Business Schools in Pennsylvania

    Table of Contents

    1 – Best Programs
    2 – Undergraduate
    3 – Graduate
    4 – Job Outlook

    Pennsylvania offers prospective students numerous options for studying business at either the undergraduate or graduate level and boasts some of the most prestigious programs for business degrees in the country. According to the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES), of the 119 public and non-profit schools in the state, 31 have accredited undergraduate business programs, and 41 have accredited graduate business programs.1 the Association accredits all schools to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), and International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE).2,3,4 The Pennsylvania schools listed below are all public and non-profit and also regionally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE).5

    Accreditation by external institutions is an essential consideration when choosing a school. Program accreditation ensures that the program has clear goals and proven outcomes and follows national and international standards. Accredited schools must also prove engagement with business practitioners, allowing students to learn contextually and in the real world.

    Below you can find all the information you will need to decide on a school, based on various criteria, such as tuition cost, financial aid amount, average entrance exam score, acceptance rate, and more. The three sections that follow cover undergraduate programs, graduate schools, and job prospects for business school graduates in Pennsylvania.

    Best Business Schools in Pennsylvania

    Fast facts on some of the best business schools in Pennsylvania according to US News Rankings.

    • Carnegie Mellon University – #17 in Best Business Schools, #25 in Best National Universities, #33 in Best Value Schools, #7 in Best Business Programs, #5 in Most Innovative Schools
    • Temple University – #53 in Best Public Schools, #45 in Best Business Programs, #12 in Best Online Graduate Business Programs
    • Pennsylvania State University-University Park – #31 in Best Business Schools, #21 in Best Business Programs, #52 in Best National Universities, #14 in Top Public Schools
    • University of Pittsburgh – #52 in Best Business Schools, #31 in Best Business Programs, #68 in Best National Universities, #24 in Top Public Schools
    • Drexel University – #85 in Best Business Schools, #70 in Best Value Schools, #109 in Best Undergraduate Business Programs, #25 in Most Innovative Schools, #61 in Best Online MBA Programs
    • La Salle University – #27 in Best Value Schools, #216 in Best Undergraduate Business Programs, #143 in Best Online Bachelor’s Programs

    Undergraduate Business Schools in Pennsylvania

    The average cost of an undergraduate business degree in the Keystone State, before financial aid, is $29,423, and 15 schools offer undergraduate programs that are more affordable than this average. The most affordable options for business degrees in Pennsylvania on our list are the Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, which has a tuition of $9,618 and an average offered financial aid of $5,684, and the West Chester University of Pennsylvania, with tuition and average financial aid figures of $9,720 and $5,623 respectively. The most expensive programs are at the Tepper School at Carnegie Mellon University, Bucknell University, the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and Drexel University, each of which has a tuition of just over $50,000; of these, the Wharton School offers the most financial aid at around $37,000, while Drexel offers the least at about $21,000.

    Acceptance rates are generally high at most Pennsylvania undergraduate business schools, with all but five schools having acceptance rates over 50%, and 20 schools having over 70% acceptance. The Clarion University of Pennsylvania has the highest acceptance rate, at 94%, while the exclusive Wharton School has the lowest acceptance rate at just 9%.

    Graduation rates generally tend to be inversely related to acceptance rates, with the most selective programs rewarding those students who do get in with a high chance of graduating with a degree. The Wharton School leads the pack with a 95% graduation rate, followed by the Tepper School (which has the second-lowest acceptance rate) at 90%. The lowest graduation rate, 44%, is at Penn State Brandywine. Perhaps the combination of acceptance and graduation rates with the best odds for the average prospective student can be found at Saint Joseph’s University, which accepts 78% of applicants and graduates 80% of those entering the program.

    Below you will find a table showing essential data about undergraduate business schools, including annual in-state tuition costs, average aid received per student, acceptance rates, median SAT and ACT scores of accepted students, and graduation rates. You can click on any column header to sort the table based on those values.

    Popular undergraduate programs in Pennsylvania: Accounting Information Systems Degree | Human Resources Degree | Project Management Degree | Online Accounting Degrees in Pennsylvania

    SchoolCityTuitionAidMedian SATMedian ACTAccept. RateGrad. Rate
    Temple UniversityPhiladelphia$16,274$8,46352%71%
    Bloomsburg University of PennsylvaniaBloomsburg$10,154$5,729870-107018-2378%62%
    Bucknell UniversityLewisburg$51,960$29,0131200-138028-3230%88%
    Carnegie Mellon UniversityPittsburgh$52,310$29,3061380-155031-3422%90%
    Clarion University of PennsylvaniaClarion$10,287$5,969840-104017-2394%50%
    DeSales UniversityCenter Valley$34,850$16,344940-118022-2776%68%
    Drexel UniversityPhiladelphia$51,030$21,0611080-130025-3075%70%
    Duquesne UniversityPittsburgh$35,062$18,6551055-123024-2974%77%
    King’s CollegeWilkes-Barre$34,720$18,65671%65%
    Kutztown University of PennsylvaniaKutztown$9,618$5,684880-108018-2280%55%
    La Salle UniversityPhiladelphia$41,100$25,124870-108019-2577%65%
    Lehigh UniversityBethlehem$48,320$32,6961230-142029-3226%89%
    Penn State AbingtonAbington$14,172$5,715870-113020-2782%47%
    Penn State AltoonaAltoona$14,828$5,598900-111020-2489%69%
    Penn State BeaverMonaca$13,678$5,822880-117020-2586%48%
    Penn State BerksReading$14,828$5,139870-111019-2487%57%
    Penn State BrandywineMedia$14,134$5,403860-108018-2583%44%
    Penn State HarrisburgMiddletown$14,828$5,987930-121022-2785%63%
    Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity Park$17,900$7,1011090-130025-2956%86%
    Philadelphia UniversityPhiladelphia$37,950$19,569960-113020-2661%58%
    Robert Morris UniversityMoon Township$28,250$16,150940-114021-2680%61%
    Saint Joseph’s UniversityPhiladelphia$43,020$19,7431050-123023-2878%80%
    Shippensburg University of PennsylvaniaShippensburg$11,452$5,850870-107018-2388%56%
    Susquehanna UniversitySelinsgrove$43,720$26,96968%74%
    University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia$51,464$36,9711380-157032-359%95%
    University of PittsburghPittsburgh$18,618$10,8911190-138027-3255%81%
    University of ScrantonScranton$42,162$22,0521030-122023-2875%79%
    Villanova UniversityVillanova$49,280$29,5321220-142030-3244%90%
    West Chester University of PennsylvaniaWest Chester$9,720$5,623970-115021-2564%70%
    Widener UniversityChester$42,870$23,255930-113021-2670%57%
    Wilkes UniversityWilkes-Barre$33,568$19,514895-113020-2576%62%

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    Graduate Business Schools in Pennsylvania

    To complement their baccalaureate studies, many students choose to obtain graduate-level business degrees (usually MBAs). Pennsylvania offers many excellent choices; the state currently has 41 schools offering accredited graduate business degrees. The average cost of a graduate business degree in Pennsylvania is $40,750. Still, there’s a wide range of affordability: Geneva College’s graduate program costs just $8,520, while a graduate degree in business from Carnegie Mellon will set you back $124,460.

    We have collected average GMAT scores for those admitted from 29 graduate business schools. Of those institutions that provided data, the scores range from 444 at Lebanon Valley College to 732 at the Wharton School, with an average admittance GMAT score for all schools of 556. Information on the number of faculty with doctorate degrees is available for just over half of the accredited schools and ranges from 70% at Pennsylvania State University Erie, The Behrend College (or Penn State Behrend) to 100% at the Clarion University of Pennsylvania and Pennsylvania State University at Harrisburg (or The Capital College).

    Many students prefer to keep working while studying at their own pace, and there are several excellent online MBA programs in Pennsylvania that are designed for such students. The Tepper School at Carnegie Mellon University has one of the highest-rated online programs in the nation. Good options are also offered at Drexel University, La Salle University, and many others. Most of these online programs offer essentially the same curricula and courses as their offline equivalents.

    The table below contains graduate business school tuition costs, average accepted applicant GMAT scores, the percentage of faculty with a doctorate, and the student-to-faculty ratios. Click on any column header to sort the table based on that data.

    SchoolCityTuitionAvg. GMATFaculty
    with Doct.
    Degree
    Student/
    Faculty
    Arcadia UniversityReading$43,440
    Bloomsburg University of PennsylvaniaBloomsburg$21,24850077%0.73
    Carnegie Mellon UniversityPittsburgh$124,46070494%8.85
    Cedar Crest CollegeAllentown$121,536
    Clarion University of PennsylvaniaClarion$22,946455100%7.13
    DeSales UniversityCenter Valley$22,407500
    Drexel UniversityPhiladelphia$64,00056281%2.75
    Duquesne UniversityPittsburgh$54,83153693%1.44
    Edinboro University of PennsylvaniaEdinboro$49,938
    Elizabethtown CollegeElizabethtown$24,840
    Gannon UniversityErie$39,800
    Geneva CollegeBeaver Falls$8,520
    Holy Family UniversityPhiladelphia$31,530
    Indiana University of PennsylvaniaIndiana$25,200520
    Kutztown UniversityKutztown$17,22945188%0.43
    La Roche CollegePittsburgh$16,725486
    La Salle UniversityPhiladelphia$45,00052075%7.06
    Lebanon Valley CollegeAnnville$43,327444
    Lehigh UniversityBethlehem$40,53569083%1.66
    Lock Haven UniversityLock Haven$39,125694
    Marywood UniversityScranton$27,900
    Neumann UniversityAston$22,751
    Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity Park$25,43661786%5.31
    Pennsylvania State University at ErieErie$26,22053070%0.52
    Pennsylvania State University at HarrisburgMiddletown$41,312600100%1.09
    Penn State Great ValleyMalvern$44,58058793%1.53
    Philadelphia UniversityPhiladelphia$38,420445
    Robert Morris UniversityMoon Township$30,20050991%
    Saint Joseph’s UniversityPhiladelphia$33,09956076%3.03
    Saint Vincent CollegeLatrobe$31,500471
    Shippensburg UniversityShippensburg$18,72051093%5.44
    Slippery Rock UniversitySlippery Rock$18,210
    Temple UniversityPhiladelphia$65,11656280%3.28
    University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia$108,018732
    University of PittsburghPittsburgh$51,02862689%3.41
    University of ScrantonScranton$34,94053589%1.6
    University of the Sciences in PhiladelphiaPhiladelphia$63,830628
    Villanova UniversityVillanova$50,01661087%0.72
    West Chester UniversityWest Chester$16,71953589%
    Widener UniversityChester$33,05687%5.09
    Wilkes UniversityWilkes-Barre$33,056

    Popular graduate programs in Pennsylvania: Online MBA in Business Analytics | Online MBA in International Business | Online MBA in Data Analytics

    Job Outlook for Business School Graduates in Pennsylvania

    Job prospects for business graduates are excellent across the United States, with total growth of at least 5% projected in 32 out of 37 business and management occupations between 2016 and 2026, according to recent Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data.6 Market analysts and marketing specialists are expected to have the most growth nationwide, at 22.8% over that ten-year period, with financial managers coming in a close second place at 18.7%.6

    In Pennsylvania, operations managers comprise the largest business and management sector segment, with 70,430 employed in 2016.6 Accountants and auditors come in second at 52,590 statewide, with market analysts and marketing specialists well behind in third at 24,490.6

    Based on BLS data, the average annual wage in 2016 across all Pennsylvania occupations was $48,760.6 For the business-related occupations shown below, however, the weighted average annual salary was $97,502, a figure almost exactly double the state average as a whole.6 Not surprisingly, the highest-paid businesspeople were chief executives, who averaged $208,150 per year in Pennsylvania, while the lowest-paying subcategory was tax preparers at $40,660.6

    Occupation TitleBLS.gov
    Code
    2016
    Total
    Employment
    Pennsylvania
    Mean
    Hourly
    Wage
    Pennsylvania
    Mean
    Annual
    Wage
    Pennsylvania
    National
    Growth
    2016-26
    Chief Executives11-10119,230$100$208,1500.08
    Operations Managers11-102170,430$60$125,5609.1%
    Advertising and Promotions Managers11-20110,570$63$131,7305.8%
    Marketing Managers11-20216,250$74$154,03010.0%
    Sales Managers11-20228,930$71$147,1107.4%
    Public Relations Managers11-20311,640$58$119,90010.4%
    Administrative Services Managers11-30116,860$49$102,78010.1%
    Computer and IT Systems Managers11-302112,150$69$143,26011.9%
    Financial Managers11-303116,190$72$149,98018.7%
    Purchasing Managers11-30611,900$58$120,2505.6%
    Compensation and Benefits Managers11-31110,540$65$135,3705.0%
    Human Resources Managers11-31214,100$62$128,2808.9%
    Training and Development Managers11-31310,970$59$122,18010.3%
    Construction Managers11-90218,000$52$108,17011.4%
    Architectural and Engineering Managers11-90415,850$68$141,1005.5%
    Business Managers of Artists and Athletes13-10110,140$27$55,3504.9%
    Compliance Officers13-104111,360$32$67,3908.2%
    Cost Estimators13-10519,360$31$65,40010.6%
    Human Resources Specialists13-107122,520$32$66,7407.1%
    Labor Relations Specialists13-10754,890$27$56,000-7.8%
    Logisticians13-10816,150$37$77,0406.9%
    Management Analysts13-111122,750$43$88,55012.0%
    Meeting, Convention, and Event Planners13-11213,040$24$50,38010.2%
    Compensation Job Analysis Specialists13-11413,240$32$66,3208.5%
    Training and Development Specialists13-115110,310$31$63,59011.5%
    Market Analysts and Marketing Specialists13-116124,490$32$66,65022.8%
    Business Operations Specialists13-119915,900$36$75,3908.8%
    Accountants and Auditors13-201152,590$35$73,50010.0%
    Budget Analysts13-20311,450$35$71,9106.5%
    Credit Analysts13-20412,400$34$71,7408.4%
    Financial Analysts13-205110,830$41$84,88010.8%
    Insurance Underwriters13-20534,900$37$77,670-5.2%
    Financial Examiners13-20611,640$43$90,0509.8%
    Credit Counselors13-20711,980$28$57,57013.9%
    Loan Officers13-207211,800$33$69,45011.5%
    Tax Examiners and Collectors13-20813,320$25$51,070-0.6%
    Tax Preparers13-20821,750$20$40,66010.8%

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    References:
    1. National Center for Education Statistics: https://nces.ed.gov/
    2. AACSB, Best Business Schools:https://bestbizschools.aacsb.edu/aacsb-accredited
    3. ACBSP, Business Schools:https://acbsp.org/page/accreditation-overview
    4. IACBE, Business Schools: http://iacbe.org/
    5. Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE): https://www.msche.org/
    6. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates, Pennsylvania: https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_pa.htm
    7. EDNA PA Department of Education: http://www.edna.ed.state.pa.us/Screens/wfSearchEntity.aspx
    8. US News & World Report: https://www.usnews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-business-schools