The cost of college in Pennsylvania — and what it pays back
Across the 169 Pennsylvania institutions we profile, the median net price — what students actually pay after grants and scholarships — is $21,741/yr, $4,839 above the $16,902 national median. Graduates earn a median $55,246 ten years after entry (above the $43,549 national median), and 110 of the 169 schools clear their full cost on institution-wide earnings. (Scorecard, 2026 · our math.)
How Pennsylvania's 169 colleges split by ROI verdict
Verdicts: payback under 5 / 10 / 20 / over 20 years (or none).
| College | Net price/yr | Earnings 10y | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Pennsylvania | $28,699 | $111,371 | 1.8 yrs |
| Carnegie Mellon University | $31,944 | $114,862 | 1.9 yrs |
| Saint Joseph's University - Lancaster | $42,478 | $86,881 | 2.2 yrs |
| Lehigh University | $36,931 | $105,584 | 2.6 yrs |
| Swarthmore College | $23,149 | $80,257 | 2.9 yrs |
| College | Net price/yr | Earnings 10y | Payback |
|---|---|---|---|
| Westmoreland County Community College | $5,167 | $37,439 | no payback |
| Pennsylvania Highlands Community College | $6,200 | $38,752 | no payback |
| Butler County Community College | $6,233 | $38,891 | no payback |
| Bucks County Community College | $6,389 | $47,324 | no payback |
| Delaware County Community College | $6,576 | $45,391 | no payback |
How many Pennsylvania colleges actually pay for themselves?
110 of 169 — 65% of the Pennsylvania institutions we profile clear their full net cost on institution-wide earnings above the $48,360 high-school baseline. The rest need a high-paying major to pay off; the school average alone does not do it.
Do Pennsylvania graduates out-earn the national median?
Pennsylvania graduates report a median $55,246 ten years after entry, $11,698 above the $43,549 national median. Earnings track the local labour market and the mix of fields the state's colleges graduate, not the state border itself.