2023 Best Undergraduate Engineering Schools in Pennsylvania
![2022-2023 Engineering Colleges of Distinction](https://collegesofdistinction.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/2022-2023-Engineering-CoD.png)
Published: September 1, 2022
By: Colleges of Distinction Staff
Jump to: Bucknell University | Elizabethtown College | Geneva College | Grove City College | Lafayette College | Lehigh University | Messiah University | Saint Francis University | Villanova University | Widener University | York College of Pennsylvania | Frequently Asked Questions
Unsurprisingly, today’s labor trends suggest that there is strong and consistent growth across engineering professions, which are increasing their demand for talented, diverse, dedicated individuals. That’s why we at Colleges of Distinction are proud to announce our 2022-2023 selection of excellent schools for engineering majors in Pennsylvania!
These colleges and universities have demonstrated a commitment to the Four Distinctions, which ensure quality and student success throughout it programming. And, as Pennsylvania Engineering Colleges of Distinction, they enrich their engineering programs with a multidisciplinary, collaborative, and well-connected curriculum. Prospective students know that an education from a 2022-2023 Pennsylvania Engineering College of Distinction will prepare them for their futures as innovators.
What makes a 2022-2023 Pennsylvania Engineering College of Distinction?
Stability and quality of these programs are evidenced by their accreditation by ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology).
Practical experience is a given through internships, co-ops, and experiential learning, all of which help students apply their knowledge to the real world.
Multidisciplinary options are available to students, such as civil engineering, electrical engineering, industrial engineering, computer engineering, biomedical engineering, and mechanical engineering.
Collaborative work is encouraged in the classroom, so students learn to be effective team members and leaders.
Soft skills—such as communication, leadership, and teamwork—are emphasized to ensure that students are not just skilled engineers, but also resilient and capable professionals.
Facility investments keep schools’ technology up to date while supporting students along their academic journey.
Dedicated advising and counseling is available to be specifically geared toward engineering students.
High-impact practices, which are intrinsic to every College of Distinction, are fully embraced within the engineering curriculum that are important to all colleges of distinction are incorporated in the engineering curriculum.
Industry connections cultivate an environment for students to create a valuable professional network.
![](https://collegesofdistinction.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/1280px-Bucknell_University_logo.svg-300x134.png)
Bucknell University
Lewisburg, PA ‧ Private ‧ 4-year
Discover new opportunities at Bucknell University. Bucknell is a private institution in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania with more than 60 majors and 70 minors.
Professional and preprofessional programs in the College of Engineering, music, education, and the Freeman College of Management do more than coexist with the liberal arts and sciences. Bucknell is a unique national university where liberal arts and professional programs complement each other. Bucknell educates students for a lifetime of critical thinking and strong leadership characterized by continued intellectual exploration, creativity and imagination.
Acceptance rate 38% • Net price $39,359 • SAT Range 1250-1430 • Students submitting SAT scores 54%
Total Undergrad Population 3,726 • Setting Town • Private 4-year
Graduation rate (6 year) 88% • Retention rate 92% • Student-to-faculty ratio 9:1
Engineering Majors Offered
Biomedical/Medical Engineering
Chemical Engineering
Civil Engineering
Computer Engineering
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering
Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
![Elizabethtown College logo](https://collegesofdistinction.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/elizabethtown-college-logo-300x159.png)
Elizabethtown College
Elizabethtown, PA ‧ Private ‧ 4-year
The Elizabethtown College educational experience blends a high standard of scholarship with the commitment to educate its students in a relationship-centered learning community, foster international and cross-cultural perspectives, complement classroom instruction with experiential-learning opportunities, and prepare students for purposeful lives and meaningful work.
All Elizabethtown College students complete at least two Signature Learning Experiences (SLE) as part of their graduation requirements. Signature Learning Experiences are cataloged into five unique categories: supervised research; community-based learning; cross-cultural experiences; internships, field experiences or practicums; and capstone experiences. The Signature Learning Experiences challenge students to think beyond the classroom, traveling across borders and going behind the scenes.
MOMENTUM
Elizabethtown College offers the Momentum experience to first-generation college students whose families are unfamiliar with the transition to college. Momentum students arrive on campus a week prior to fall orientation, easing into the college lifestyle with plenty of time to adjust. Throughout this early week, the students attend workshops for academic and personal development and go on field trips that build camaraderie with their new peers.
Acceptance rate 86% • Net price $25,767 • SAT Range 1080-1280 • Students submitting SAT scores 85%
Total Undergrad Population 1,881 • Setting Suburb • Private 4-year
Graduation rate (6 year) 72% • Retention rate 89% • Student-to-faculty ratio 12:1
Engineering Majors Offered
Engineering, General
Computer Engineering
![](https://collegesofdistinction.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Geneva-College-Logo-300x222-1.png)
Geneva College
Beaver Falls, PA ‧ Christian ‧ 4-year
Geneva College is a Christ-centered academic community that provides a comprehensive education to equip students for faithful and fruitful service to God and neighbor. Geneva offers over 80 traditional undergraduate majors and programs, including nursing, management, marketing, and cybersecurity, an array of fully online bachelor’s programs designed to be attainable for busy adults, and five high-demand graduate degrees in both classroom and online formats. The ABET-accredited engineering program is a Top 100 Best Undergraduate Engineering Program in the nation.
Adhering to the truth of scripture, a Geneva education is grounded in God’s word as well as in a core curriculum designed to prepare students vocationally to think, write, and communicate well in today’s world. A full 96% of students are working or in graduate school a year after graduation.
Geneva’s faculty of 100% committed Christians challenge students with a curriculum emphasizing the liberal arts and certain professional fields within the context of a Biblical view of life and the world. Faith is integrated into all academics, activities, and athletics, which includes 18 NCAA Division III varsity sports.
Acceptance rate 73% • Net price $19,967
Total Undergrad Population 1,349 • Setting Suburb • Private 4-year
Graduation rate (6 year) 72% • Retention rate 78% • Student-to-faculty ratio 12:1
Engineering Majors Offered
Engineering, General
Chemical Engineering
![](https://collegesofdistinction.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Grove-City-College-Logo-300x94.png)
Grove City College
Grove City, PA ‧ Christian ‧ 4-year
Faculty and staff equip students to discover and pursue their unique callings through an academically excellent and Christ-centered learning and living experience. Students flourish at Grove City College because faith is the foundation of everything they do.
From the classroom to the practice fields, from the dining halls to the dormitories, the entire College community seeks to understand how they might bring God’s glory into all daily activities. Such a campus-wide commitment encourages and supports students as they develop into leaders with these core values: faithfulness, excellence, community, stewardship, and independence.
Acceptance rate 73% • Tuition $19,990 • SAT Range 1137-1368
Total Undergrad Population 2,317 • Christian 4-year
Graduation rate (6 year) 87% • Retention rate 89% • Student-to-faculty ratio 13:1
Engineering Majors Offered
Computer Engineering
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
![](https://collegesofdistinction.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/lafayette-college-logo-300x104.jpeg)
Lafayette College
Easton, PA ‧ Private ‧ 4-year
Lafayette provides university-sized resources in an exclusively undergraduate college. The college wants its students to be in a constant state of learning—a process that involves participation in class, engagement in subject matters, and challenging one’s surroundings. The student that takes control of their educational experience has the freedom to explore their potential, while learning to adapt to the changing needs of society. And that makes for one marketable individual.
AN EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE OUTSIDE OF THE CLASSROOM
Lafayette gives its students several opportunities to learn outside of the traditional classroom setting. Study abroad is embraced by Lafayette as an integral part of an undergraduate experience. Students that study abroad gain cross-cultural communication skills, as well as an appreciation for another culture. Other non-traditional opportunities include: undergraduate research, first-year seminars, and community outreach.
Acceptance rate 36% • Net price $28,735 • SAT Range 1250-1440 • Students submitting SAT scores 75%
Total Undergrad Population 2,514 • Setting Suburb • Private 4-year
Graduation rate (6 year) 90% • Retention rate 87% • Student-to-faculty ratio 9:1
Engineering Majors Offered
Engineering, General
Chemical Engineering
Civil Engineering
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
![](https://collegesofdistinction.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Lehigh_University_Logo-300x81.png)
Lehigh University
Bethlehem, PA ‧ Private ‧ 4-year
Find unparalleled opportunities for learning at Lehigh University. Located in Pennsylvania’s beautiful Lehigh Valley, Lehigh is one of the nation’s most distinguished private research universities. Through academic rigor, an entrepreneurial mindset, and collaborative opportunities Lehigh professors challenge their students to become the leaders of the future.
Acceptance rate 50% • Net price $29,098 • SAT Range 1260-1433 • Students submitting SAT scores 70%
Total Undergrad Population 7,067 • Setting City: Small • Private 4-year
Graduation rate (6 year) 88% • Retention rate 91% • Student-to-faculty ratio 9:1
Engineering Majors Offered
Engineering, General
Biomedical/Medical Engineering
Chemical Engineering
Civil Engineering
Computer Engineering
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications EngineeringEngineering Physics
Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering
Materials Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Industrial Engineering
![Messiah College is now Messiah University logo](https://collegesofdistinction.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/MessiahUniversityLogo-295Blue-1-1-e1664916606410-300x80.png)
Messiah University
Mechanicsburg, PA ‧ Christian ‧ 4-year
Messiah University is nationally recognized for bringing together top-tier academics and Christian faith. The University’s motto, “Christ Preeminent,” shapes every experience its students have at school. Lifelong friendships. Support from faculty mentors. Outstanding preparation for life and career. Championship athletics. Celebrated arts programs. Transformational service and ministry. Eye-opening study abroad. At Messiah, one’s life, faith, world, and possibilities open up. Students come to see anew.
Messiah University is a liberal arts and applied sciences University founded in 1909 by the Brethren in Christ Church. Though it is no longer legally owned by the Brethren in Christ Church, the University continues to emphasize its Anabaptist, Pietist, and Wesleyan theological heritage. Now the University’s faith base is broadly evangelical and includes students and employees from a variety of denominations and Christian faith traditions.
Acceptance rate 78% • Net price $27,641 • SAT Range 1080-1310 • Students submitting SAT scores 92%
Total Undergrad Population 3,370 • Setting Suburb • Private 4-year
Graduation rate (6 year) 79% • Retention rate 86% • Student-to-faculty ratio 13:1
Engineering Majors Offered
Engineering, General
Biomedical/Medical Engineering
Civil Engineering
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
![Saint Francis University logo](https://collegesofdistinction.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/saint-francis-university-logo-300x300.png)
Saint Francis University
Loretto, PA ‧ Catholic ‧ 4-year
Saint Francis University offers academic study within the Franciscan tradition of using one’s talents to serve others. The more than 60 offerings include highly targeted, career-focused majors grounded in the liberal arts tradition of inquiry and self-discovery. Highly regarded programs in health science, education, business, and science attract a diverse student body to the beautiful campus setting.
The values of respect, faith, generosity, and joy run deep in the University culture and help to prepare ethical, knowledgeable professionals with a passion to shape the world. This holistic approach to career preparation is supported by respected faculty who work closely with students in small settings to meet individual goals.
WHAT MAKES SFU DIFFERENT
Simulation labs, Esports, SCUBA diving, Aviation, experiential learning, two public museums, Canine Learning and Behavior class, and a snow tubing park are some of the opportunities unique to Saint Francis University. Students enhance their academic and campus experiences with programs that fit their personalities.
Acceptance rate 59% • Net price $29,393 • SAT Range 1010-1220 • Students submitting SAT scores 89%
Total Undergrad Population 2,769 • Setting Town • Private 4-year
Graduation rate (6 year) 63% • Retention rate 96% • Student-to-faculty ratio 14:1
Engineering Majors Offered
Computer Engineering
Environmental/Environmental Health Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
Petroleum Engineering
![Villanova University Logo](https://collegesofdistinction.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/villanova-300x225.jpg)
Villanova University
Villanova, PA ‧ Catholic ‧ 4-year
Villanova University was founded in 1842 by the Order of St. Augustine. To this day, Villanova’s Augustinian Catholic intellectual tradition is the cornerstone of an academic community in which students learn to think critically, act compassionately and succeed while serving others. There are more than 10,000 undergraduate, graduate and law students in the University’s six colleges.
FALVEY SCHOLARS
The Falvey Scholars program awards superior work in undergraduate research. Each year, a group of students is nominated for their exceptional work. A committee then selects the recipients from the group of nominated students. Awards are given in five areas: Arts, Sciences, Engineering, Nursing, and Business. Selected students are given the opportunity to share their findings with the campus community.
VILLANOVA MATCH RESEARCH PROGRAM FOR FRESHMAN
The Match Research Program gives bright, highly motivated freshman the opportunity to participate in research during their spring semester. Selected students work as assistants to faculty that are conducting research. Students work 10 hours a week for 10 weeks, and receive a stipend of $1000. This is an incredible opportunity for students interested in research. Not only does the program provide a solid introduction to practices and methodologies, but students have the chance to learn directly from experienced faculty.
Acceptance rate 31% • Net price $38,303 • SAT Range 1320-1460 • Students submitting SAT scores 60%
Total Undergrad Population 11,032 • Setting Suburb • Private 4-year
Graduation rate (6 year) 92% • Retention rate 96% • Student-to-faculty ratio 11:1
Engineering Majors Offered
Chemical Engineering
Civil Engineering
Computer Engineering
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
![widener university logo](https://collegesofdistinction.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/wu_fulllogo_stacked_2935c_803cshield-300x96.png)
Widener University
Chester, PA ‧ Private ‧ 4-year
Widener University is a private college in Chester, Pennsylvania. Join The Pride and take part of the Widener Advantage-a close knit community of students and faculty with a range of diverse programs to choose from.
Acceptance rate 75% • Net price $32,695 • SAT Range 1035-1210 • Students submitting SAT scores 92%
Total Undergrad Population 2,912 • Setting Suburb • Private 4-year
Graduation rate (6 year) 65% • Retention rate 81% • Student-to-faculty ratio 13:1
Engineering Majors Offered
Biomedical/Medical Engineering
Chemical Engineering
Civil Engineering
Electrical Electronics and Communications Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
![York College in York, PA](https://collegesofdistinction.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/york-college-pa-wordmark-300x103.png)
York College of Pennsylvania
York, PA ‧ Private ‧ 4-year
Students come to York College of Pennsylvania because they want to take action. They want internships and paid cooperative learning. They want to conduct research with faculty and meet with their professors one-on-one. They want to get engaged right away, joining the school’s award-winning radio station or entering in the Elevator Pitch Competition. And, most of all, they want to pay half of what other top private colleges are asking without sacrificing a solid education. From day one, York College does all that and more.
WHAT YORK OFFERS
York College has the academic focus that students want and employers need throughout more than 60 majors, including such new degrees as Integrated Marketing Communications, Cybersecurity Management, Public History, and Civil Engineering. Plus, with everything from a rock climbing wall to huge concerts on a campus that pulses with activity, there’s always something to do with friends old and new on the 4,000-student campus.
Acceptance rate 71% • Net price $22,876 • SAT Range 990-1190 • Students submitting SAT scores 92%
Total Undergrad Population 4,039 • Setting Suburb • Private 4-year
Graduation rate (6 year) 65% • Retention rate 77% • Student-to-faculty ratio 14:1
Click here for available majors
Engineering Majors Offered
Engineering, General
Civil Engineering
Computer Engineering
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering
Mechanical Engineering
What it’s like to attend engineering school in Pennsylvania and other FAQ:
The average tuition of Pennsylvania colleges is $11,694 for Pennsylvania residents and $18,884 for students from other states.
The average salary for business graduates in entry-level positions is $50,000, with top earners earning around $61,339 annually.
Mechanical Engineering – 1,119 degrees awarded in 2020
Electrical Electronics and Communications Engineering – 557 graduates
Chemical Engineering – 480 graduates
Civil Engineering – 459
Biomedical/Medical Engineering – 360
University of Pittsburgh-Johnstown has an average net price of $17,574 making it the least expensive engineering degree program in Pennsylvania that made our list.
PennWest University has an acceptance rate of 94%, with an SAT range of 920-1120, making it the least exclusive college with a business program on our list.
Lafayette College has a median total debt after graduation of $17,500 This is the typical debt for a student who completed their undergraduate degree.
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