Pennsylvania

Average student debt in Pennsylvania — 50 colleges, and what their graduates earn

Every Pennsylvania university with published federal figures, ordered by how fast the debt clears. The typical graded US university clears its debt in 1.3 years on median earnings of $57,146 against $22,500 of debt.

#UniversityGradeYou borrowMonthlyYou earnDebt clears in
1 University of Pennsylvania Pennsylvania A $15,715 $179 $111,371 0.2 yrs
2 Carnegie Mellon University Pennsylvania A $21,750 $247 $114,862 0.3 yrs
3 Lafayette College Pennsylvania A $16,000 $182 $91,410 0.3 yrs
4 Lehigh University Pennsylvania A $21,960 $250 $105,584 0.3 yrs
5 Thomas Jefferson University Pennsylvania A $14,744 $168 $77,449 0.4 yrs
6 Villanova University Pennsylvania A $25,874 $294 $100,423 0.4 yrs
7 Swarthmore College Pennsylvania A $17,500 $199 $80,257 0.4 yrs
8 Bucknell University Pennsylvania A $27,000 $307 $93,807 0.5 yrs
9 Franklin and Marshall College Pennsylvania A $19,000 $216 $76,124 0.5 yrs
10 Drexel University Pennsylvania A $25,325 $288 $84,648 0.6 yrs
11 Dickinson College Pennsylvania B $19,000 $216 $70,204 0.6 yrs
12 Bryn Mawr College Pennsylvania B $25,000 $284 $75,217 0.7 yrs
13 Duquesne University Pennsylvania B $26,244 $298 $74,742 0.8 yrs
14 University of Scranton Pennsylvania B $27,000 $307 $74,652 0.8 yrs
15 Ursinus College Pennsylvania B $27,000 $307 $73,721 0.8 yrs
16 Gettysburg College Pennsylvania B $26,999 $307 $71,517 0.8 yrs
17 Widener University Pennsylvania B $27,000 $307 $70,920 0.9 yrs
18 University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown Pennsylvania B $24,250 $276 $66,125 0.9 yrs
19 University of Pittsburgh at Bradford Pennsylvania B $24,250 $276 $66,125 0.9 yrs
20 Washington & Jefferson College Pennsylvania B $27,000 $307 $67,918 1 yrs
21 Temple University Pennsylvania C $24,395 $277 $63,727 1 yrs
22 Pennsylvania State University Pennsylvania C $25,000 $284 $63,435 1.1 yrs
23 West Chester University of Pennsylvania Pennsylvania C $23,500 $267 $61,258 1.1 yrs
24 Wilkes University Pennsylvania C $26,000 $296 $63,454 1.1 yrs
25 Lebanon Valley College Pennsylvania C $27,000 $307 $62,621 1.2 yrs
26 Elizabethtown College Pennsylvania C $27,000 $307 $62,399 1.2 yrs
27 Robert Morris University Pennsylvania C $26,950 $306 $62,105 1.2 yrs
28 Allegheny College Pennsylvania C $27,000 $307 $62,069 1.2 yrs
29 York College of Pennsylvania Pennsylvania C $26,000 $296 $61,012 1.2 yrs
30 Susquehanna University Pennsylvania C $27,000 $307 $61,723 1.2 yrs

In-state tuition is the lever that moves this most

The debt column is shaped far more by residency and institutional aid than by anything else. If you are applying from another state or another country, the figures here understate what you would borrow — check the university's own net price for your situation.

Read the salary next to the debt, never alone

Two universities in this state with identical graduate salaries can be two grades apart, because one leaves students owing twice as much. The payback column is the one that combines both.

Questions

Which university in Pennsylvania pays back fastest?
University of Pennsylvania — $111,371 median earnings against $15,715 of debt, clearing in about 0.2 years.
How much do US students typically borrow?
Across the 810 universities we grade, median debt at graduation is $22,500 — about $256 a month on the standard ten-year federal plan.
Can scholarships change these numbers?
Directly. Every award comes off the borrowing before you ever repay it, which shortens the payback on each university page. Each page lists the scholarships we hold for that institution.

Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard. Figures cover students who received federal financial aid and blend every subject at each institution. Information only, not financial advice.