Liberal Arts and General Studies colleges in Pennsylvania, ranked by graduates
16 colleges in Pennsylvania awarded at least 10 bachelor's degrees in liberal arts and general studies in 2023: 868 degrees, 2.3% of all bachelor's degrees at those colleges (1.9% across every college CollegeCalcAI tracks). California University of PA graduated the most (121, 6.1% of its class). 11 of the 16 are public universities. The median acceptance rate among them is 91%; the most selective is University of Pennsylvania at 5%.
Liberal Arts and General Studies colleges in Pennsylvania
Every Pennsylvania college awarding at least 10 bachelor's degrees in liberal arts and general studies, ranked by 2023 graduates. Click a college for its liberal arts and general studies page.
| # | College | Type | Degrees (2023) | Share of grads | Acceptance rate | SAT 75th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California University of PA | Public | 121 | 6.1% | 94% | 1120 |
| 2 | Clarion University | Public | 121 | 6.1% | 94% | 1120 |
| 3 | Edinboro University | Public | 121 | 6.1% | 94% | 1120 |
| 4 | West Chester University | Public | 117 | 3.9% | 78% | 1220 |
| 5 | Drexel University | Private | 46 | 1.5% | 79% | 1340 |
| 6 | University of Pennsylvania | Private | 42 | 1.5% | 5% | 1560 |
| 7 | Commonwealth U Bloomsburg | Public | 38 | 1.8% | 93% | 1120 |
| 8 | Commonwealth U Lock Haven | Public | 38 | 1.8% | 93% | 1120 |
| 9 | Commonwealth U Mansfield | Public | 38 | 1.8% | 93% | 1120 |
| 10 | University of Pittsburgh | Public | 36 | 0.8% | 58% | 1400 |
| 11 | Carnegie Mellon University | Private | 36 | 2.1% | 12% | 1550 |
| 12 | Indiana U of Pennsylvania | Public | 35 | 2.5% | 91% | 1120 |
| 13 | Villanova University | Private | 26 | 1.5% | 27% | 1460 |
| 14 | Temple University | Public | 21 | 0.4% | 80% | 1250 |
| 15 | University of Scranton | Private | 20 | 2.6% | 81% | 1230 |
| 16 | Kutztown University | Public | 12 | 0.9% | 91% | 1100 |
Questions about liberal arts and general studies colleges in Pennsylvania
What is the best college for liberal arts and general studies in Pennsylvania?
By bachelor's degrees awarded in 2023, the largest liberal arts and general studies programs in Pennsylvania are California University of PA (121), Clarion University (121), Edinboro University (121). "Best" depends on your profile: this page ranks every Pennsylvania college in the field by output and shows each one's acceptance rate and admitted SAT so you can match it to your own numbers.
How many colleges in Pennsylvania offer liberal arts and general studies?
16 four-year colleges in Pennsylvania awarded 10 or more bachelor's degrees in liberal arts and general studies in 2023, 11 public and 5 private, for 868 graduates in total.
Is in-state status an advantage for liberal arts and general studies in Pennsylvania?
At the 11 public universities on this list, Pennsylvania residents are usually admitted at a higher rate than out-of-state applicants and pay in-state tuition. CollegeCalcAI applies the residency effect when you set your home state, and the per-major adjustment when you set the major.
Liberal Arts and General Studies elsewhere
The same field in other states, and the national ranking.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS 2023 Completions (bachelor's degrees, first majors, CIP 2-digit series), joined to CollegeCalcAI's admissions dataset. Built 2026-09-19. Estimates from CollegeCalcAI are not predictions or guarantees.