Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
EarningsPluscompares student earnings after college against a benchmark that Degreechoices adjusts based on each school’s unique mix of academic programs and the in-state/out-of-state composition of the student body.
Schools are assigned a value from 1-100, where 100 is best for students from households earning up to $30,000. This value is multiplied by the percentage of the school’s student body that received a Pell Grant, to calculate the economic mobility score. A higher score is better. Read the full explanation
The percentage of a school’s student body that has received a Pell Grant.
Payback measures how long it takes the average student to pay back the total cost of attending college with marginal earnings. Marginal earnings are the difference between what the average student would have earned before attending college and what they earn afterwards.
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
The total debt accrued by the median student at the time of graduation.
The debt-to-earnings ratio is calculated by dividing student debt upon graduation by the annual salary. A debt to earnings ratio of 1 means that annual educational debt is the same as annual earnings.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
EarningsPluscompares student earnings after college against a benchmark that Degreechoices adjusts based on each school’s unique mix of academic programs and the in-state/out-of-state composition of the student body.
Payback measures how long it takes the average student to pay back the total cost of attending college with marginal earnings. Marginal earnings are the difference between what the average student would have earned before attending college and what they earn afterwards.
University of Pennsylvania and Carnegie Mellon University are the best universities in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania's higher education scene features many gems, including public, private, and religious institutions. Pennsylvania played a crucial role in American history, so students can check out the many historic sites and pour one out for our founding fathers.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$26,138
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$111,371
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate96%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$34,550
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$114,862
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate91%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$21,595
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$80,257
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate97%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$32,125
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$105,584
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate89%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$12,991
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$67,416
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate65%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$43,090
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$100,423
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate91%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$13,285
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$62,235
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate66%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$31,894
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$86,881
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate79%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$36,995
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$91,410
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate89%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$42,198
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$93,807
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate88%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$21,464
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$79,966
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate92%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$26,290
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$77,449
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate77%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$28,320
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$71,517
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate84%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$28,931
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$75,701
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate69%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$27,729
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$69,107
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate85%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$33,802
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$76,124
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate85%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$30,345
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$70,204
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate84%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$35,596
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$84,648
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate74%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$34,559
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$74,652
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate81%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
Our economic score ranks programs based on a combination of payback and EarningsPlus. Lower scores are better. Check our methodology page for details and data sources.
Cost$25,625
The median net cost of students who receive federal financial aid. This is lower than the price advertised by the school.
Earnings$67,918
Median earnings of all students 10 years after enrollment. Includes students that did not graduate.
Graduation rate68%
Graduation rates below the school’s state average are shown in red. Schools with graduation rates in the bottom 25% nationally (49%) are not displayed.
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us. This compensation does not influence our school rankings, resource guides, or other editorially-independent information published on this site.
Average income based on education level
The following figures are the average salaries in Pennsylvania for each level of education.
Average Income
The average income of people in this state with a high-school diploma, certificate, associate degree, bachelor’s degree, or master’s degree, 10 years after enrollment, based on 2021-2022 CSC data.
HS Diploma$38,087
Certificate$57,104
Associate$43,569
Bachelor$60,379
Master$80,811
Cost of attending college in Pennsylvania
In-state-tuition$31,315
The average in-state tuition, before financial aid, of all 4-year institutions in the state. Includes public, private, online, on-campus, non-profit, and for-profit institutions. Based on 2021-2022 CSC data.
Out-of-state-tuition$34,033
The average tuition for out-of-state students, before financial aid of all 4-year institutions in the state. Includes public, private, online, on-campus, non-profit, and for-profit institutions. Based on 2021-2022 CSC data.
Most popular degrees in Pennsylvania
In Florida the most popular degrees are Registered Nursing, Business Administration, and Biology. To create this list, we complied and analyzed data from IPEDS and College Scorecard.
They both provide information on how many graduates each program has annually. The list below is both undergraduate- and graduate-level programs.
Popular degrees
1Registered Nursing 7,364graduates
2Business Administration 6,628graduates
3Biology 3,431graduates
4General Psychology 3,048graduates
5Computer and Information Sciences 2,731graduates
6Education-grades & methods 2,598graduates
7Finance 2,353graduates
8Accounting 2,244graduates
9Social Work 1,856graduates
10Quantitative methods Mgmt. 1,820graduates
Fastest growing careers
Pennsylvania job growth
7.6%
Ushers, Lobby Attendants, and Ticket Takers
63.5%
Fitness Trainers and Aerobics Instructors
40.4%
Massage Therapists
37.7%
Statisticians
37.3%
Physical Therapist Assistants
35.2%
Physician Assistants
33.5%
Epidemiologists
33.3%
Medical and Health Services Managers
33.2%
Occupational Therapy Assistants
32.7%
Nurse Practitioners
32.7%
Best bachelor’s degrees in Pennsylvania
These majors are most likely to pay off economically after graduation.
Program NamesEconomic Score
1Statistics 0.83
2Public Policy Analysis 1.14
3Cognitive Science 1.26
4Manufacturing Engineering 1.55
5Building/Construction Finishing, Management, and Inspection 1.95
6Industrial Engineering 2.26
7Urban Studies 2.32
8Managerial Econ. 2.39
9Applied Mathematics 2.45
10Chemical Engineering 2.47
11Quality Control & Safety Technician 2.58
12Computer Engineering 2.75
13Legal Support Services 2.79
14Insurance 2.88
15Computer Science 2.94
16Intelligence, Command Control and Information Operations 2.95
Higher education is supposed to act as an economic elevator that lifts students from low-income households into the middle class. But not all colleges do this: unfortunately, many of the nation’s most “prestigious” schools accept very few students from low-income backgrounds.
To determine what colleges are doing the best job at lifting students out of poverty, we have devised a Social Mobility Index (SMI).
The best colleges for social mobility in Pennsylvania are shown below.
Bachelor's degree holders or higher
32.7%
Filters
Pennsylvania
7.6%
