Largest Pennsylvania Private Colleges

In Pennsylvania, there are a total of 654,930 students enrolled in higher education institutions. Of these, 344,507 attend public colleges and universities, while 310,423 are enrolled in private institutions. This comprehensive overview highlights the scale and diversity of college enrollment in Pennsylvania, helping prospective students and families understand their options among the largest educational institutions.

Explore Largest Pennsylvania Private Colleges with the Most Students, where 29,109 students are enrolled at University of Pennsylvania, making it the largest institution in terms of enrollment.

Following closely, Drexel University ranks second with 21,153 students, while Carnegie Mellon University holds the third spot at 15,888. These institutions set the benchmark for large-scale education.

The average undergraduate tuition & fees of the schools is $57,059 and graduate tuition & fees is $30,959 for the academic year 2024-2025.

For these well-regarded Largest Pennsylvania Private Colleges with the Most Students, the average acceptance rate is 56.36% and the average SAT score is 1,361, indicating a moderately selective admissions process.

Our analysis includes colleges with at least 1,000 total enrollments and excludes online universities to provide a balanced overview. For a comprehensive list of online universities, visit the largest Pennsylvania private online colleges.

Comparison between Largest Pennsylvania Private Colleges With The Most Students

Table. Largest Pennsylvania Private Colleges With The Most Students Comparison
School NameTotal PopulationUndergraduateGraduateMenWomenOnline Enrollment
1
-
University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PAPrivate, 4-year 29,109
398
11,478
(39.43%)
17,631
(60.57%)
12,877
(44.24%)
16,232
(55.76%)
3,249
(11.16%)
2
-
Drexel University Philadelphia, PAPrivate, 4-year 21,153
550
13,309
(62.92%)
7,844
(37.08%)
9,738
(46.04%)
11,415
(53.96%)
3,757
(17.76%)
3
-
Carnegie Mellon University Pittsburgh, PAPrivate, 4-year 15,888
292
7,377
(46.43%)
8,511
(53.57%)
8,977
(56.50%)
6,911
(43.50%)
554
(3.49%)
4
-
Villanova University Villanova, PAPrivate, 4-year 10,041
70
7,004
(69.75%)
3,037
(30.25%)
4,620
(46.01%)
5,421
(53.99%)
1,069
(10.65%)
5
-
Thomas Jefferson University Philadelphia, PAPrivate, 4-year 8,238
77
3,772
(45.79%)
4,466
(54.21%)
2,226
(27.02%)
6,012
(72.98%)
927
(11.25%)
6
-
Duquesne University Pittsburgh, PAPrivate, 4-year 8,234
97
5,371
(65.23%)
2,863
(34.77%)
3,065
(37.22%)
5,169
(62.78%)
561
(6.81%)
7
-
Lehigh University Bethlehem, PAPrivate, 4-year 7,692
102
5,911
(76.85%)
1,781
(23.15%)
3,975
(51.68%)
3,717
(48.32%)
377
(4.90%)
8
-
Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia Philadelphia, PAPrivate, 4-year 7,159
42
5,044
(70.46%)
2,115
(29.54%)
3,014
(42.10%)
4,145
(57.90%)
1,277
(17.84%)
9
-
Widener University Chester, PAPrivate, 4-year 5,713
103
2,975
(52.07%)
2,738
(47.93%)
1,984
(34.73%)
3,729
(65.27%)
1,022
(17.89%)
10
1
Robert Morris University Moon Township, PAPrivate, 4-year 5,275
538
4,325
(81.99%)
950
(18.01%)
2,756
(52.25%)
2,519
(47.75%)
494
(9.36%)
Average11,8506,657
(56.17%)
5,194
(43.83%)
5,323
(44.92%)
6,527
(55.08%)
1,329
(11.21%)