Hardest Colleges to Get Into in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania has 62 colleges in the CollegeCalcAI database, and this page ranks every one of them by acceptance rate. The most selective are University of Pennsylvania (5%), Swarthmore College (7%), and Carnegie Mellon University (12%). 4 schools admit a quarter of applicants or fewer, the median Pennsylvania college admits 78%, and 18 are public against 44 private. At the other end, La Salle University admits 97%. Open any school for its full admissions profile, or check your own odds free.

Schools

Median acceptance

78%

Most selective

University of Pennsylvania

5% acceptance

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Your chances at these colleges

Estimated chance of admission for three typical students, from the same model as the calculator. Unweighted GPA; 2, 4 and 7 AP courses respectively; Regular Decision; no legacy, athletic or first-generation hook.

Which of the Hardest Colleges in Pennsylvania can I get into with a 3.7 GPA and a 1300 SAT?

By CollegeCalcAI's model, a student with a 3.7 unweighted GPA and a 1300 SAT has a Likely or Safety estimate (45% or higher) at 48 of the 58 colleges here, including Gettysburg College, Dickinson College and Moravian University. 6 more are Target (25 to 44%), such as Lehigh University and Villanova University. The other 4 are Reach. Estimates assume Regular Decision and no hook; courses, activities and essays move them.

Estimated admission chance for three student profiles at each college: 3.3 GPA, 1150 SAT; 3.7 GPA, 1300 SAT; 4.0 GPA, 1500 SAT
College	3.3 GPA1150 SAT	3.7 GPA1300 SAT	4.0 GPA1500 SAT
University of Pennsylvaniaadmits 5%	5%Reach	7%Reach	10%Reach
Swarthmore Collegeadmits 7%	7%Reach	9%Reach	14%Reach
Carnegie Mellon Universityadmits 12%	9%Reach	13%Reach	23%Reach
Haverford Collegeadmits 12%	10%Reach	14%Reach	24%Reach
Lehigh Universityadmits 26%	17%Reach	34%Target	61%Likely
Villanova Universityadmits 27%	17%Reach	33%Target	61%Likely
Franklin & Marshall Collegeadmits 28%	18%Reach	38%Target	64%Likely
Bucknell Universityadmits 29%	19%Reach	41%Target	70%Safety
Bryn Mawr Collegeadmits 29%	18%Reach	38%Target	67%Likely
Lafayette Collegeadmits 31%	20%Reach	44%Target	73%Safety
Gettysburg Collegeadmits 39%	30%Target	64%Likely	87%Safety
Dickinson Collegeadmits 42%	30%Target	67%Likely	90%Safety
Moravian Universityadmits 54%	67%Likely	94%Safety	98%Safety
Penn State Universityadmits 55%	51%Likely	89%Safety	98%Safety
Allegheny Collegeadmits 55%	69%Likely	94%Safety	98%Safety
Lancaster Bible Collegeadmits 56%	82%Safety	96%Safety	98%Safety
University of Pittsburghadmits 58%	52%Likely	91%Safety	98%Safety
Alvernia Universityadmits 58%	76%Safety	96%Safety	98%Safety
Lincoln University (PA)admits 66%	93%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety
Holy Family Universityadmits 71%	96%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety
Slippery Rock Universityadmits 71%	96%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety
Widener Universityadmits 71%	92%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety
Grove City Collegeadmits 72%	93%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety
Muhlenberg Collegeadmits 72%	86%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety
Chestnut Hill Collegeadmits 74%	97%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety

Show all 58 colleges

Estimated admission chance for three student profiles at each college: 3.3 GPA, 1150 SAT; 3.7 GPA, 1300 SAT; 4.0 GPA, 1500 SAT (continued)
Gannon Universityadmits 74%	97%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety
Lycoming Collegeadmits 74%	95%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety
York College (PA)admits 74%	95%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety
Albright Collegeadmits 76%	96%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety
DeSales Universityadmits 77%	97%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety
Elizabethtown Collegeadmits 78%	97%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety
West Chester Universityadmits 78%	97%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety
Drexel Universityadmits 79%	94%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety
Geneva Collegeadmits 79%	97%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety
Juniata Collegeadmits 79%	97%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety
Messiah Universityadmits 79%	97%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety
Temple Universityadmits 80%	97%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety
Arcadia Universityadmits 80%	98%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety
Seton Hill Universityadmits 80%	98%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety
Jefferson Universityadmits 81%	98%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety
Susquehanna Universityadmits 81%	98%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety
Washington & Jefferson Collegeadmits 81%	98%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety
Duquesne Universityadmits 84%	98%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety
Lebanon Valley Collegeadmits 84%	98%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety
Millersville Universityadmits 86%	98%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety
Shippensburg Universityadmits 87%	98%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety
Cairn Universityadmits 88%	98%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety
Saint Joseph's Universityadmits 89%	98%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety
Robert Morris Universityadmits 90%	98%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety
Indiana U of Pennsylvaniaadmits 91%	98%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety
Kutztown Universityadmits 91%	98%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety
East Stroudsburg Universityadmits 92%	98%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety
Ursinus Collegeadmits 92%	98%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety
Commonwealth U Bloomsburgadmits 93%	98%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety
Commonwealth U Lock Havenadmits 93%	98%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety
Commonwealth U Mansfieldadmits 93%	98%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety
Pitt-Johnstownadmits 95%	98%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety
La Salle Universityadmits 97%	98%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety

Estimates, not guarantees. Get yours with your real courses and activities or compare your own list with the free admissions API.

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CollegeCalcAI. "Hardest Colleges to Get Into in Pennsylvania." 2026. https://collegecalcai.com/data/hardest-colleges-in-pennsylvania

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78%median acceptance rate, hardest colleges to get into in pennsylvania (62 schools)Source: CollegeCalcAI

<a href="https://collegecalcai.com/data/hardest-colleges-in-pennsylvania?utm_source=embed&utm_medium=statcard" style="display:inline-block;padding:16px 20px;border:1px solid #E5E9F0;border-radius:14px;text-decoration:none;font-family:system-ui,sans-serif;background:#fff">78%median acceptance rate, hardest colleges to get into in pennsylvania (62 schools)Source: CollegeCalcAI</a>

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Acceptance rates and admitted test ranges reflect publicly reported data (U.S. Department of Education / NCES IPEDS / Common Data Sets) and are rounded. Estimates from CollegeCalcAI are a planning tool computed by a fixed, transparent model, not a guarantee of any admission decision.