Tuition Trends for Pennsylvania colleges Over Past 10 Years

There are 338 colleges in Pennsylvania - 96 public and 242 private schools. The 2024 average tuition & fees of the 4-year colleges in Pennsylvania is $14,523 for Pennsylvania residents and $24,029 for out-of-state students. In private colleges, the average tuition & fees is $36,417. For Pennsylvania community colleges, the average tuition & fees is $10,386 for state residents and $13,889 for out-of-state students.

Pennsylvania public 4-year colleges' in-state tuition & fees increased by 15.99% from $12,508 (2015) to $14,508 (2024) and out-of-state tuition & fees grew by 19.03% over the past decade from $20,188 (2015) to $24,029 (2024). In private Pennsylvania colleges, the tuition & fees increased by 23.40%, from $30,757 (2015) to $37,955 (2024).

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Cost of Attendance (COA) Changes

Over the past 10 years, the COA has increased by 21.14% when living on campus and by 21.12% when living off campus at public Pennsylvania colleges. For private Pennsylvania colleges, the COA has increased by 23.61% (on-campus) and 23.62% (off-camus). The COA includes tuition, fees, books & supplies, room & board, and other personal expenses.

Cost of Attendance (COA) Changes of Pennsylvania colleges
Year	Living On Campus			Living Off Campus
Year	In-State	Out-of-State	Private Schools	In-State	Out-of-State	Private Schools
2014-15	$27,142	$34,822	$45,391	$26,710	$34,390	$44,959
2015-16	$27,611 1.73%	$35,354 1.53%	$46,577 2.61%	$27,170 1.72%	$34,913 1.52%	$46,136 2.62%
2016-17	$28,456 3.06%	$36,360 2.85%	$48,421 3.96%	$27,836 2.45%	$35,740 2.37%	$47,801 3.61%
2017-18	$29,085 2.21%	$37,173 2.24%	$49,599 2.43%	$28,405 2.04%	$36,493 2.11%	$48,919 2.34%
2018-19	$30,482 4.80%	$39,022 4.97%	$49,983 0.77%	$29,871 5.16%	$38,411 5.26%	$49,372 0.93%
2019-20	$30,899 1.37%	$39,528 1.30%	$51,089 2.21%	$30,214 1.15%	$38,843 1.12%	$50,404 2.09%
2020-21	$32,291 4.51%	$40,888 3.44%	$52,145 2.07%	$31,430 4.02%	$40,027 3.05%	$51,284 1.75%
2021-22	$32,041 -0.77%	$40,530 -0.88%	$53,044 1.72%	$31,029 -1.28%	$39,518 -1.27%	$52,032 1.46%
2022-23	$31,056 -3.07%	$40,069 -1.14%	$53,981 1.77%	$29,738 -4.16%	$38,751 -1.94%	$52,663 1.21%
2023-24	$32,662 5.17%	$42,183 5.28%	$56,109 3.94%	$32,133 8.05%	$41,654 7.49%	$55,580 5.54%

Tuition & Fees Changes

For the current year (2024), the average tuition & fees for Pennsylvania colleges is $14,508 for Pennsylvania residents and $24,029 out-of-state students. In private schools, the average tuition & fees is $38,940.

For graduate programs, the 2024 average graduate tuition & fees is $21,762 for Pennsylvania residents and $29,030 out-of-state students. In private schools, the average graduate program tuition & fees is $22,941.

The tuition & fees has increased 19.03% for undergraduate programs and 21.07% for graduate programs at Pennsylvania colleges. The following table and chart illustrate the changes of tuition & fees by tuition rates and degrees.

Tuition & Fees Changes for Pennsylvania colleges
Year	Undergraduate			Graduate
Year	In-State	Out-of-State	Private Schools	In-State	Out-of-State	Private Schools
2014-15	$12,508	$20,188	$30,757	$17,048	$22,827	$18,917
2015-16	$12,688 1.44%	$20,431 1.20%	$31,654 2.92%	$17,367 1.87%	$23,211 1.68%	$19,753 4.42%
2016-17	$13,074 3.04%	$20,978 2.68%	$33,039 4.38%	$18,654 7.41%	$25,122 8.23%	$19,653 -0.51%
2017-18	$13,395 2.46%	$21,483 2.41%	$33,909 2.63%	$19,420 4.11%	$26,137 4.04%	$20,472 4.17%
2018-19	$14,245 6.35%	$22,785 6.06%	$33,746 -0.48%	$20,285 4.45%	$27,215 4.12%	$20,610 0.67%
2019-20	$14,298 0.37%	$22,927 0.62%	$34,488 2.20%	$19,457 -4.08%	$25,976 -4.55%	$20,825 1.04%
2020-21	$15,326 7.19%	$23,923 4.34%	$35,180 2.01%	$13,932 -28.40%	$20,435 -21.33%	$21,481 3.15%
2021-22	$14,932 -2.57%	$23,421 -2.10%	$35,935 2.15%	$14,077 1.04%	$20,642 1.01%	$21,121 -1.68%
2022-23	$13,819 -7.45%	$22,832 -2.51%	$36,744 2.25%	$14,716 4.54%	$21,539 4.35%	$21,251 0.62%
2023-24	$14,508 4.99%	$24,029 5.24%	$37,955 3.30%	$20,518 39.43%	$27,637 28.31%	$21,990 3.48%

Pennsylvania 4-Year Colleges Tuition & Fees Trend Chart

Pennsylvania Graduate Schools Tuition & Fees Trend Chart

Books & Supplies Costs Changes for Pennsylvania colleges
Year	Books & Supplies
2014-15	$1,313
2015-16	$1,338 1.90%
2016-17	$1,334 -0.30%
2017-18	$1,353 1.42%
2018-19	$1,418 4.80%
2019-20	$1,438 1.41%
2020-21	$1,422 -1.11%
2021-22	$1,386 -2.53%
2022-23	$1,254 -9.52%
2023-24	$1,343 7.10%

Living Costs Changes

For Pennsylvania colleges, the living have increased 22.32% when a student lives on campus facilities and 21.81% when living off campus from year 2015 to 2024. The living costs includes costs for room & board, and other living expenses.

Living Costs Changes for Pennsylvania colleges
Year	Living On Campus	Living Off Campus
2014-15	$13,321	$13,856
2015-16	$13,585 2.51%	$14,169 2.16%
2016-17	$14,048 3.87%	$14,561 3.18%
2017-18	$14,337 2.31%	$14,815 2.32%
2018-19	$14,819 2.72%	$15,323 3.42%
2019-20	$15,163 2.53%	$15,690 1.90%
2020-21	$15,543 2.19%	$15,999 1.49%
2021-22	$15,723 2.85%	$16,211 1.56%
2022-23	$15,983 3.60%	$16,449 1.60%
2023-24	$16,811 2.85%	$17,402 8.97%

Most Searched Pennsylvania Colleges (last 30 days)

Undergraduate

Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Wilkes-Barre Public, four-years | Dallas
University of Pennsylvania Private, four-years | Philadelphia
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Mont Alto Public, four-years | Mont Alto
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State New Kensington Public, four-years | New Kensington
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Shenango Public, four-years | Sharon
Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Lehigh Valley Public, four-years | Center Valley
Temple University Public, four-years | Philadelphia
Villanova University Private, four-years | Villanova
Bucknell University Private, four-years | Lewisburg
Drexel University Private, four-years | Philadelphia

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Graduate

Carnegie Mellon University Private, four-years | Pittsburgh
Villanova University Private, four-years | Villanova
University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus Public, four-years | Pittsburgh
Robert Morris University Private, four-years | Moon Township
Lehigh University Private, four-years | Bethlehem
Arcadia University Private, four-years | Glenside
Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine Private, four-years | Erie
University of Scranton Private, four-years | Scranton
Drexel University Private, four-years | Philadelphia
Widener University Private, four-years | Chester

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Online Schools

Moravian University Private, four-years | Bethlehem
Drexel University Private, four-years | Philadelphia
Villanova University Private, four-years | Villanova
Marywood University Private, four-years | Scranton
University of Scranton Private, four-years | Scranton
Thomas Jefferson University Private, four-years | Philadelphia
Gwynedd Mercy University Private, four-years | Gwynedd Valley
Carnegie Mellon University Private, four-years | Pittsburgh
Clarks Summit University Private, four-years | Clarks Summit
Arcadia University Private, four-years | Glenside

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Technical Colleges

Orleans Technical College Private, Less than 2-years | Philadelphia
All-State Career School Private, 2-4 years | Essington
Metro Beauty Academy Private, Less than 2-years | Allentown
Altoona Beauty School Inc Private, Less than 2-years | Altoona
Pennco Tech-Bristol Private, 2-4 years | Bristol
American Barber and Beauty Academy Private, Less than 2-years | Reading
Berks Career & Technology Center Public, Less than 2-years | Leesport
Barber and Beauty Academy of Pennsylvania Private, Less than 2-years | Harrisburg
Butler Beauty Academy Private, Less than 2-years | Butler
Fayette County Career & Technical Institute Practical Nursing Program Public, Less than 2-years | Uniontown

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Tuition Trends for Pennsylvania colleges Over Past 10 Years

Cost of Attendance (COA) Changes

Tuition & Fees Changes

Books & Supplies Costs Changes

Living Costs Changes