Pennsylvania Public Colleges Ranked by Lowest Acceptance Rate

Below is a ranking of the 35 public colleges in Pennsylvania with the lowest acceptance rate for freshman undergraduate applications. University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Campus leads the list by accepting 58% 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 Lowest Acceptance Rate
College Acceptance Rate

Hazleton, Pennsylvania

96%

McKeesport, Pennsylvania

96%

Erie, Pennsylvania

97%

Dallas, Pennsylvania

97%

Center Valley, Pennsylvania

97%

DuBois, Pennsylvania

97%

Abington, Pennsylvania

97%

Schuylkill Haven, Pennsylvania

97%

York, Pennsylvania

97%

Altoona, Pennsylvania

98%

Middletown, Pennsylvania

98%

Media, Pennsylvania

98%

Mont Alto, Pennsylvania

98%

Dunmore, Pennsylvania

99%

Reading, Pennsylvania

99%

Cheyney, Pennsylvania

100%

Williamsport, Pennsylvania

100%

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.