Pennsylvania Private Colleges Ranked by Highest Acceptance Rate

Below is a ranking of the 82 private colleges in Pennsylvania with the highest acceptance rate for freshman undergraduate applications. American College of Financial Services leads the list by accepting 100% of high school students that applied.

Acceptance rate is a measure of the competitiveness of a school. Lower acceptance rates are more competitive and may require a higher GPA, SAT/ACT score, and other factors to be considered for admission.

List of Pennsylvania Private Colleges Ranked by Highest Acceptance Rate
College Acceptance Rate

Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania

29%

Lewisburg, Pennsylvania

29%

Lancaster, Pennsylvania

28%

Villanova, Pennsylvania

27%

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

26%

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

12%

Haverford, Pennsylvania

12%

Swarthmore, Pennsylvania

7%

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

5%

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

5%

This list is updated annually based on the latest data from the National Center for Education Statistics.
Last updated: August 2026

Data source: IPEDS 2025 survey for academic year 2024/2025 - National Center for Education Statistics.