Best value colleges for Economics in Pennsylvania.2026 Rankings
Pennsylvania is home to 57 accredited institutions offering Economics programs — from large public research universities to small private liberal arts colleges. This ranking evaluates each school on admission selectivity, four-year graduation rate, net price, and graduate earnings to surface the programs that deliver the strongest outcomes.
Among the schools listed here, University of Pennsylvania is the most selective, admitting 6% of applicants. Average in-state tuition across this group sits at $51,995, while out-of-state students can expect to pay around $52,607. Median early-career earnings for Economics graduates in this state average $36,559 per year, and the average four-year graduation rate among ranked programs is 80%.
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ranked by value score
| # | College | Value Score | Admit Rate | Grad Rate | Net Price | Median Earnings | Student:Faculty | Majors Offered | Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carnegie Mellon UniversityPrivate | Elite· 49 | 11% | 93% | $17,534 | $86,284 | 5:1 | 88 | 7,187 |
| 2 | University of PennsylvaniaPrivate | Elite· 48 | 6% | 97% | $17,585 | $89,097 | 8:1 | 70 | 10,768 |
| 3 | Bryn Mawr CollegePrivate | Excellent· 46 | 31% | 86% | $12,873 | $29,212 | 8:1 | 41 | 1,346 |
| 4 | Dickinson CollegePrivate | Excellent· 46 | 43% | 83% | $16,348 | $53,990 | 9:1 | 37 | 2,157 |
| 5 | Lafayette CollegePrivate | Excellent· 46 | 31% | 88% | $11,291 | $68,164 | 10:1 | 33 | 2,746 |
| 6 | Swarthmore CollegePrivate | Excellent· 46 | 7% | 94% | $8,292 | $43,698 | 8:1 | 66 | 1,627 |
| 7 | Villanova UniversityPrivate | Excellent· 46 | 25% | 92% | $25,786 | $67,065 | 10:1 | 55 | 7,005 |
| 8 | Lehigh UniversityPrivate | Excellent· 45 | 29% | 89% | $19,495 | $81,796 | 10:1 | 66 | 5,803 |
| 9 | Muhlenberg CollegePrivate | Excellent· 44 | 64% | 80% | $19,712 | $59,122 | 8:1 | 37 | 1,777 |
| 10 | Bucknell UniversityPrivate | Excellent· 43 | 32% | 86% | $20,932 | $70,946 | 9:1 | 50 | 3,818 |
| 11 | Haverford CollegePrivate | Excellent· 43 | 13% | 89% | $15,500 | $35,752 | 8:1 | 40 | 1,421 |
| 12 | Excellent· 42 | 32% | 86% | $26,954 | $52,801 | 9:1 | 38 | 1,904 | |
| 13 | Gettysburg CollegePrivate | Excellent· 42 | 48% | 83% | $22,407 | $62,925 | 10:1 | 36 | 2,209 |
| 14 | Holy Family UniversityPrivate | Great· 41 | 74% | 60% | $11,559 | $67,466 | 11:1 | 41 | 2,298 |
| 15 | Great· 41 | 50% | 84% | $26,179 | $50,529 | 13:1 | 101 | 20,189 | |
| 16 | Allegheny CollegePrivate | Great· 40 | 59% | 67% | $15,476 | $51,722 | 8:1 | 35 | 1,209 |
| 17 | Drexel UniversityPrivate | Great· 40 | 78% | 77% | $35,842 | $70,967 | 9:1 | 80 | 13,509 |
| 18 | Saint Francis UniversityPrivate | Great· 40 | 77% | 73% | $12,775 | $48,790 | 14:1 | 55 | 1,525 |
| 19 | Saint Vincent CollegePrivate | Great· 40 | 59% | 72% | $19,912 | $41,712 | 10:1 | 42 | 1,264 |
| 20 | Elizabethtown CollegePrivate | Great· 39 | 77% | 77% | $21,711 | $47,777 | 12:1 | 59 | 1,815 |
| 21 | Grove City CollegePrivate | Great· 39 | 73% | 80% | $20,890 | $32,157 | 13:1 | 38 | 2,221 |
| 22 | Messiah UniversityPrivate | Great· 39 | 78% | 79% | $22,689 | $45,768 | 12:1 | 63 | 2,318 |
| 23 | University of ScrantonPrivate | Great· 39 | 84% | 81% | $24,999 | $54,132 | 13:1 | 59 | 3,589 |
| 24 | Moravian UniversityPrivate | Strong· 37 | 54% | 71% | $27,277 | $53,999 | 10:1 | 35 | 1,970 |
| 25 | Strong· 37 | 82% | 71% | $22,139 | $50,402 | 10:1 | 34 | 1,154 | |
| 26 | DeSales UniversityPrivate | Strong· 36 | 79% | 71% | $25,683 | $56,152 | 11:1 | 39 | 2,113 |
| 27 | Duquesne UniversityPrivate | Strong· 36 | 79% | 76% | $31,920 | $55,257 | 12:1 | 62 | 5,216 |
| 28 | Lebanon Valley CollegePrivate | Strong· 36 | 75% | 73% | $24,785 | $51,183 | 12:1 | 45 | 1,670 |
| 29 | Lycoming CollegePrivate | Strong· 36 | 68% | 60% | $16,467 | $37,613 | 11:1 | 40 | 1,049 |
| 30 | Saint Joseph's UniversityPrivate | Strong· 36 | 86% | 80% | $33,514 | $62,886 | 10:1 | 63 | 4,742 |