Best English Colleges in Pennsylvania2026 Rankings
Pennsylvania is home to 77 accredited institutions offering English 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 $51,040, while out-of-state students can expect to pay around $51,881. Median early-career earnings for English graduates in this state average $35,396 per year, and the average four-year graduation rate among ranked programs is 79%.
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| # | 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 | $88,268 | 5:1 | 88 | 7,187 |
| 2 | University of PennsylvaniaPrivate | Elite· 48 | 6% | 97% | $17,585 | $40,967 | 8:1 | 70 | 10,768 |
| 3 | Villanova UniversityPrivate | Excellent· 46 | 25% | 92% | $25,786 | $37,643 | 10:1 | 55 | 7,005 |
| 4 | Swarthmore CollegePrivate | Excellent· 46 | 7% | 94% | $8,292 | $43,698 | 8:1 | 66 | 1,627 |
| 5 | Bryn Mawr CollegePrivate | Excellent· 46 | 31% | 86% | $12,873 | $29,212 | 8:1 | 41 | 1,346 |
| 6 | Dickinson CollegePrivate | Excellent· 46 | 43% | 83% | $16,348 | $25,510 | 9:1 | 37 | 2,157 |
| 7 | Lafayette CollegePrivate | Excellent· 46 | 31% | 88% | $11,291 | $56,373 | 10:1 | 33 | 2,746 |
| 8 | Lehigh UniversityPrivate | Excellent· 45 | 29% | 89% | $19,495 | $71,597 | 10:1 | 66 | 5,803 |
| 9 | Muhlenberg CollegePrivate | Excellent· 44 | 64% | 80% | $19,712 | $17,062 | 8:1 | 37 | 1,777 |
| 10 | Bucknell UniversityPrivate | Excellent· 43 | 32% | 86% | $20,932 | $34,043 | 9:1 | 50 | 3,818 |
| 11 | Haverford CollegePrivate | Excellent· 43 | 13% | 89% | $15,500 | $35,752 | 8:1 | 40 | 1,421 |
| 12 | Gettysburg CollegePrivate | Excellent· 42 | 48% | 83% | $22,407 | $40,601 | 10:1 | 36 | 2,209 |
| 13 | Franklin and Marshall CollegePrivate | Excellent· 42 | 32% | 86% | $26,954 | $42,901 | 9:1 | 38 | 1,904 |
| 14 | University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh CampusPublic | Great· 41 | 50% | 84% | $26,179 | $49,721 | 13:1 | 101 | 20,189 |
| 15 | Holy Family UniversityPrivate | Great· 41 | 74% | 60% | $11,559 | $67,466 | 11:1 | 41 | 2,298 |
| 16 | Saint Francis UniversityPrivate | Great· 40 | 77% | 73% | $12,775 | $48,790 | 14:1 | 55 | 1,525 |
| 17 | Saint Vincent CollegePrivate | Great· 40 | 59% | 72% | $19,912 | $41,712 | 10:1 | 42 | 1,264 |
| 18 | Drexel UniversityPrivate | Great· 40 | 78% | 77% | $35,842 | $33,300 | 9:1 | 80 | 13,509 |
| 19 | Allegheny CollegePrivate | Great· 40 | 59% | 67% | $15,476 | $34,572 | 8:1 | 35 | 1,209 |
| 20 | University of ScrantonPrivate | Great· 39 | 84% | 81% | $24,999 | $22,159 | 13:1 | 59 | 3,589 |
| 21 | Messiah UniversityPrivate | Great· 39 | 78% | 79% | $22,689 | $22,621 | 12:1 | 63 | 2,318 |
| 22 | Elizabethtown CollegePrivate | Great· 39 | 77% | 77% | $21,711 | $47,777 | 12:1 | 59 | 1,815 |
| 23 | Marywood UniversityPrivate | Great· 39 | 84% | 73% | $18,927 | $43,928 | 11:1 | 51 | 1,821 |
| 24 | Seton Hill UniversityPrivate | Strong· 37 | 76% | 71% | $18,474 | $37,278 | 13:1 | 50 | 1,581 |
| 25 | Washington & Jefferson CollegePrivate | Strong· 37 | 82% | 71% | $22,139 | $37,046 | 10:1 | 34 | 1,154 |
| 26 | Moravian UniversityPrivate | Strong· 37 | 54% | 71% | $27,277 | $27,135 | 10:1 | 35 | 1,970 |
| 27 | Saint Joseph's UniversityPrivate | Strong· 36 | 86% | 80% | $33,514 | $31,266 | 10:1 | 63 | 4,742 |
| 28 | Misericordia UniversityPrivate | Strong· 36 | 85% | 69% | $21,763 | $50,610 | 10:1 | 29 | 1,632 |
| 29 | Lebanon Valley CollegePrivate | Strong· 36 | 75% | 73% | $24,785 | $40,151 | 12:1 | 45 | 1,670 |
| 30 | Lincoln UniversityPublic | Strong· 36 | 78% | 52% | $12,623 | $32,398 | 13:1 | 37 | 1,712 |