Acceptance Rate and Admission Trends for Pennsylvania Colleges

There are 152 active four-years colleges and universities in Pennsylvania - 39 public and 113 private schools. The 2024 average acceptance rate of the 4-year colleges in Pennsylvania is 76.42% - 477,343 students accepted out of total 784,862.

Compared to the acceptance rate of 10 years ago, the rate becomes higher from 65.35% to 76.42%. The Pennsylvania Colleges' yield, also known as enrollment rate, is 23.09% and the yield is lower than 33.14%, rate of 10 years ago.

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Acceptance Rate Changes

The average acceptance rate over the last 10 years is 71.12% where the current academic year rate is 76.42% at Pennsylvania Colleges. By gender, men students' acceptance rate is 69.96% and women students' rate is 72.08%. The next table and chart illustrate the acceptance rates changes at Pennsylvania Colleges over the past 11 years (2013-2024).

Year	Total	Men	Women
Year	2013-14	65.35%	64.49%	66.21%
2014-15	67.95% 2.60%	68.32% 2.20%	68.41% 2.20%
2015-16	68.07% 0.13%	66.81% 0.50%	68.91% 0.50%
2016-17	69.17% 1.10%	67.77% 1.03%	69.94% 1.03%
2017-18	69.51% 0.34%	68.31% 0.30%	70.24% 0.30%
2018-19	69.11% -0.40%	67.85% -0.25%	69.99% -0.25%
2019-20	71.62% 2.51%	70.38% 2.78%	72.77% 2.78%
2020-21	72.63% 1.01%	71.25% 0.85%	73.61% 0.85%
2021-22	75.86% 3.24%	73.82% 3.64%	77.26% 3.64%
2022-23	76.60% 0.74%	75.47% 0.45%	77.71% 0.45%
2023-24	76.42% -0.18%	75.11% 0.10%	77.81% 0.10%
Average	71.12%	69.96%	72.08%

Pennsylvania Colleges Acceptance Rate Changes Chart

Admission Yield (Enrollment Rate) Changes

The average admission yield of the last 12 years is 28.81% where the current academic year yield is 23.09%. The yield, also known as enrollment rate is the percentage of admitted students who finally enrolled. The following table and chart illustrate the changes in yield at Pennsylvania Colleges from 2013 to 2024.

Year	Total	Men	Women
2013-14	33.14%	34.74%	30.99%
2014-15	32.94% -0.19%	34.38% 0.77%	31.76% 0.77%
2015-16	30.33% -2.62%	31.31% -2.75%	29.01% -2.75%
2016-17	30.92% 0.60%	32.60% 0.02%	29.03% 0.02%
2017-18	30.38% -0.54%	30.95% -0.32%	28.71% -0.32%
2018-19	30.23% -0.15%	32.19% -1.00%	27.72% -1.00%
2019-20	28.83% -1.40%	30.48% -1.52%	26.19% -1.52%
2020-21	26.75% -2.08%	28.37% -2.24%	23.95% -2.24%
2021-22	27.05% 0.29%	28.40% 0.01%	23.97% 0.01%
2022-23	23.19% -3.86%	25.23% -3.73%	20.23% -3.73%
2023-24	23.09% -0.09%	24.30% 0.17%	20.41% 0.17%
Average	28.81%	30.27%	26.54%

Pennsylvania Colleges Yield (Enrollment Rate) Changes Chart

Applicants, Admitted, and Enrolled Headcount Changes

The average number of applicants is 588,968, the average number of admitted is 354,093, and the average number of enrolled students is 75,718 over the last 10 years. The number of applicants to Pennsylvania Colleges increased by 3.30% (25,098 applicants) compared to last year. The following table and chart show the changes of applicants, admitted, and enrolled headcount at Pennsylvania Colleges from 2013 to 2024.

Year	Applicants	Admitted	Enrolled
2013-14	475,030	285,164	72,420
2014-15	507,621 32,591	299,594 736	73,156 736
2015-16	511,832 4,211	295,156 -363	72,793 -363
2016-17	516,582 4,750	296,025 -1,182	71,611 -1,182
2017-18	529,206 12,624	306,351 862	72,473 862
2018-19	549,002 19,796	310,171 -369	72,104 -369
2019-20	556,138 7,136	319,966 -1,849	70,255 -1,849
2020-21	630,497 74,359	404,926 11,026	81,281 11,026
2021-22	658,119 27,622	430,789 511	81,792 511
2022-23	759,764 101,645	469,540 765	82,557 765
2023-24	784,862 25,098	477,343 -104	82,453 -104
Average	588,968	354,093	75,718

Pennsylvania Colleges Applicants Trends Chart

Most Searched Pennsylvania Colleges (last 30 days)

4-Year Colleges

University of Pennsylvania Private, four-years | Philadelphia
Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus Public, four-years | University Park
DeSales University Private, four-years | Center Valley
University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus Public, four-years | Pittsburgh
Carnegie Mellon University Private, four-years | Pittsburgh
Bucknell University Private, four-years | Lewisburg
Villanova University Private, four-years | Villanova
Eastern University Private, four-years | Saint Davids
Drexel University Private, four-years | Philadelphia
Temple University Public, four-years | Philadelphia

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Graduate

Thomas Jefferson University Private, four-years | Philadelphia
Pennsylvania State University-Main Campus Public, four-years | University Park
University of Pennsylvania Private, four-years | Philadelphia
Lehigh University Private, four-years | Bethlehem
Carnegie Mellon University Private, four-years | Pittsburgh
Widener University Private, four-years | Chester
Duquesne University Private, four-years | Pittsburgh
Curtis Institute of Music Private, four-years | Philadelphia
Villanova University Private, four-years | Villanova
La Salle University Private, four-years | Philadelphia

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Online Schools

Moravian University Private, four-years | Bethlehem
University of Pennsylvania Private, four-years | Philadelphia
Lehigh Carbon Community College Public, 2-4 years | Schnecksville
Holy Family University Private, four-years | Philadelphia
Pennsylvania State University-World Campus Public, four-years | University Park
Thiel College Private, four-years | Greenville
Villanova University Private, four-years | Villanova
Lehigh University Private, four-years | Bethlehem
Rosemont College Private, four-years | Rosemont
Carlow University Private, four-years | Pittsburgh

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Trade Schools

YTI Career Institute-York Private, 2-4 years | York
Bella Capelli Academy Private, Less than 2-years | Monroeville
Cortiva Institute Private, Less than 2-years | King of Prussia
Pennco Tech-Bristol Private, 2-4 years | Bristol
YTI Career Institute-Altoona Private, 2-4 years | Altoona
Empire Beauty School-Monroeville Private, Less than 2-years | Monroeville
CDE Career Institute Private, Less than 2-years | Tannersville
Barber School of Pittsburgh Private, Less than 2-years | Pittsburgh
Great Lakes Institute of Technology Private, 2-4 years | Erie
Jean Madeline Aveda Institute Private, Less than 2-years | Philadelphia

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