Best colleges for engineering in Pennsylvania
Colleges that offer a bachelor’s in any engineering field, ranked by Compass Score.
Best colleges for engineering in Pennsylvania57 schools
57 schools qualify, ranked by the Compass Score. The top 25 are shown.
How this list is made
- Schools in Pennsylvania.
- Accredited four-year undergraduate colleges.
- Offers a bachelor’s program in engineering, from the College Scorecard field-of-study data (credential level 3).
- Each school needs a complete Compass Score, so every row shows a rating.
- Ordered by Compass Score, highest first. Schools with the same score share a rank.
Updated Oct. 20, 2026. Methodology. Spot an error? Send a correction.
- 1
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA · Private nonprofitIvy LeagueHonor RollTop 1% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in engineering
- Value grade B+ · Top 27%
- 2
Swarthmore College
Swarthmore, PA · Private nonprofitHonor RollExceptional: Compass grade A+
- Bachelor’s program in engineering
- Value grade A- · Top 15%
- 3
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA · Private nonprofitHonor RollTop 1% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in engineering
- Value grade B
- 4
Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA · Private nonprofitHonor RollTop 1% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in engineering
- Value grade B-
- 5
Villanova University
Villanova, PA · Private nonprofitHonor RollTop 2% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in engineering
- Value grade C+
- 6
Lafayette College
Easton, PA · Private nonprofitHonor RollTop 4% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in engineering
- Value grade B · Top 47%
- 7
Bucknell University
Lewisburg, PA · Private nonprofitHonor RollTop 3% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in engineering
- Value grade C+
- 8
University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus
Pittsburgh, PA · PublicHonor RollTop 7% for graduation
- Bachelor’s program in engineering
- Value grade B-
- 9
Pennsylvania State University
University Park, PA · PublicHonor RollTop 7% for graduation
- Bachelor’s program in engineering
- Value grade C+
- 10
Grove City College
Grove City, PA · Private nonprofitTop 9% for graduation
- Bachelor’s program in engineering
- 11
Drexel University
Philadelphia, PA · Private nonprofitTop 6% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in engineering
- Value grade C+
- 12
Allegheny College
Meadville, PA · Private nonprofitExcellent: Compass grade A-
- Bachelor’s program in engineering
- Value grade B
- 13
Ursinus College
Collegeville, PA · Private nonprofitTop 12% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in engineering
- Value grade B-
- 14
University of Scranton
Scranton, PA · Private nonprofitTop 11% for graduation
- Bachelor’s program in engineering
- Value grade B-
- 15
Duquesne University
Pittsburgh, PA · Private nonprofitTop 11% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in engineering
- Value grade C+
- 16
Messiah University
Mechanicsburg, PA · Private nonprofitTop 15% for graduation
- Bachelor’s program in engineering
- Value grade C+
- 17
Thomas Jefferson University
Philadelphia, PA · Private nonprofitTop 9% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in engineering
- Value grade B+ · Top 25%
- 18
Elizabethtown College
Elizabethtown, PA · Private nonprofitTop 13% for graduation
- Bachelor’s program in engineering
- Value grade B-
- 19
Juniata College
Huntingdon, PA · Private nonprofitTop 16% for graduation
- Bachelor’s program in engineering
- Value grade B-
- 20
Temple University
Philadelphia, PA · PublicTop 14% for graduation
- Bachelor’s program in engineering
- Value grade B-
- 21
Saint Francis University
Loretto, PA · Private nonprofitTop 15% for graduation
- Bachelor’s program in engineering
- Value grade B-
- 22Tie
Saint Vincent College
Latrobe, PA · Private nonprofitTop 23% for graduation
- Bachelor’s program in engineering
- Value grade B-
- 22Tie
West Chester University of Pennsylvania
West Chester, PA · PublicTop 20% for graduation
- Bachelor’s program in engineering
- Value grade B · Top 48%
- 24
Geneva College
Beaver Falls, PA · Private nonprofitVery good: Compass grade B+
- Bachelor’s program in engineering
- Value grade C+
- 25
Widener University
Chester, PA · Private nonprofitTop 14% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in engineering
- Value grade B
Compare cost and outcomes
| School | Net price a year | Median debt | Earnings 10 years out | Graduation rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Pennsylvania | $28,699 | $15,715 | $111,371 | 97% |
| Swarthmore College | $23,149 | $17,500 | $80,257 | 92% |
| Carnegie Mellon University | $31,944 | $21,750 | $114,862 | 94% |
| Lehigh University | $36,931 | $21,960 | $105,584 | 88% |
| Villanova University | $43,756 | $25,874 | $100,423 | 92% |
| Lafayette College | $34,433 | $16,000 | $91,410 | 88% |
| Bucknell University | $40,766 | $27,000 | $93,807 | 86% |
| University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus | $30,434 | $24,250 | $66,125 | 86% |
| Pennsylvania State University | $32,875 | $25,000 | $63,435 | 86% |
| Grove City College | — | — | — | 83% |
| Drexel University | $38,509 | $25,325 | $84,648 | 78% |
| Allegheny College | $22,940 | $27,000 | $62,069 | 73% |
| Ursinus College | $30,536 | $27,000 | $73,721 | 73% |
| University of Scranton | $32,568 | $27,000 | $74,652 | 80% |
| Duquesne University | $37,730 | $26,244 | $74,742 | 77% |
| Messiah University | $26,502 | $25,621 | $54,064 | 75% |
| Thomas Jefferson University | $28,928 | $14,744 | $77,449 | 69% |
| Elizabethtown College | $26,598 | $27,000 | $62,399 | 76% |
| Juniata College | $23,988 | $27,000 | $56,918 | 74% |
| Temple University | $28,198 | $24,395 | $63,727 | 75% |
| Saint Francis University | $23,526 | $27,000 | $62,101 | 74% |
| Saint Vincent College | $23,510 | $27,000 | $59,982 | 69% |
| West Chester University of Pennsylvania | $23,331 | $23,500 | $61,258 | 71% |
| Geneva College | $25,890 | $25,198 | $50,004 | 61% |
| Widener University | $25,759 | $27,000 | $70,920 | 68% |
Net price is the average yearly cost after grants. Federal data (College Scorecard). “—” means the school reports no figure.
This list in other states
- Alabama 11
- Arizona 8
- Arkansas 11
- California 56
- Colorado 13
- Connecticut 17
- District of Columbia 4
- Florida 27
- Georgia 12
- Idaho 6
- Illinois 27
- Indiana 28
- Iowa 13
- Kansas 9
- Kentucky 9
- Louisiana 10
- Maine 4
- Maryland 11
- Massachusetts 22
- Michigan 29
- Minnesota 15
- Mississippi 6
- Missouri 14
- Montana 3
- Nebraska 3
- New Hampshire 4
- New Jersey 11
- New Mexico 3
- New York 41
- North Carolina 17
- North Dakota 5
- Ohio 36
- Oklahoma 10
- Oregon 8
- Puerto Rico 8
- Rhode Island 5
- South Carolina 15
- South Dakota 4
- Tennessee 25
- Texas 46
- Utah 8
- Vermont 5
- Virginia 22
- Washington 16
- West Virginia 9
- Wisconsin 16