# The most selective colleges in Pennsylvania

Four-year colleges in Pennsylvania ranked by admission rate, with applicants and net price, from federal data.

By DreamSchool.co Research, November 4, 2026. Source page: https://www.dreamschool.co/news/the-most-selective-colleges-in-pennsylvania

[University of Pennsylvania](https://www.dreamschool.co/colleges/university-of-pennsylvania) is the most selective four-year college in Pennsylvania, admitting 5.4% of applicants (Fall 2024).

| College | City | Admission rate | Applicants | Average net price |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| [University of Pennsylvania](https://www.dreamschool.co/colleges/university-of-pennsylvania) | Philadelphia | 5.4% | 59,465 | $29,577 |
| [Swarthmore College](https://www.dreamschool.co/colleges/swarthmore-college) | Swarthmore | 7.5% | 14,287 | $17,392 |
| [Carnegie Mellon University](https://www.dreamschool.co/colleges/carnegie-mellon-university) | Pittsburgh | 12% | 33,707 | $35,780 |
| [Haverford College](https://www.dreamschool.co/colleges/haverford-college) | Haverford | 12% | 6,391 | $31,075 |
| [Lehigh University](https://www.dreamschool.co/colleges/lehigh-university) | Bethlehem | 26% | 18,415 | $25,272 |
| [Villanova University](https://www.dreamschool.co/colleges/villanova-university) | Villanova | 27% | 23,127 | $41,536 |
| [Franklin and Marshall College](https://www.dreamschool.co/colleges/franklin-and-marshall-college) | Lancaster | 28% | 9,231 | $33,445 |
| [Bucknell University](https://www.dreamschool.co/colleges/bucknell-university) | Lewisburg | 29% | 11,010 | $50,021 |
| [Bryn Mawr College](https://www.dreamschool.co/colleges/bryn-mawr-college) | Bryn Mawr | 29% | 3,278 | $44,593 |
| [Lafayette College](https://www.dreamschool.co/colleges/lafayette-college) | Easton | 32% | 9,874 | $35,879 |
| [Gettysburg College](https://www.dreamschool.co/colleges/gettysburg-college) | Gettysburg | 39% | 7,123 | $33,015 |
| [Dickinson College](https://www.dreamschool.co/colleges/dickinson-college) | Carlisle | 42% | 7,185 | $28,634 |
| [Moravian University](https://www.dreamschool.co/colleges/moravian-university) | Bethlehem | 54% | 5,115 | $35,264 |
| [Allegheny College](https://www.dreamschool.co/colleges/allegheny-college) | Meadville | 55% | 5,045 | $23,895 |
| [Moore College of Art and Design](https://www.dreamschool.co/colleges/moore-college-of-art-and-design) | Philadelphia | 56% | 1,322 | $44,587 |

See [all colleges in Pennsylvania](https://www.dreamschool.co/colleges/state/pennsylvania).

## How we got these numbers

Figures come from two U.S. Department of Education sources, the [College Scorecard](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/data/) (released 2026-10-15) and the [IPEDS Admissions survey](https://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/datacenter/DataFiles.aspx). Data years:

- Admission rate: Fall 2024, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25
- Applicants: Fall 2023, reported in IPEDS ADM2023
- Average net price: AcadYr 2024-25, reported in IPEDS DCY2025-26

Colleges with fewer than 500 applicants are excluded from selectivity rankings because their admission rates say little about selectivity. Full details on [our data page](https://www.dreamschool.co/methodology).

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