Every figure is for a student starting in fall 2027. We work each one out again whenever we update the site.
Paying for college in Pennsylvania
What the state and its colleges give families, who gets it, and how to apply. See every Pennsylvania college priced for your income
From the state
From the colleges
Pay less for college
A SmartTuition plan shows what to pay from where, each semester.
In our Pennsylvania scenarios, with good parent credit, a SmartTuition plan saves a median of about $7,300 over four years. How we worked this out ↓
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From the state
Pennsylvania's programs. Most come through the FAFSA or the state's own aid application; a few have their own.
PA State Grant
A need-based grant for Pennsylvania residents at a Pennsylvania college. The most it pays for 2026-27 is $6,000, and the amount depends on the student’s finances and the kind of school. The FAFSA is the application.
Source: Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency
“A PA State Grant is based on financial need.”
“For qualifying students, the maximum 2026-27 PA State Grant award is $6,000.”
“The amount of money you can expect to receive is based on your financial situation and the type of school you choose to attend in Pennsylvania.”
“To be considered for a PA State Grant, you must fill out the FAFSA.”
Grow PA Scholarship Grant
Up to $5,000 a year, for up to four years, for Pennsylvania residents in programs that lead to an in-demand job. The student agrees to work in Pennsylvania afterward or repay the grant.
Source: Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency
“The Grow PA Grant Program provides grants (maximum award $5,000 per year) to students who meet the qualifying criteria. A student can receive a Grow PA Grant for a maximum of 4 academic years.”
“This degree must lead to a job in an in-demand occupation as determined by PHEAA”
“REMINDER: If the degree or work requirement is not satisfied, you will be required to repay the Grow PA Grant.”
Pennsylvania's 529 tax deduction
Money you put into any state's 529 plan comes off your Pennsylvania income, up to $19,000 a year for each child. A couple can take $38,000 when each spouse earned at least $19,000. Take money out for anything other than school costs and Pennsylvania may tax the whole withdrawal.
Source: PA 529, Frequently Asked Questions
“Pennsylvania taxpayers can deduct up to $19,000 in contributions per beneficiary per year ($38,000 if married filing jointly, assuming each spouse had income of at least $19,000) from their Pennsylvania taxable income for the purposes of determining their state income taxes.”
“the entire withdrawal may be subject to state and local income taxes.”
PA Ready to Succeed Scholarship
For students with at least a year of college and a 2.50 GPA from families earning $208,000 or less, nominated by their Pennsylvania college. With the PA State Grant it pays up to $3,000 a year in 2026-27. Funds go first come, first served by FAFSA date.
Source: Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency
“provides awards to high-achieving students whose annual family income does not exceed $208,000.”
“Up to $3,000 for full-time and $1,500 for part-time students in total awards are offered in the 2026-27 academic year.”
“Students must be nominated by their postsecondary institution for participation in the program. Funding is limited for the program and awards are made on a first-come, first-served basis, based on the completion date of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®).”
“Demonstrate outstanding academic achievement by attaining a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.50”
“Have completed at least 1 academic year—defined as having earned at least 24 semester credits or the equivalent”
PA Partnerships for Access to Higher Education (PATH)
Extra grant money, up to $5,000 a year, for a student who already has a PA State Grant and a scholarship from one of PATH's partner organizations, and still has need. The partner nominates the student.
Source: Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency
“Through the PATH Program, qualifying students who have already been awarded a scholarship or grant by one of our PHEAA PATH Partners may be eligible for additional grant money.”
“Have received a PA State Grant for the term (fall, winter, or spring) for which you have been nominated to receive a PATH grant”
“The maximum PATH grant will not exceed $5,000 within an academic year.”
PA National Guard Educational Assistance Program
Tuition help at an approved Pennsylvania college for members of the Pennsylvania National Guard who commit to six years of service. A member who does not serve the six years repays it with interest.
Source: Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency
“PHEAA administers this tuition assistance program for students who enter a service commitment with the PA National Guard for a period of 6 years.”
“If you fail to honor the service commitment with the PA National Guard, you must repay your total EAP award amount, plus interest.”
PA Fostering Independence Tuition Waiver (FosterEd)
Waives the tuition and mandatory fees left after other grants at most Pennsylvania colleges, for Pennsylvania residents under 26 who were in foster care at 16 or older.
Source: Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency
“The FosterEd Program waives tuition and mandatory fees charged by most postsecondary institutions in the Commonwealth for youth who are or were in foster care.”
“This waiver covers charges that remain after other gift aid (federal, state, and other scholarships or grants) is applied to the eligible student's account.”
“Be identified as a youth who has experienced foster care at age 16 or older”
“Have not reached age 26 by July 1 of the upcoming academic year in which the waiver will be awarded”
Pennsylvania also has a tuition waiver for in-demand jobs, work-study, programs for future teachers and survivors of public servants, and more for military families. See PHEAA's list.
From the colleges
What each college gives for grades, what it promises on aid, and its full price.
| College | Merit scholarships | Promise on aid | Full price a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allegheny College private | None published | — | $79,092 |
| Arcadia University private | None published | — | $75,234 |
| Bryn Mawr College private | None published | Says it covers 100% of what a family cannot pay; Tuition-free — U.S. families making less than $175,000 | $99,103 |
| Bucknell University private | None published | — | $96,491 |
| Carlow University private | None published | — | $57,337 |
| Carnegie Mellon University private | None published | — | $95,903 |
| Chatham University private | None published | — | $64,713 |
| Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania public | None published | — | $27,092 |
| Dickinson College private | None published | Says it covers 100% of what a family cannot pay | $95,289 |
| Drexel University private | None published | — | $90,131 |
| Duquesne University private | None published | — | $75,389 |
| East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania public | None published | — | $27,539 |
| Eastern University private | None published | — | $59,953 |
| Elizabethtown College private | None published | — | $58,250 |
| Franklin & Marshall College private | None published | Says it covers 100% of what a family cannot pay; Commonwealth Commitment — tuition-free for Pennsylvania residents with household income below $75,000 | $99,046 |
| Geneva College private | None published | — | $50,704 |
| Gettysburg College private | None published | — | $93,673 |
| Gwynedd Mercy University private | None published | — | $62,163 |
| Haverford College private | None published | Says it covers 100% of what a family cannot pay | $101,271 |
| Indiana University of Pennsylvania public |
| — | $26,109 |
| Juniata College private | None published | — | $81,890 |
| King's College private | None published | — | $67,746 |
| Kutztown University of Pennsylvania public | None published | — | $27,575 |
| La Salle University private | None published | — | $65,739 |
| Lafayette College private | None published | Says it covers 100% of what a family cannot pay | $96,494 |
| Lancaster Bible College private | None published | — | $48,701 |
| Lebanon Valley College private | None published | — | $76,500 |
| Lehigh University private | None published | — | $94,453 |
| Lincoln University public | None published | — | $30,152 |
| Marywood University private | None published | — | $69,081 |
| Mercyhurst University private | None published | — | $67,211 |
| Messiah University private | None published | — | $61,816 |
| Millersville University of Pennsylvania public | None published | — | $27,724 |
| Moravian University private |
| — | $78,285 |
| Mount Aloysius College private | None published | — | $48,861 |
| Muhlenberg College private | None published | — | $88,522 |
| Neumann University private | None published | — | $61,683 |
| Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus public | None published | — | $39,058 |
| Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Abington public | None published | — | $32,679 |
| Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Altoona public | None published | — | $33,404 |
| Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Berks public | None published | — | $33,404 |
| Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Brandywine public | None published | — | $32,617 |
| Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Erie-Behrend College public | None published | — | $33,404 |
| Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Harrisburg public | None published | — | $33,404 |
| Pennsylvania Western University public | None published | — | $28,051 |
| Point Park University private | None published | — | $60,558 |
| Robert Morris University private | None published | — | $55,266 |
| Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia private | None published | — | $79,998 |
| Seton Hill University private | None published | — | $65,012 |
| Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania public | None published | — | $29,808 |
| Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania public | None published | — | $25,252 |
| Susquehanna University private | None published | — | $86,890 |
| Swarthmore College private | None published | Says it covers 100% of what a family cannot pay | $100,450 |
| Temple University public | None published | — | $43,713 |
| Thomas Jefferson University private | None published | — | $73,697 |
| University of Pennsylvania private | None published | Says it covers 100% of what a family cannot pay | $99,833 |
| University of Pittsburgh-Greensburg public | None published | — | $33,650 |
| University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown public | None published | — | $33,856 |
| University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus public |
| — | $35,085 |
| Ursinus College private | None published | — | $84,425 |
| Villanova University private | None published | — | $97,727 |
| Washington & Jefferson College private | None published | — | $49,959 |
| Waynesburg University private | None published | — | $50,481 |
| West Chester University of Pennsylvania public | None published | — | $29,739 |
| Westminster College private | None published | — | $63,675 |
| Widener University private | None published | — | $82,163 |
| York College of Pennsylvania private | None published | — | $45,490 |
* The finder and our college comparison show this scholarship when you enter your student's GPA.
Each college's page has a promise's conditions, in the college's own words. “Worth asking about” marks a program the college describes in words that stop short of a promise.
Full price: tuition and fees, housing and food, and books; in state at a public university. What your family would pay after grants depends on your income: the finder shows it.
14 more Pennsylvania colleges have no page here. For 1 of them, the federal data has no cost or no price by income. The rest mainly teach graduate students or run online programs. Show them
- Pennsylvania State University-World Campus
- University of Scranton
- Holy Family University
- Gannon University
- Grove City College
- Alvernia University
- DeSales University
- Wilkes University
- Misericordia University
- Delaware Valley University
- Saint Francis University
- Immaculata University
- Saint Vincent College
- Albright College
Paying the rest
Your SmartTuition plan uses your savings, your 529, your loans and your award letter.
Build your SmartTuition plan, $99 →Best once your award letter arrives. No letter yet? Get the monthly email.
How we worked these out
What a SmartTuition plan saves
The $7,300 in the “Pay less for college” box near the top of this page is the median saving over our Pennsylvania scenarios. Each scenario is a household in Pennsylvania at one of its colleges. Its income is one of 8 from $45,000 to $200,000, and its savings are none, $40,000 or $100,000 in a 529. We price each college at the aid it reports for the income.
Every scenario has parents with good credit and $500 a month toward college. A saving is the difference, over four years, between a SmartTuition plan and the standard approach: savings first, then loans for the rest. It counts loan interest, the federal tax credit and Pennsylvania's tax deduction for money you put through its 529 plan. Credit matters: parents with fair credit borrow at a higher rate, which changes the saving.
A scenario where the parents would borrow more than $65,000 is left out, as is one at a college that reports no aid for the income. The figure is for a household that lives in Pennsylvania.
Costs: each college's own published price where it has one, otherwise the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard, carried forward to fall 2027. Grants: each program’s own page. Scholarships: each college's own page, read by us and checked against it. SmartTuition.ai is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by any institution named here.