Imagine studying from one of the best online colleges in Pennsylvania from your home, that’s heaven on earth! You can get a full degree, whether a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctorate degree from the comfort of your home, or workplace even if you don’t reside in the United States, or Pennsylvania.
That’s the beauty of online colleges, where you can study abroad from your country, the opportunity is limitless. The best part is, that there are free online courses you can still enjoy, regardless of how busy you’re, whether it’s a free online nursing course or you want to study free online courses from Yale University.
Moreover, Pennsylvania is housing some of the great universities in the United States and the world. The University of Pennsylvania, for instance, is the 10th best university in the United States, and they are the university that has one of the best accelerated nursing programs.
Online colleges in Pennsylvania give you a lot of privileges, one of them is to study at some of the best medical schools in Pennsylvania. The state has lots of history and culture surrounding it, especially knowing that it was in the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where the American Political leaders gathered to make the declaration of independence.
So if you’re an international student that is interested in studying American history, Pennsylvania is rich in that. Even if you don’t want to study in one of the online colleges in Pennsylvania, you can choose from one of the best online colleges in the U.S.
In addition, there are some accredited online colleges in Ohio, and there are other affordable (but excellent) online colleges that might meet your needs.
Most importantly, all universities in Pennsylvania offer financial aid or scholarships to domestic and international students, and we added links to these financial aids. There are online colleges in Pennsylvania that allow you to submit only one application and they will enroll you in all financial aid you’re eligible for, and most of them belong to the best online colleges that accept FAFSA.
Before we list the accredited online colleges in Pennsylvania, let’s see the average cost of studying in Pennsylvania.
Average cost of Online Colleges in Pennsylvania
The average in-state tuition you have to pay to apply for these online colleges in Pennsylvania is $14,112, while International students, will need to pay an average of $27,129.
Requirements for Online Colleges in Pennsylvania
There are no entry requirements for individual Certificate courses. For a bachelor’s degree in these online colleges in Pennsylvania, you will need:
- To be a high school graduate or have completed your GED.
- Have a minimum of grade C
- Have completed 27.1 credits or higher
- Have a minimum of 2.50 CGPA (Cumulative Grade Point Average)
- Different online colleges in Pennsylvania have their specific entry requirement, and different programs also have theirs.
Entry requirements for master’s degree
- Hold at least one bachelor’s degree from an accredited university in the United States. Or a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university that has an equivalent degree to these online colleges in Pennsylvania.
- An official transcript from the institution you attended.
- Your GPA and Test Scores
- Scores from TOEFL or IELTS will be required for international students, especially students that don’t have English as their first language.
Benefits of Online Colleges in Pennsylvania
Convenience
The fact that studying in these online colleges in Pennsylvania will be convenient for you, cannot be overemphasized. Their classes are flexible to meet your tight schedule, even if you’re actively serving in the military, these classes help to balance your work life, and family, and at the same time acquire that degree you deserve.
Self Paced
These online colleges in Pennsylvania are well-structured that you can complete your degree when you want, there are some colleges that give you the privilege to set or change the pace of your learning.
Build Relationship
You also have the opportunity to meet different students with different backgrounds, from different countries and cultures. Your instructors and professors are friendly and easy to rapport with, you can build a strong relationship with them which can be of great benefit to your career.
Reduce Expenses
Attending these online colleges in Pennsylvania saves you from so many expenses like accommodation, student service fees, hardcopy textbooks, feeding, etc.
Online Colleges in Pennsylvania
1. University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is one of the online colleges in Pennsylvania that comes with so much praise. From the recent QS World University Rankings released, out of 352 US schools that featured in the ranking, Penn made the #10 best Universities in the U.S.
U.S News And World Report ranked them #8 best University in the United States. #1 in Best Accelerated Nursing Programs 2022.
Penn is one of the universities that speak and support equality, that’s why 56% of their students in Fall 2021 are Either Black, Hispanic, Asian, or Native American. And, 56% of those currently enrolled in Penn are women.
Most importantly, the University of Pennsylvania is one of the top online colleges in Pennsylvania that provides education to people in the United States and worldwide at their doorstep. You don’t need to go to on-campus classes again to get that college degree you deserve, you can boost your career through their single course Certificate, or you can start a degree.
There is a broad range of what you can learn from their online education, their online education is partnering with all of their 12 schools to provide their on-campus teachings to online learning. It is very flexible, for anyone in the world, and they offer different kinds of learning experiences.
Furthermore, Penn offers varieties of Scholarships and grants to their students, and Penn is one of the online colleges in Pennsylvania whose undergraduate aid is totally need-based (you have to apply for the scholarships).
2. Carnegie Mellon University
CMU is one of the online colleges in Pennsylvania that are highly recognized for their academic excellence and technological discoveries, that’s why they are ranked #1 in the Best Artificial Intelligence Colleges. They are also ranked #1 in the Best Universities for Cyber Security in the World, and #1 in the Top 20 Master’s Programs in AI & Data Science, 2021.
U.S News and World Report ranked them #1 in Best Undergraduate Computer Science Programs, and they are ranked #2 in the Great Affordable Colleges for Computer Science and Engineering. They are not only great in Science and Technology, but they also have amazing drama schools, which’s why hollywoodreporter.com ranked them #7 in The World’s 25 Best Drama Schools.
With their online programs and courses, you can advance your career on your own time, as you are doing that through classes, you are also building relationships with your fellow students, from all over the world. The knowledge you’ll receive here is not different from what is taught on-campus, the same lecturers will handle you, with nothing hidden.
However, CMU doesn’t offer an undergrad program, a master’s degree program and a certification course. There is also financial aid available, you can visit the link to see if you’re eligible.
3. Penn State University
UPenn has been one of the leading online colleges in Pennsylvania that have provided valuable education to the United States and the World at Large. They are currently ranked #63 among the best universities in the United States, reported by U.S. News and World Report, in 2020.
They are also ranked #23 in the United States among Top Public Schools, and #33 for Best Colleges for Veterans all by U.S. News and World Report. By faculty, they offer some of the best programs, nationally, they are ranked #21 overall in the College of Engineering, and #5 in Petroleum engineering.
Their online programs and course provide a world of possibility to students, where you can acquire a bachelor’s, master’s, or even a doctorate degree anywhere you are. UPenn is one of the online colleges in Pennsylvania that have lots of online programs.
They have more than 175 online degrees and Certificates, and their online education type includes; bachelor’s degree, associate degree, undergraduate Certificate, undergraduate minors, master’s degrees, doctoral degrees, graduate certificate graduate minors.
They also offer Scholarships to their online Students, you need to submit a single application for Penn State World Campus, and you’ll be considered for all scholarships you are eligible for.
4. University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh is one of the online colleges in Pennsylvania that is producing quality education for its students, and that’s why the U.S News ranked them #59 among the best Universities in the United States. U.S. News also ranked them #29 for best colleges for veterans, while Niche.com ranked them #16 for Best Colleges for Kinesiology and Physical Therapy in America.
The University of Pittsburgh has produced great alumni and is still producing more, which of recent, one the recent concluded graduates, Asher Hancock is pushing to put autonomous vehicles in the sky.
The University of Pittsburgh offers lots of online programs, whether in the business, computing, education, Engineering, general studies, health, low, or nursing field. They got the program you’ll need to further your education.
They also have Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) where they partner with Coursera to provide free (with high-quality) online courses. Also, the University of Pittsburgh is one of the online colleges in Pennsylvania that offers Scholarships ranging from $2,000 per year to full tuition fees.
5. Temple University
Temple University is one of the online colleges in Pennsylvania that offers an outstanding Business Program, that’s why U.S. News and World Report ranked them #5 in Insurance programs. They are also ranked #1 in The 10 Best Music Therapy Schools in the US, and #1 in 30 Best Ph.D. in Communications.
With their online education, you can take charge of your school, where you can learn anywhere, whether at home, in the school’s cafe, or at work. Their learning tools are designed to produce real-time experience so that you’ll have the same quality education the on-campus student receives.
They offer Undergraduate, graduate degree, Certificate, and Non-credit courses. Temple University is one of the online colleges in Pennsylvania that offers both need-based and merit-based scholarships.
6. Drexel University
Drexel University is one of the online colleges in Pennsylvania that is excellent in Co-ops, they are ranked #2 in Co-ops/internships by the U.S News. It is also one of the Universities that have a high acceptance rate, they have an acceptance rate of 77% and they tend to accept 92.4% of those that apply early.
Their online college is ranked #1 in the Top 10 Online Colleges for Active Duty Military 2020, which means, those actively serving in the military can successfully get their college degree uninterrupted. And ranked #1 for The Best Colleges for Students with Autism.
They offer online bachelor’s degrees, master’s, doctorate degree programs, and Certificate programs. Drexel is one of the online colleges in Pennsylvania that offers 15% – 30% tuition reduction for online programs to their Alumni and immediate family.
In addition, they offer merit-based and need-based Scholarships to their domestic and international students.
7. Villanova University
Villanova University is one of the online colleges in Pennsylvania that has a very good nursing program, that’s why nurse.org ranked them #3 in best accelerated nursing programs. U.S News and World Report ranked them #49 best colleges in the United States and #23 in Nursing programs.
Villanova University is the only Augustinian Catholic University in the nation, and they have a 97.8% Undergraduate Placement Rate, which means, most of its undergraduates get employed.
The college’s online programs are made with you at heart, they are created, understanding how busy your schedule can be, and they respect that a lot. They also offer hybrid format education, where you can combine both online and on-campus classes.
They offer online professional certificates (non-credit), bachelor’s degrees, and associate degrees, but they don’t offer online Master’s or doctorate degrees. In addition, they offer different kinds of financial aid, whether it’s grants, scholarships, student loans, or student employment.
Moreover, 80% of their full-time undergraduate students receive financial assistance, they award a $38k on average Villanova grant.
8. St Joseph’s University
St Joseph’s University is one of the best online colleges in Pennsylvania that serves the veterans well, they are ranked #3 in Best Colleges for Veterans by U.S. News and World Report. They are also ranked #8 in Regional Universities North, and #7 in Best Undergraduate Teaching all by U.S. News.
They are one of the Universities in the United States that have a high acceptance rate, according to the U.S. News and World Report, they have an 80% acceptance rate and a 91.6% early acceptance rate. Also, 92% of their undergraduate Class of 2020 had full-time employment or were in graduate school within six months of graduation.
With their online campus, they brought their school directly to your door, you can earn your degree or certificate from one of the best colleges in Pennsylvania, anywhere. Their online education has consistently been ranked as one of the best in the United States, by U.S. News and World Report.
Furthermore, they offer financial aid that you might be eligible for.
9. Duquesne University
Duquesne University is one of the online colleges in Pennsylvania that produces the best pharmacy programs, they are ranked #2 among the best online Pharmacy schools. #58 best nursing program in the United States by U.S. News, #1 in the Occupational Therapy Schools in Pennsylvania.
U.S. News and World Report ranked them #6 in Pennsylvania and #65 overall in the Best Value Schools, 2022. They have an acceptance rate of 77%, and their student-to-faculty ratio is 13:1.
Their online programs are structured so that the students can create close relationships with their educators. That said, their instructors are very friendly and accomodating, so you can freely connect with them or even ask questions, and expect to receive a friendly answer.
The coursemates are also friendly, and you can build relationships with students from lots of different countries. They offer both online undergraduate programs and graduate programs.
They also offer financial aid and Scholarships to domestic students and international students.
10. Lehigh University
Lehigh University is one of the online colleges in Pennsylvania that provides high-quality education to their students, they are ranked #49 best colleges in the United States by U.S. News and World Report. They are also ranked #13 in best undergraduate teaching, #1 in the 25 Best Supply Chain Management Bachelor’s Degrees for 2020 greatbusinessschools.org.
Their graduates have a high average starting salary of $66.5K, and they award $118 million in grants and awards. They are the 6th university in the world recognized as an NGO by the United Nations, with 56 United Nations–related programs every year.
Their online programs are student-centric, that is, they are designed with your interest, and they have a community of online learners, where you will see people of like-passion with you. They don’t offer a bachelor’s degree, but they have both master’s degrees and Certificate courses.
Their financial aid also comes in different ways, and you can see if you’re eligible.
Online Colleges in Pennsylvania – FAQs
Are there free online colleges in Pennsylvania?
There is no free online college in Pennsylvania, but there are MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) offered for free. The University of Pittsburgh is one of the online colleges in Pennsylvania that offers this MOOC.
What is the cheapest online college in Pennsylvania?
The Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania is the most affordable online college in Pennsylvania, with a tuition fee of $10,757.