Pennsylvania Public Colleges Ranked by Highest Acceptance Rate

Below is a ranking of the 35 public colleges in Pennsylvania with the highest acceptance rate for freshman undergraduate applications. Cheyney University of Pennsylvania 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 Public Colleges Ranked by Highest Acceptance Rate
College Acceptance Rate

New Kensington, Pennsylvania

95%

Lemont Furnace, Pennsylvania

95%

Greensburg, Pennsylvania

95%

Johnstown, Pennsylvania

95%

East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania

92%

Sharon, Pennsylvania

92%
91%

Kutztown, Pennsylvania

91%

Bradford, Pennsylvania

89%

Shippensburg, Pennsylvania

87%

Millersville, Pennsylvania

86%

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

80%

West Chester, Pennsylvania

78%

Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania

71%

Lincoln University, Pennsylvania

66%

University Park, Pennsylvania

61%
58%

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.