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2023 Best Value Colleges for Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities (Income $0-$30k) in Pennsylvania

29 Ranked Colleges
3,648 Degrees Awarded
$12,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 3rd of all the majors we analyze. In 2020-2021, 556,813 degrees were awarded to students with this major. In 2019-2020, liberal arts / sciences and humanities graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $28,337 and had an average of $17,430 in loans still to pay off.

Across Pennsylvania, there were 3,648 liberal arts / sciences and humanities graduates with average earnings and debt of $32,278 and $24,713 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 29 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in liberal arts / sciences and humanities. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great liberal arts / sciences and humanities programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the liberal arts / sciences and humanities program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities (Income $0-$30k) in Pennsylvania

1
UPenn crest
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Out of the 29 schools in the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Pennsylvania landed the #1 spot on the list. UPenn is a large school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that handed out 37 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2020-2021.

UPenn not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend UPenn is $580 for Pennsylvania Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 95%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Pennsylvania Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

2
Bucks County Community College crest
Bucks County Community College
Newtown, Pennsylvania

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Bucks County Community College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. Bucks County Community College is a public institution located in Newtown, Pennsylvania. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 31 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Bucks County Community College, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Bucks County Community College is $5,920 for pennsylvania liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Bucks County Community College

3
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Community College of Allegheny County
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Community College of Allegheny County. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to 487 students in 2020-2021.

CCAC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $7,891 for pennsylvania liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Community College of Allegheny County.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Community College of Allegheny County

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Community College of Beaver County. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Monaca, Pennsylvania, this small public school handed out 28 diplomas to qualified ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities students in 2020-2021.

CCBC also took the #20 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for CCBC is $4,994 for pennsylvania liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at CCBC

5
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Lehigh Carbon Community College
Schnecksville, Pennsylvania

Out of the 29 schools in the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Lehigh Carbon Community College landed the #5 spot on the list. Lehigh Carbon Community College is a public institution located in Schnecksville, Pennsylvania. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 101 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

LCCC also made our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #23. The estimated yearly cost for LCCC is $4,307 for Pennsylvania Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at LCCC

6

Northampton County Area Community College came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Northampton County Area Community College is a public institution located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 172 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northampton Community College, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northampton County Area Community College is $7,658 for pennsylvania liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Northampton Community College

7
Community College of Philadelphia crest
Community College of Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Community College of Philadelphia did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, this fairly large public school awarded 222 degrees to qualified ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities students in 2020-2021.

Community College of Philadelphia also made our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #25. The estimated yearly cost for Community College of Philadelphia is $12,455 for Pennsylvania Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Community College of Philadelphia

8
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Montgomery County Community College
Blue Bell, Pennsylvania

Montgomery County Community College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, this medium-sized public school handed out 312 diplomas to qualified ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities students in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Montgomery County Community College is $5,755 for pennsylvania liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Montgomery County Community College Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

9
Villanova crest
Villanova University
Villanova, Pennsylvania

Villanova University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Villanova, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 54 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k list, Villanova has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Villanova is $24,907 for Pennsylvania Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Full Villanova Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

10
WCUPA crest
West Chester University of Pennsylvania
West Chester, Pennsylvania

West Chester University of Pennsylvania came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in West Chester, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 156 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at WCUPA, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for WCUPA is $15,718 for Pennsylvania Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at West Chester University of Pennsylvania

11
Luzerne County Community College crest
Luzerne County Community College
Nanticoke, Pennsylvania

Luzerne County Community College ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. Luzerne County Community College is a small public school situated in Nanticoke, Pennsylvania. It awarded 69 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2020-2021.

The yearly cost to attend Luzerne County Community College is $7,219 for pennsylvania liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Luzerne County Community College Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

12

Delaware County Community College landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Media, Pennsylvania is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to 185 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k list, Delaware County Community College has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Delaware County Community College is $8,659 for pennsylvania liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Delaware County Community College Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

13

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. Pennsylvania Highlands Community College is located in Johnstown, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 127 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Pennsylvania Highlands is $5,437 for Pennsylvania Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Pennsylvania Highlands

14

University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. Located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, this large public school handed out 24 diplomas to qualified ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Pitt, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $15,084 for Pennsylvania Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

15
Temple crest
Temple University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Temple University did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. Temple University is a public institution located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The school has a large population, and it awarded 29 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k list, Temple has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Temple University is $18,173 for pennsylvania liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Temple University Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

16
Edinboro crest
Edinboro University of Pennsylvania
Edinboro, Pennsylvania

Edinboro University of Pennsylvania landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Edinboro University of Pennsylvania is located in Edinboro, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 47 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.

Edinboro did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The yearly cost to attend Edinboro is $12,212 for Pennsylvania Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania

17
Drexel crest
Drexel University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #17, Drexel University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to 60 students in 2020-2021.

Drexel not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for Drexel is $24,508 for pennsylvania liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Drexel University

18
HACC crest
Harrisburg Area Community College
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

Harrisburg Area Community College landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Harrisburg Area Community College is located in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 270 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Harrisburg Area Community College is $9,741 for pennsylvania liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at HACC

19
Cal U crest
California University of Pennsylvania
California, Pennsylvania

California University of Pennsylvania ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in California, Pennsylvania, this medium-sized public school awarded 55 degrees to qualified ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities students in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Cal U, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for California University of Pennsylvania is $15,854 for pennsylvania liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at California University of Pennsylvania

20

Clarion University of Pennsylvania landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Clarion University of Pennsylvania is a small public school situated in Clarion, Pennsylvania. It awarded 116 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2020-2021.

Clarion University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Pennsylvania” list. The estimated yearly cost for Clarion University of Pennsylvania is $15,501 for Pennsylvania Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Clarion University of Pennsylvania

21
Mansfield University crest
Mansfield University of Pennsylvania
Mansfield, Pennsylvania

Mansfield University of Pennsylvania did quite well in the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #21. Mansfield, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to 38 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k list, Mansfield University has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. It costs about $9,043 for pennsylvania liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Mansfield University of Pennsylvania.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Mansfield University of Pennsylvania

22

Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main Campus ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. Indiana, Pennsylvania is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to 35 students in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our pennsylvania liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k list, IUP has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for IUP is $19,397 for Pennsylvania Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main Campus

23
Neumann crest
Neumann University
Aston, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #23, Neumann University did quite well on the 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. Neumann University is a small school located in Aston, Pennsylvania that handed out 57 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2020-2021.

Neumann did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Pennsylvania” list. It costs about $24,094 for pennsylvania liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Neumann.

Full Neumann University Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

24
St. Joe's crest
Saint Joseph's University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Saint Joseph’s University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to 26 students in 2020-2021.

St. Joe’s also made our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Pennsylvania” list, coming in at #4. The yearly cost to attend Saint Joseph’s University is $24,313 for pennsylvania liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Saint Joseph’s University

25
La Salle crest
La Salle University
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

La Salle University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Pennsylvania For Those Making $0-$30k list. La Salle is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It awarded 35 ’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at La Salle, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools in Pennsylvania” ranking. The yearly cost to attend La Salle is $24,098 for pennsylvania liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full La Salle Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

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