College Factual  by our College Data Analytics Team
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2021 Best Colleges for International Students in Pennsylvania

82 Colleges
$47,909 Avg Tuition & Fees*
72% Avg 4-Year Grad Rate*

It's not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for international students. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our Best Colleges for International Students in Pennsylvania ranking is part of that endeavor.

Our analysis looked at 82 schools in Pennsylvania to determine which ones were the best for international students in Pennsylvania. Our ranking is based on several objective factors, including the school's overall quality and the total number of international students at the school. We steer clear of subjective measures since they don't give a clear picture when determining how one school compares to another.

Learn more about our ranking methodology.

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Top Colleges in Pennsylvania for International Students

See which schools came out on top of our ranking:

1

Our analysis found Carnegie Mellon University to be the best school for international students in Pennsylvania in this year’s ranking. Carnegie Mellon is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 1,953 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.

International students make up 37.1% of the total student body at the school. Students studying at Carnegie Mellon come from such countries as China, India, and South Korea.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Carnegie Mellon University

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Pennsylvania. It ranked #2 on our 2021 Best Colleges for international students in Pennsylvania list. UPenn is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3,499 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.

International students make up 19.5% of the total student body at the school. The top three countries sending students to study at UPenn are China, India, and South Korea.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full University of Pennsylvania Report

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Pennsylvania State University - University Park. The school came in at #3 in this year’s ranking. Penn State University Park is a large public school situated in University Park, Pennsylvania. It awarded 16,675 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

International students make up 10.3% of the total student body at the school.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Read More…

4
Lehigh crest
Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA

The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at Lehigh University helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools for international students in Pennsylvania. Lehigh is a private not-for-profit institution located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 1,423 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Of the total number of students at the school, 14.5% are international. Students studying at Lehigh come from such countries as China, India, and Iran.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 91%.

Read More…

5

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus. It ranked #5 on our 2021 Best Colleges for international students in Pennsylvania list. Pitt is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 5,522 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.

Of the total number of students at the school, 8.4% are international. Students from as far away as China, India, and Saudi Arabia come to Pitt to study.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%.

Full University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus Report

6
Drexel crest
Drexel University
Philadelphia, PA

Drexel University did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for international Students in Pennsylvania ranking, coming in at #6. Drexel is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 3,440 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.

Around 9.4% of the total student population at the school is international. The top three countries sending students to study at Drexel are China, India, and Vietnam.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Drexel University

7

Franklin and Marshall College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Colleges for international Students in Pennsylvania list. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 699 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Around 16.8% of the total student population at the school is international. Students studying at Franklin and Marshall come from such countries as China, Vietnam, and India.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a bachelor’s degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read More…

8
Bryn Mawr crest
Bryn Mawr College
Bryn Mawr, PA

Bryn Mawr College ranked #8 on this year’s Best Colleges for international Students in Pennsylvania list. Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 351 students in 2020-2021.

Around 15.6% of the total student population at the school is international. Students from as far away as China, India, and Vietnam come to Bryn Mawr to study.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Bryn Mawr College Report

9
Swarthmore crest
Swarthmore College
Swarthmore, PA

Swarthmore College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for international Students in Pennsylvania ranking. Located in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 481 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

International students make up 15.0% of the total student body at the school. Students from as far away as China, India, and South Korea come to Swarthmore to study.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a bachelor’s degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Swarthmore College

10

With a ranking of #10, Lafayette College did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for international Students in Pennsylvania. Lafayette is a private not-for-profit institution located in Easton, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 720 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Around 8.9% of the total student population at the school is international. The top three countries sending students to study at Lafayette are China, Vietnam, and India.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Lafayette College

11
Temple crest
Temple University
Philadelphia, PA

Temple University did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for international Students in Pennsylvania ranking, coming in at #11. This large public school is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 6,572 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

International students make up 5.8% of the total student body at the school. Students studying at Temple come from such countries as China, India, and Kuwait.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Temple University

12
Dickinson crest
Dickinson College
Carlisle, PA

Dickinson College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for international Students in Pennsylvania ranking. Located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 627 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in 2020-2021.

Of the total number of students at the school, 12.0% are international. Students studying at Dickinson come from such countries as China, Vietnam, and South Korea.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read More…

13
Bucknell crest
Bucknell University
Lewisburg, PA

With a ranking of #13, Bucknell University did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for international Students in Pennsylvania. Bucknell University is a small private not-for-profit school located in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania that handed out 1,077 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Of the total number of students at the school, 5.1% are international. Students studying at Bucknell come from such countries as China, Vietnam, and South Korea.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Bucknell University Report

14

With a ranking of #14, Villanova University did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for international Students in Pennsylvania. Villanova is a private not-for-profit institution located in Villanova, Pennsylvania. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 2,251 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Around 3.4% of the total student population at the school is international. Students from as far away as India, China, and Vietnam come to Villanova to study.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 96%.

Read More…

15
Haverford crest
Haverford College
Haverford, PA

With a ranking of #15, Haverford College did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for international Students in Pennsylvania. Haverford is located in Haverford, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 365 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.

Of the total number of students at the school, 11.6% are international. Students studying at Haverford come from such countries as China, India, and South Korea.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.

Read full report on Haverford College

16
Gettysburg crest
Gettysburg College
Gettysburg, PA

Gettysburg College came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for international Students in Pennsylvania ranking. Gettysburg, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 717 students in 2020-2021.

Of the total number of students at the school, 4.1% are international. Students from as far away as China, Vietnam, and Nepal come to Gettysburg to study.

With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Gettysburg College

17
Duquesne crest
Duquesne University
Pittsburgh, PA

Duquesne University landed the #17 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges for international Students in Pennsylvania. This medium-sized private not-for-profit school is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 1,590 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Of the total number of students at the school, 4.9% are international. Students from as far away as China, Saudi Arabia, and India come to Duquesne to study.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Duquesne University

18

Saint Joseph’s University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Colleges for international Students in Pennsylvania list. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 1,358 students in 2020-2021.

International students make up 3.1% of the total student body at the school. Students studying at St. Joe’s come from such countries as China, India, and Saudi Arabia.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read full report on Saint Joseph’s University

19

Pennsylvania State University - Erie - Behrend College landed the #19 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges for international Students in Pennsylvania.

Students from as far away as China, India, and South Korea come to Penn State Erie to study.

Read full report on Pennsylvania State University - Erie - Behrend College

20

Pennsylvania State University - Harrisburg came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for international Students in Pennsylvania ranking.

Students studying at Penn State Harrisburg come from such countries as China, India, and South Korea.

Full Pennsylvania State University - Harrisburg Report

21

Washington & Jefferson College did quite well in the 2021 Best Colleges for international Students in Pennsylvania ranking, coming in at #21. Located in Washington, Pennsylvania, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 302 diplomas to qualified bachelor’s degree students in 2020-2021.

International students make up 1.5% of the total student body at the school. The top three countries sending students to study at W&J are China, Japan, and France.

Full Washington & Jefferson College Report

22
Juniata crest
Juniata College
Huntingdon, PA

Juniata College ranked #22 on this year’s Best Colleges for international Students in Pennsylvania list. Juniata is located in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 279 bachelor’s degrees to qualified undergraduates.

Of the total number of students at the school, 6.5% are international. The top three countries sending students to study at Juniata are China, Japan, and Vietnam.

Read full report on Juniata College

23

Thomas Jefferson University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Colleges for international Students in Pennsylvania list. Thomas Jefferson University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that handed out 1,163 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Around 2.9% of the total student population at the school is international. Students studying at Thomas Jefferson University come from such countries as China, India, and Saudi Arabia.

Read More…

24

University of Scranton landed the #24 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges for international Students in Pennsylvania. University of Scranton is a small private not-for-profit school located in Scranton, Pennsylvania that handed out 885 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

International students make up 1.8% of the total student body at the school. Students from as far away as Saudi Arabia, China, and India come to University of Scranton to study.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full University of Scranton Report

25
Muhlenberg crest
Muhlenberg College
Allentown, PA

With a ranking of #25, Muhlenberg College did quite well on the 2021 Best Colleges for international Students in Pennsylvania. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 662 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Around 2.2% of the total student population at the school is international. Students studying at Muhlenberg come from such countries as China, Vietnam, and Rwanda.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Muhlenberg College

Best Colleges for International Students in the Middle Atlantic Region

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Notes and References

Footnotes

*Avg Tuition and Fees and Avg 4-Year Grad Rate are for the top 25 schools only.

References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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