For those interested in studying in Pennsylvania, we have a very useful list. We selected the best Pennsylvania institutions for prospective students. Please know that rankings are based on academic research, alumni reviews, graduation rates, as well as assessment from peer colleges. On the page, you will find major admissions stats such as acceptance rate, tuition fees, average SAT scores for each ranked college or university.
| Rankings | Schools |
| 1 | University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, PA) Tuition: $43,738 Total enrollment: 19,919 Fall 2011 acceptance rate: 12.4% Average freshman retention rate: 98% 6-year graduation rate: 96% Classes with under 20 students: 71.5% SAT/ACT 25th-75th percentile: 1350-1530 |
| 2 | Carnegie Mellon University (Pittsburgh, PA) Tuition: $45,124 Total enrollment: 12,058 Fall 2011 acceptance rate: 30.4% Average freshman retention rate: 96% 6-year graduation rate: 87% Classes with under 20 students: 68.6% SAT/ACT 25th-75th percentile: 1310-1510 |
| 3 | Lehigh University (Bethlehem, PA) Tuition: $42,220 Total enrollment: 7,055 Fall 2011 acceptance rate: 33.4% Average freshman retention rate: 94% 6-year graduation rate: 87% Classes with under 20 students: 47.7% SAT/ACT 25th-75th percentile: 1220-1400 |
| 4 | Penn State University Park (University Park, PA) Tuition: in-state: $16,444, out-of-state: $28,746 Total enrollment: 45,628 Fall 2011 acceptance rate: 52.4% Average freshman retention rate: 92% 6-year graduation rate: 87% Classes with under 20 students: 38.3% SAT/ACT 25th-75th percentile: 1090-1300 |
| 5 | University of Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh, PA) Tuition: in-state: $16,590, out-of-state: $26,280 Total enrollment: 28,766 Fall 2011 acceptance rate: 57.9% Average freshman retention rate: 92% 6-year graduation rate: 79% Classes with under 20 students: 40.3% SAT/ACT 25th-75th percentile: 1170-1380 |
| 6 | Drexel University (Philadelphia, PA) Tuition: $36,090 Total enrollment: 18,489 Fall 2011 acceptance rate: 57.5% Average freshman retention rate: 84% 6-year graduation rate: 68% Classes with under 20 students: 60.3% SAT/ACT 25th-75th percentile: 1100-1310 |
| 7 | Duquesne University (Pittsburgh, PA) Tuition: $30,054 Total enrollment: 9,933 Fall 2011 acceptance rate: 70.1% Average freshman retention rate: 87% 6-year graduation rate: 73% Classes with under 20 students: 49.7% SAT/ACT 25th-75th percentile: 1040-1210 |
| 8 | Temple University (Philadelphia, PA) Tuition: in-state: $13,508, out-of-state: $23,334 Total enrollment: 36,855 Fall 2011 acceptance rate: 62.8% Average freshman retention rate: 88% 6-year graduation rate: 68% Classes with under 20 students: 37.4% SAT/ACT 25th-75th percentile: 1010-1210 |
| 9 | Widener University (Chester, PA) Tuition: $36,382 Total enrollment: 6,464 Fall 2011 acceptance rate: 66.3% Average freshman retention rate: 72% 6-year graduation rate: 54% Classes with under 20 students: 59.6% SAT/ACT 25th-75th percentile: 890-1070 |
| 10 | Immaculata University (Immaculata, PA) Tuition: N/A Total enrollment: 4,312 Fall 2011 acceptance rate: 79.9% Average freshman retention rate: 76% 6-year graduation rate: 47% Classes with under 20 students: 84.3% SAT/ACT 25th-75th percentile: 840-1040 |
| 11 | Indiana University of Pennsylvania (Indiana, PA) Tuition: N/A Total enrollment: 15,132 Fall 2011 acceptance rate: 58.3% Average freshman retention rate: 75% 6-year graduation rate: 52% Classes with under 20 students: 26.4% SAT/ACT 25th-75th percentile: 900-1080 |
State of Pennsylvania after Independence
The maximum oil production in Pennsylvania occurred in the nineties of the XIX century, and in small quantities oil is still being produced in the state.
The history of Pennsylvania in the second half of the 19th and early 20th centuries is primarily the history of industrial development. In Pennsylvania, the largest reserves of coal and iron ore were explored. Mines, metallurgical plants, railways were built here.
Pennsylvania has become one of the most industrialized states in the US, Pittsburgh is the largest industrial city. Huge fortunes were made in steelmaking in Pennsylvania, laying the foundation for future financial dynasties. Among the founders of the railroad and steel companies of the “Coal State” were such famous US entrepreneurs as Andrew Carnegie and John Pierpont Morgan.
At the same time, it was in Pennsylvania that very violent conflicts were taking place between the owners of mines and factories and the nascent US labor unions.
The state suffered greatly during the Great Depression in the United States, but received a powerful impetus to development during World War II. Factories and shipyards in Pennsylvania provided the US Armed Forces with equipment, ships, weapons, and ammunition.
On March 28, 1979, an accident occurred at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant, located near Harrisburg on the Susquehanna River.
The Three Mile Island nuclear power plant consists of two power units, the first of which was built in 1974, and the second in 1978. Just six months after the completion of the construction of the second power unit, due to the erroneous actions of the station personnel, its reactor was catastrophically damaged and gradually stopped. Fortunately, none of the people were hurt. There was a leak of radioactive materials, in particular, more than one hundred and fifty cubic meters of contaminated wastewater was dumped into the Susquehanna River. Cleaning of the building of the second power unit was completed only in 1993.
The Three Mile Island accident is the most serious accident in the history of US nuclear power, and prior to the Chernobyl accident, it was considered the largest nuclear accident in the world. After this incident in the United States, confidence in nuclear energy has significantly decreased.
In the seventies and eighties of the XX century in Pennsylvania, due to a decrease in demand for coal and steel, the number of jobs was sharply reduced, primarily in heavy industry. Large factories were closed, tens of thousands of people were left without work. Pennsylvania, which was one of the leading states of the US Industrial Belt, became part of the Rust Belt.
Pennsylvania’s economy had to diversify and refocus from mining and metallurgy to services, tourism and innovation.
In recent decades, the population of Pennsylvania, whose growth in numbers has practically stopped due to the crisis of industry, has been steadily increasing.
By the beginning of the 21st century, Pennsylvania was among the regions in which modern high-tech industries, in particular pharmaceuticals and biotechnology, are developing most rapidly.