Best colleges for engineering in Pennsylvania

    Carnegie Mellon University ranks first in Pennsylvania for engineering value (#40 nationally, value score 76.3): graduates earn $250,168 4 years after the bachelor's degree, and the average net price is $35,780 a year.

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition · Source: College Scorecard field of study, reporting year 2025 · 20 Pennsylvania colleges ranked · Updated November 4, 2026

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    Best engineering colleges in Pennsylvania

    Carnegie Mellon University ranks first in Pennsylvania for engineering value (#40 nationally, value score 76.3): graduates earn $250,168 4 years after the bachelor's degree, and the average net price is $35,780 a year. 20 Pennsylvania colleges qualify. At the median one, engineering graduates earn $90,576 and the average net price is $25,741 a year.

    Source: U.S. College Scorecard field of study, 2025

    What the data shows

    Key findings

    • 20 Pennsylvania colleges qualify. At the median one, engineering graduates earn $90,576 and the average net price is $25,741 a year.
    • The lowest average net price among them is at University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown: $16,375 a year.
    Median earnings
    $90,576
    National: $91,742
    Median net price
    $25,741
    National: $17,499
    Median federal debt
    $26,863
    engineering graduates
    Public colleges
    4 of 20
    in this list

    20 colleges

    The Pennsylvania ranking

    Ordered by the national value score; the national rank is shown with each college. Earnings are medians 4 years after the bachelor's degree.

    1. Rank in Pennsylvania 1

      Carnegie Mellon University

      Pittsburgh, PA · Private nonprofit · #40 nationally

      76.3Value
      Earnings
      $250,168
      Net price
      $35,780
      Federal debt
      $19,500
      Graduation rate
      94%
    2. Rank in Pennsylvania 2

      University of Pennsylvania

      Philadelphia, PA · Private nonprofit · #57 nationally

      69.9Value
      Earnings
      $114,492
      Net price
      $29,577
      Federal debt
      Not reported
      Graduation rate
      97%
    3. Rank in Pennsylvania 3

      Lafayette College

      Easton, PA · Private nonprofit · #73 nationally

      65.6Value
      Earnings
      $101,348
      Net price
      $35,879
      Federal debt
      $15,500
      Graduation rate
      85%
    4. Rank in Pennsylvania 4

      Lehigh University

      Bethlehem, PA · Private nonprofit · #102 nationally

      57.3Value
      Earnings
      $96,618
      Net price
      $25,272
      Federal debt
      $21,906
      Graduation rate
      85%
    5. Rank in Pennsylvania 5

      Bucknell University

      Lewisburg, PA · Private nonprofit · #159 nationally

      49.7Value
      Earnings
      $99,860
      Net price
      $50,021
      Federal debt
      $27,000
      Graduation rate
      85%
    6. Rank in Pennsylvania 6

      Villanova University

      Villanova, PA · Private nonprofit · #161 nationally

      49.3Value
      Earnings
      $97,556
      Net price
      $41,536
      Federal debt
      $26,475
      Graduation rate
      93%
    7. Rank in Pennsylvania 7

      University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown

      Johnstown, PA · Public · #212 nationally

      41.8Value
      Earnings
      $90,768
      Net price
      $16,375
      Federal debt
      $23,500
      Graduation rate
      55%
    8. Rank in Pennsylvania 8

      University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus

      Pittsburgh, PA · Public · #219 nationally

      40.8Value
      Earnings
      $90,768
      Net price
      $29,362
      Federal debt
      $23,500
      Graduation rate
      86%
    9. Rank in Pennsylvania 9

      Temple University-Pennsylvania

      Philadelphia, PA · Public · #228 nationally

      39.2Value
      Earnings
      $91,131
      Net price
      $23,058
      Federal debt
      $25,000
      Graduation rate
      73%
    10. Rank in Pennsylvania 10

      Drexel University

      Philadelphia, PA · Private nonprofit · #242 nationally

      36.5Value
      Earnings
      $93,638
      Net price
      $37,529
      Federal debt
      $29,325
      Graduation rate
      78%
    11. Rank in Pennsylvania 11

      Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania

      Shippensburg, PA · Public · #248 nationally

      35.7Value
      Earnings
      $90,384
      Net price
      $21,129
      Federal debt
      $21,750
      Graduation rate
      49%
    12. Rank in Pennsylvania 12

      Swarthmore College

      Swarthmore, PA · Private nonprofit · #256 nationally

      34.5Value
      Earnings
      $78,519
      Net price
      $17,392
      Federal debt
      Not reported
      Graduation rate
      92%
    13. Rank in Pennsylvania 13

      York College of Pennsylvania

      York, PA · Private nonprofit · #272 nationally

      32.1Value
      Earnings
      $89,995
      Net price
      $21,886
      Federal debt
      $27,000
      Graduation rate
      62%
    14. Rank in Pennsylvania 14

      Elizabethtown College-Pennsylvania

      Elizabethtown, PA · Private nonprofit · #286 nationally

      29.1Value
      Earnings
      $88,104
      Net price
      $25,682
      Federal debt
      $27,000
      Graduation rate
      82%
    15. Rank in Pennsylvania 15

      Widener University

      Chester, PA · Private nonprofit · #300 nationally

      25.4Value
      Earnings
      $88,358
      Net price
      $26,151
      Federal debt
      $26,978
      Graduation rate
      67%
    16. Rank in Pennsylvania 16

      Duquesne University

      Pittsburgh, PA · Private nonprofit · #303 nationally

      23.9Value
      Earnings
      $88,272
      Net price
      $37,704
      Federal debt
      $27,000
      Graduation rate
      76%
    17. Rank in Pennsylvania 17

      Robert Morris University

      Moon Township, PA · Private nonprofit · #304 nationally

      23.9Value
      Earnings
      $86,444
      Net price
      $21,445
      Federal debt
      $27,000
      Graduation rate
      64%
    18. Rank in Pennsylvania 18

      Gannon University

      Erie, PA · Private nonprofit · #317 nationally

      18.3Value
      Earnings
      $82,856
      Net price
      $24,443
      Federal debt
      $27,000
      Graduation rate
      71%
    19. Rank in Pennsylvania 19

      Geneva College

      Beaver Falls, PA · Private nonprofit · #322 nationally

      17.4Value
      Earnings
      $75,535
      Net price
      $19,090
      Federal debt
      $26,747
      Graduation rate
      63%
    20. Rank in Pennsylvania 20

      Wilkes University-Pennsylvania

      Wilkes-Barre, PA · Private nonprofit · #326 nationally

      11.3Value
      Earnings
      $79,326
      Net price
      $25,799
      Federal debt
      $27,000
      Graduation rate
      59%

    Method: the same value score as the national engineering ranking (earnings, debt relative to earnings, average net price and graduation rate, each a national percentile). Data: College Scorecard, reporting year 2025; 2026–27 edition, verified Nov 2026.

    Questions about engineering colleges in Pennsylvania

    What are the best colleges for engineering in Pennsylvania?

    By CollegesRef value score, the top 3 Pennsylvania colleges for engineering are Carnegie Mellon University (value score 76.3), University of Pennsylvania (value score 69.9) and Lafayette College (value score 65.6). The score weighs graduate earnings, debt relative to earnings, average net price and graduation rate.

    Which Pennsylvania college has the highest earnings for engineering graduates?

    Carnegie Mellon University: its engineering graduates have median earnings of $250,168 4 years after the bachelor's degree.

    What is the most affordable engineering college in Pennsylvania on this list?

    University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown has the lowest average net price of the ranked Pennsylvania colleges, $16,375 a year after grants. A family's own price depends on income and aid.

    How many Pennsylvania colleges are ranked for engineering?

    20 Pennsylvania colleges have a engineering bachelor's program with enough graduates and reported earnings, plus a published net price and graduation rate. Ranks shown are national; the state rank is their order within Pennsylvania.