The nation's birthplace is home to a wealth of higher education options. This is great for Pennsylvania's prospective online college students, as 63 percent of the jobs in Pennsylvania are expected to require some level of education after high school by 2020, according to a Georgetown University study. This is likely to be true whether you're starting or growing your career in one of Pennsylvania's key industries, such as life sciences or finance, or in a more general-purpose field like healthcare or education.
Students attending online colleges in Pennsylvania can conveniently complete a degree program around a current work schedule or family responsibilities. Here's a brief overview of options:
If you've already earned some college credits and you're ready to restart your education, be sure to check out The Pennsylvania Transfer and Articulation Center to learn about your options.
This is just a sampling of what online colleges in Pennsylvania have to offer. There's a lot to know, but fortunately we've done some of the heavy lifting for you. Below, you'll find rankings that compare top online schools in the state, information about financial aid and more.
While the rankings on this page approach the question "What are the best online colleges in Pennsylvania?" from various angles, one fact is consistent: every school we display has earned official accreditation from an agency such as the Middle States Commission on Higher Education or the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. Why does accreditation matter? Learn more on our "What is College Accreditation?" page, or visit the Pennsylvania Department of Education.
Accreditation is a crucial part of what makes a good online college, but it's not the only factor. For more details on the data points we chose for our rankings and why they matter, see the "What Makes a Good Online College?" section of our "About Us" page.
Rankings are a good start, but students deserve more information than just a simple numbered list. Here on OnlineColleges, we also display our data so students can compare qualities of different schools -- such as availability of tuition plans, graduation rate or amount of electronic library collections -- for themselves.
Visit our methodologies page to learn more about how we use official data to evaluate schools.
The following list names the online colleges in Pennsylvania with the lowest tuition costs. We ranked these schools based on their affordability by comparing the in-state, campus-based tuition they reported to the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS).
You can see a list of some of the scholarships and grants offered in Pennsylvania below:
Want to learn more about grant opportunities? Read through the Ultimate Guide to Grants. Curious about scholarships instead? Try our Ultimate Guide to Scholarships.
The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) conducts its own loan servicing operations under the name American Education Services (AES). PHEAA created an Account Access website through AES to help students better manage their loans online. Students can also borrow money for college through the federal government; more information on these opportunities is available through the PHEAA site.
For more on loans, go to the Ultimate Guide to Student Loans.
Pennsylvania is one of the handful of U.S. states that do not participate in reciprocity programs with other states that grant in-state tuition to students from member states. However, some Pennsylvania universities, such as Penn State, choose to classify active and retired military personnel and their families as in-state residents for tuition purposes.
The University of Pittsburgh offers a variety of scholarships that are also open to out-of-state students to help defray the cost of out-of-state tuition, which in 2018 was $31,102 as opposed to $18,130 for in-state students.
Be sure to talk with an admissions counselor about your options when it comes to attending a Pennsylvania university as an out-of-state student.
Figuring out what you want to do after college can help you save time and money before you apply. To help you make this decision, let's look at some of the top jobs in Connecticut. Compare data on salary and employment across these careers to see which paths might be good choices for you and your educational goals.
| Employment | Employment Growth | Median High School Salary | Median Bachelor's Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6,181,960 | 5.5% | $31,477 | $53,259 |
*Industry rankings determined by annual mean wage, employment, projected growth and location quotient. Data is sourced from the BLS, 2019 dataset.
| Top Industries | Employment | Projected Growth | Average Salary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pipeline transportation | 1,693,800 | 6% | $74,401 |
| Oil and gas extraction | 2,438,370 | 6% | $69,755 |
| Ambulatory healthcare services | 4,345,090 | 7% | $63,934 |
| Hospitals; state, local, and private | 4,735,880 | 6% | $62,667 |
| Monetary authorities-central bank | 1,254,450 | 6% | $77,272 |
| Petroleum and coal products manufacturing | 2,304,350 | 5% | $65,714 |
| Utilities | 3,130,810 | 5% | $64,926 |
| Support activities for mining | 2,459,210 | 5% | $64,106 |
| Chemical manufacturing | 3,220,160 | 5% | $63,375 |
| Waste management and remediation services | 2,605,470 | 6% | $63,175 |
Those in Pennsylvania who are interested in pursuing oil and gas extraction careers have many solid options to pursue for a career, including companies like PECO Energy Power Company, PPL Electric Utilities Corporation and Exelon Generation Company LLC, which are among the largest energy employers in the state. In fact, the field of oil and gas extraction is so prominent in Pennsylvania that it employs over 72,000 people, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development
Healthcare is another prolific field in Pennsylvania. With facilities like Lancaster General Hospital, Bryn Mawr Hospital and St. Mary Medical Center in operation, nurses, physicians and other related healthcare workers have many worthwhile facilities where they may want to seek employment.
In the coming years, jobs related to science, technology, engineering and mathematics are expected to increase. In fact, the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development predicts that there will be 600,000 available jobs in the STEM sector by 2026. In order to meet the demand for STEM workers, the state is implementing the PAsmart initiative, which provides grants to fund STEM-related education on the K-12 level, as well as apprenticeships, career and technical education programs, and on-the-job training.
There are many industries offering opportunities for workers in Pennsylvania. Let's discuss the different thriving industries in specific metropolitan areas of the state.
With Pennsylvania preparing for an influx of STEM positions, workers in the Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington area need to be sure they have the skills required for these jobs. And where can they learn these skills but at college? As a result, health specialties and engineering professors have much to do at colleges like the University of Pennsylvania, Drexel University and Temple University. Furthermore, Philadelphia's top industries are stated to include life sciences, information technology and financial services, all of which can offer a number of job options for statisticians.
| Best Careers | Minimum Education | Average Salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Statisticians | Master's degree | $97,870 | 2,360 |
| Medical Scientists, Except Epidemiologists | Doctoral or professional degree | $118,360 | 6,300 |
| Health Specialties Teachers, Postsecondary | Doctoral or professional degree | $104,510 | 9,790 |
| Aerospace Engineers | Bachelor's degree | $116,920 | 3,040 |
| Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary | Doctoral or professional degree | $106,720 | 1,000 |
*Career rankings determined by annual mean wage, employment, projected growth and location quotient. Data sourced from the BLS, 2019 dataset.
According to VisitPITTSBURGH, the city has about 133,000 workers in its healthcare industry who are employed at organizations like Allegheny Health Network, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. This thriving healthcare sector makes Pittsburgh a great place for physical therapists and physician assistants to find employment.
In addition, since 2007, there have been over 300 technology companies that have either relocated to Pittsburgh or expanded their operations in the city. As a result, computer systems analysts have a great chance of getting employment at companies such as IBM, Uber, Google and Apple.
| Best Careers | Minimum Education | Average Salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician Assistants | Master's degree | $96,530 | 1,700 |
| Software Developers and Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers | Bachelor's degree | $95,270 | 9,670 |
| Physical Therapists | Doctoral or professional degree | $83,060 | 3,040 |
| Mechanical Engineers | Bachelor's degree | $90,020 | 4,030 |
| Computer Systems Analysts | Bachelor's degree | $93,510 | 6,390 |
*Career rankings determined by annual mean wage, employment, projected growth and location quotient. Data sourced from the BLS, 2019 dataset.
Physician assistants and nurse anesthetists may be able to find employment at the numerous healthcare facilities in the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton area, such as ManorCare Health Services and St. Luke's University Health Network. For those who are looking for mechanical and computer hardware engineering jobs, companies like Liberty Engineering, Pulse Technologies, and Lutron Electronics are prominent employers in the region.
| Best Careers | Minimum Education | Average Salary | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physician Assistants | Master's degree | $91,560 | 510 |
| Nurse Anesthetists | Master's degree | $160,420 | N/A |
| Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary | Doctoral or professional degree | N/A | 190 |
| Mechanical Engineers | Bachelor's degree | $75,250 | 1,100 |
| Mechanical Engineers | Bachelor's degree | $75,250 | 1,100 |
*Career rankings determined by annual mean wage, employment, projected growth and location quotient. Data sourced from the BLS, 2019 dataset.