2021 Best Colleges for the Money (With No Aid) in Pennsylvania
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Our analysis looked at 111 schools to determine which ones were the best for overall value for the money with no aid in Pennsylvania. This ranking isn't just a listing of 'cheap' schools. Instead, it is noting which schools offer a high quality education for a reasonable price. So it is possible that College A may rank better than College B, while College B is less expensive to attend.
See what other factors we include in our ranking methodology.
When determining average cost, we look at total expenses, such as tuition, fees, books and supplies, room and board, and other living expenses. This gives a rough estimation of how much money you can expect to pay out-of-pocket or through loans each year.
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Top Colleges for the Money (Without Aid) in Pennsylvania
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our analysis found Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania to be the best school for overall value for the money with no aid in Pennsylvania in this year’s ranking. Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 1,807 students in 2018-2019.
It takes about 4.3 years for the average student at SRU to complete their degree, and it costs students who receive no aid about $24,981 per year to attend the school. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from SRU is $107,168. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus. The school came in at #2 in Pennsylvania on this year’s best value ranking. Located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the large public school awarded 5,451 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2018-2019.
The average student at Pitt graduates in less than 4.2 years, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $34,409. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from Pitt is $145,550. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. On top of its placing in our value rankings, Pitt also did well on our Best Colleges in Pennsylvania list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
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Out of the 111 schools in Pennsylvania that were part of this year’s ranking, West Chester University of Pennsylvania landed the #3 spot on the list. West Chester University of Pennsylvania is a fairly large public school located in West Chester, Pennsylvania that handed out 3,698 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average student at WCUPA graduates in less than 4.4 years, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $27,315 for students who receive no aid. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from WCUPA is $119,367. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
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The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at Pennsylvania State University - University Park helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools for the money in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania State University - University Park is a large public school located in University Park, Pennsylvania that handed out 10,893 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average student at Penn State University Park graduates in less than 4.2 years, and it costs students who receive no aid about $36,962 per year to attend the school. This means that the average student pays around $156,719 to get a bachelor’s degree from Penn State University Park. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
The low student loan default rate of 4.9% 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%. Penn State University Park also claimed a spot on our Best Colleges in Pennsylvania list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools in this category.
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Out of the 111 schools in Pennsylvania that were part of this year’s ranking, Temple University landed the #5 spot on the list. Temple University is a large public school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that handed out 6,523 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average student at Temple graduates in less than 4.4 years, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $35,371. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from Temple is $155,279. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
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Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in Pennsylvania ranking. Bloomsburg is a medium-sized public school situated in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania. It awarded 1,973 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes the average student at Bloomsburg about 4.4 years to graduate, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $25,996 for students who receive no aid. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from Bloomsburg be around $114,902. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
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Pennsylvania State University - Erie - Behrend College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money in Pennsylvania list. Penn State Erie is located in Erie, Pennsylvania and has a small student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 829 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
It takes about 4.4 years for the average student at Penn State Erie to complete their degree, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $33,718 for students who receive no aid. This means that the average student pays around $147,685 to get a bachelor’s degree from Penn State Erie. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
The low student loan default rate of 4.9% 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%.
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Elizabethtown College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in Pennsylvania ranking. E - town is located in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania and has a small student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 527 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
It takes about 4.1 years for the average student at E - town to complete their degree, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $45,860 for students who receive no aid. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the E - town is $187,109. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. E - town also claimed a spot on our Best Colleges in Pennsylvania list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools in this category.
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Pennsylvania State University - Harrisburg came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in Pennsylvania ranking. Pennsylvania State University - Harrisburg is a small public school located in Middletown, Pennsylvania that handed out 785 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes the average student at Penn State Harrisburg about 4.4 years to graduate, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $33,718. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from Penn State Harrisburg be around $148,359. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
The low student loan default rate of 4.9% 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%.
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Kutztown University of Pennsylvania did quite well in the 2021 Best Value Colleges in Pennsylvania ranking, coming in at #10. Kutztown University of Pennsylvania is a medium-sized public school located in Kutztown, Pennsylvania that handed out 1,651 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes about 4.3 years for the average student at Kutztown University to complete their degree, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $28,306 for students who receive no aid. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from Kutztown University is $122,565. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
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With a ranking of #11, Lock Haven University did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for the Money in Pennsylvania list. This small public school is located in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 697 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at LHU is 4.4 years, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $27,374 for students who receive no aid. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the LHU is $119,624. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
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Mansfield University of Pennsylvania landed the #12 spot on the 2021 Best Value Colleges in Pennsylvania ranking. Located in Mansfield, Pennsylvania, the small public school awarded 377 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2018-2019.
The average student at Mansfield University graduates in less than 4.3 years, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $25,500 for students who receive no aid. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from Mansfield University is $110,160. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
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University of Pittsburgh - Johnstown came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in Pennsylvania ranking. University of Pittsburgh - Johnstown is located in Johnstown, Pennsylvania and has a small student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 524 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at University of Pittsburgh - Johnstown is 4.3 years, and it costs students who receive no aid about $29,152 per year to attend the school. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from University of Pittsburgh - Johnstown is $126,811. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
The low 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%.
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With a ranking of #14, Messiah University did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for the Money in Pennsylvania list. Messiah is a private not-for-profit institution located in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 636 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes about 4.1 years for the average student at Messiah to complete their degree, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $50,380. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the Messiah is $204,543. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Messiah also is in the top 20% of our Best Colleges in Pennsylvania ranking.
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With a ranking of #15, The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for the Money in Pennsylvania list. The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College is a private for-profit institution located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 20 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College is 4.0 years, and the average full-time cost to attend the school for students who receive no aid is around $39,963. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College is about $159,852. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.
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California University of Pennsylvania landed the #15 spot on the 2021 Best Value Colleges in Pennsylvania ranking. Located in California, Pennsylvania, the medium-sized public school awarded 1,345 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2018-2019.
At Cal U, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.3 years, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $27,218 for students who receive no aid. Putting this cost and the average time to graduate together, we find that the average amount you’ll pay to get a bachelor’s degree from Cal U is $116,221. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
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Pennsylvania State University - Altoona did quite well in the 2021 Best Value Colleges in Pennsylvania ranking, coming in at #17. This small public school is located in Altoona, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 308 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
The average amount of time it takes for a student to receive their degree at Penn State Altoona is 4.4 years, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $33,718 for students who receive no aid. Looking at these numbers together, we estimate that the average cost of a bachelor’s degree from Penn State Altoona is about $147,685. When you graduate sooner, you can save a lot of money.
The low student loan default rate of 4.9% 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%.
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Millersville University of Pennsylvania ranked #18 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money in Pennsylvania list. Millersville is a medium-sized public school situated in Millersville, Pennsylvania. It awarded 1,415 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes the average student at Millersville about 4.4 years to graduate, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $29,906 for students who receive no aid. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the Millersville is $132,783. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
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Edinboro University of Pennsylvania landed the #19 spot on the 2021 Best Value Colleges in Pennsylvania ranking. Edinboro is located in Edinboro, Pennsylvania and has a small student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 798 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
It takes the average student at Edinboro about 4.5 years to graduate, and the estimated yearly cost for the school is $24,893 for students who receive no aid. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from Edinboro be around $111,272. When students graduate in a lesser amount of time, they can save thousands of dollars.
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Pennsylvania State University - Greater Allegheny did quite well in the 2021 Best Value Colleges in Pennsylvania ranking, coming in at #20. McKeesport, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 78 students in 2018-2019.
At Penn State Greater Allegheny, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.6 years, and it costs students who receive no aid about $32,222 per year to attend the school. This means that the average student pays around $146,932 to get a bachelor’s degree from Penn State Greater Allegheny. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
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University of the Sciences ranked #21 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money in Pennsylvania list. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 291 students in 2018-2019.
It takes the average student at USciences about 4.1 years to graduate, and on average, the annual cost to attend the school is $50,199 for students who receive no aid. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the USciences is $204,310. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
With a student-to-faculty rate of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
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University of Pittsburgh - Bradford landed the #22 spot on the 2021 Best Value Colleges in Pennsylvania ranking. University of Pittsburgh - Bradford is located in Bradford, Pennsylvania and has a small student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 226 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
It takes about 4.2 years for the average student at University of Pittsburgh - Bradford to complete their degree, and it costs students who receive no aid about $28,706 per year to attend the school. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from University of Pittsburgh - Bradford is $119,704. If you can shave even one term off your degree, you can save a substantial amount of money.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
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York College of Pennsylvania ranked #22 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money in Pennsylvania list. This small private not-for-profit school is located in York, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 849 bachelor’s degrees in 2018-2019.
It takes the average student at YCP about 4.3 years to graduate, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $35,675 for students who receive no aid. This makes the estimated cost of a bachelor’s degree from YCP be around $154,116. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
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Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania ranked #24 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money in Pennsylvania list. Shippensburg, Pennsylvania is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 1,328 students in 2018-2019.
At Ship, the average time it takes a student to graduate is 4.4 years, and the yearly average cost to attend the school is $29,814 for students who receive no aid. When we combine these numbers, we estimate that the cost to get a bachelor’s degree from Ship is $130,287. The sooner a student graduates, the more money they can save.
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Waynesburg University did quite well in the 2021 Best Value Colleges in Pennsylvania ranking, coming in at #25. Waynesburg is located in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania and has a small student population. In 2018-2019, this school awarded 308 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergradutates.
It takes the average student at Waynesburg about 4.1 years to graduate, and it costs students who receive no aid about $38,500 per year to attend the school. Thus, the average cost to get a bachelor’s degree from the Waynesburg is $158,235. Graduating sooner can prevent you from having to pay more money out of pocket.
The low student loan default rate of 4.4% 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%.
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Notes and References
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
- For our state-specific rankings, we use in-state tuition to calculate average cost. For our national and regional rankings, we use a weighted average of in-state and non-resident tuition.
References
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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