +101% | Strong return | |
| 18 | East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania East Stroudsburg, PA | Public | $54,180 | $18,134 | $24,218 | +13% | Break-even | |
| 19 | University of Pittsburgh-Bradford Bradford, PA | Public | $61,028 | $15,350 | $24,250 | +128% | Strong return | |
| 20 | University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown Johnstown, PA | Public | $63,129 | $18,202 | $24,250 | +122% | Strong return | |
| 21 | University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus Pittsburgh, PA | Public | $70,612 | $30,434 | $24,250 | +96% | Strong return | |
| 22 | Mount Aloysius College Cresson, PA | Private | $50,008 | $22,344 | $24,287 | -49% | Poor return | |
| 23 | Temple University Philadelphia, PA | Public | $64,021 | $28,198 | $24,395 | +56% | Break-even | |
| 24 | Delaware Valley University Doylestown, PA | Private | $53,001 | $28,278 | $25,000 | -35% | Poor return | |
| 25 | Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College Erie, PA | Public | $71,078 | $24,558 | $25,000 | +143% | Strong return | |
| 26 | Bryn Mawr College Bryn Mawr, PA | Private | $50,847 | $31,759 | $25,000 | -57% | Poor return | |
| 27 | Gwynedd Mercy University Gwynedd Valley, PA | Private | $68,743 | $27,483 | $25,000 | +100% | Strong return | |
| 28 | La Roche University Pittsburgh, PA | Private | $60,696 | $20,794 | $25,000 | +70% | Strong return | |
| 29 | La Salle University Philadelphia, PA | Private | $71,807 | $19,409 | $25,000 | +209% | Strong return | |
| 30 | Eastern University Saint Davids, PA | Private | $59,811 | $26,662 | $25,000 | +28% | Break-even | |
| 31 | Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania Shippensburg, PA | Public | $59,669 | $23,726 | $25,000 | +41% | Break-even | |
| 32 | Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania Slippery Rock, PA | Public | $53,166 | $19,608 | $25,000 | -7% | Poor return | |
| 33 | Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus University Park, PA | Public | $73,401 | $32,875 | $25,000 | +102% | Strong return | |
| 34 | Holy Family University Philadelphia, PA | Private | $65,760 | $13,143 | $25,125 | +236% | Strong return | |
| 35 | Geneva College Beaver Falls, PA | Private | $48,969 | $25,890 | $25,198 | -65% | Poor return | |
| 36 | Mercyhurst University Erie, PA | Private | $51,630 | $19,444 | $25,305 | -24% | Poor return | |
| 37 | Drexel University Philadelphia, PA | Private | $89,639 | $38,509 | $25,325 | +173% | Strong return | |
| 38 | Muhlenberg College Allentown, PA | Private | $80,998 | $28,905 | $25,455 | +188% | Strong return | |
| 39 | Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia Philadelphia, PA | Private | $79,238 | $29,689 | $25,500 | +167% | Strong return | |
| 40 | Carlow University Pittsburgh, PA | Private | $58,647 | $20,786 | $25,500 | +48% | Break-even | |
| 41 | Saint Joseph's University - Lancaster Lancaster, PA | Private | $79,238 | $42,478 | $25,500 | +91% | Strong return | |
| 42 | Messiah University Mechanicsburg, PA | Private | $49,309 | $26,502 | $25,621 | -63% | Poor return | |
| 43 | DeSales University Center Valley, PA | Private | $71,074 | $31,643 | $25,788 | +92% | Strong return | |
| 44 | Villanova University Villanova, PA | Private | $99,683 | $43,756 | $25,874 | +197% | Strong return | |
| 45 | Wilkes University Wilkes-Barre, PA | Private | $68,277 | $27,743 | $26,000 | +93% | Strong return | |
| 46 | Kutztown University of Pennsylvania Kutztown, PA | Public | $53,200 | $21,331 | $26,000 | -14% | Poor return | |
| 47 | Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania Bloomsburg, PA | Public | $55,190 | $15,699 | $26,000 | +41% | Break-even | |
| 48 | Moore College of Art and Design Philadelphia, PA | Private | $36,181 | $43,086 | $26,000 | -149% | Poor return | |
| 49 | York College of Pennsylvania York, PA | Private | $57,821 | $18,556 | $26,000 | +53% | Break-even | |
| 50 | Westminster College New Wilmington, PA | Private | $53,252 | $19,859 | $26,060 | -7% | Poor return | |
| 51 | Marywood University Scranton, PA | Private | $58,550 | $23,388 | $26,186 | +31% | Break-even | |
| 52 | Duquesne University Pittsburgh, PA | Private | $70,302 | $37,730 | $26,244 | +58% | Break-even | |
| 53 | Wilson College Chambersburg, PA | Private | $42,260 | $21,741 | $26,328 | -128% | Poor return | |
| 54 | Chestnut Hill College Philadelphia, PA | Private | $57,839 | $27,970 | $26,389 | +6% | Break-even | |
| 55 | Moravian University Bethlehem, PA | Private | $63,947 | $30,670 | $26,793 | +43% | Break-even | |
| 56 | Indiana University of Pennsylvania Indiana, PA | Public | $54,129 | $16,804 | $26,798 | +19% | Break-even | |
| 57 | Cairn University-Langhorne Langhorne, PA | Private | $44,677 | $27,642 | $26,926 | -103% | Poor return | |
| 58 | Robert Morris University Moon Township, PA | Private | $72,409 | $23,003 | $26,950 | +169% | Strong return | |
| 59 | Misericordia University Dallas, PA | Private | $65,713 | $37,485 | $26,973 | +30% | Break-even | |
| 60 | Gettysburg College Gettysburg, PA | Private | $66,453 | $31,490 | $26,999 | +58% | Break-even | |
| 61 | Neumann University Aston, PA | Private | $72,781 | $27,804 | $27,000 | +130% | Strong return | |
| 62 | Juniata College Huntingdon, PA | Private | $44,891 | $23,988 | $27,000 | -101% | Poor return | |
| 63 | Lebanon Valley College Annville, PA | Private | $64,683 | $26,979 | $27,000 | +67% | Strong return | |
| 64 | Cedar Crest College Allentown, PA | Private | $54,330 | $18,659 | $27,000 | +10% | Break-even | |
| 65 | Immaculata University Immaculata, PA | Private | $65,590 | $24,258 | $27,000 | +93% | Strong return | |
| 66 | Widener University Chester, PA | Private | $75,276 | $25,759 | $27,000 | +168% | Strong return | |
| 67 | Thiel College Greenville, PA | Private | $50,822 | $22,347 | $27,000 | -41% | Poor return | |
| 68 | King's College Wilkes-Barre, PA | Private | $63,514 | $23,093 | $27,000 | +81% | Strong return | |
| 69 | Alvernia University Reading, PA | Private | $55,338 | $28,138 | $27,000 | -16% | Poor return | |
| 70 | Bucknell University Lewisburg, PA | Private | $87,169 | $40,766 | $27,000 | +144% | Strong return | |
| 71 | Washington & Jefferson College Washington, PA | Private | $57,255 | $25,002 | $27,000 | +12% | Break-even | |
| 72 | Waynesburg University Waynesburg, PA | Private | $56,692 | $18,235 | $27,000 | +41% | Break-even | |
| 73 | Gannon University Erie, PA | Private | $66,251 | $22,553 | $27,000 | +112% | Strong return | |
| 74 | University of Scranton Scranton, PA | Private | $75,489 | $32,568 | $27,000 | +118% | Strong return | |
| 75 | Albright College Reading, PA | Private | $57,087 | $20,024 | $27,000 | +34% | Break-even | |
| 76 | Seton Hill University Greensburg, PA | Private | $58,901 | $22,204 | $27,000 | +41% | Break-even | |
| 77 | Arcadia University Glenside, PA | Private | $63,018 | $29,466 | $27,000 | +41% | Break-even | |
| 78 | Point Park University Pittsburgh, PA | Private | $51,947 | $25,942 | $27,000 | -39% | Poor return | |
| 79 | Lycoming College Williamsport, PA | Private | $48,233 | $19,140 | $27,000 | -63% | Poor return | |
| 80 | Saint Francis University Loretto, PA | Private | $58,479 | $23,526 | $27,000 | +30% | Break-even | |
| 81 | Ursinus College Collegeville, PA | Private | $59,899 | $30,536 | $27,000 | +13% | Break-even | |
| 82 | Susquehanna University Selinsgrove, PA | Private | $55,441 | $28,819 | $27,000 | -17% | Poor return | |
| 83 | Elizabethtown College Elizabethtown, PA | Private | $55,004 | $26,598 | $27,000 | -14% | Poor return | |
| 84 | Allegheny College Meadville, PA | Private | $57,042 | $22,940 | $27,000 | +19% | Break-even | |
| 85 | Saint Vincent College Latrobe, PA | Private | $62,796 | $23,510 | $27,000 | +71% | Strong return | |
| 86 | Lincoln University Lincoln University, PA | Public | $53,423 | $14,977 | $28,250 | +20% | Break-even |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard. ROI is computed by Degree Return — see how. Read the methodology. Data as of 2024.
Top-Rated Colleges (DR Rating)Best ROI Colleges in the U.S.Best Value CollegesHighest 20-Year ROI CollegesBest Colleges for Economic MobilityHighest-Earning CollegesLowest Net-Price CollegesBest-Rated Majors (DR Rating)Highest-Paying MajorsBest ROI MajorsLowest-Debt MajorsFastest-Growing Majors by Job OutlookMajors With the Most Job Openings