Academic Index Last updated: June 23, 2026

68 Best Universities in Pennsylvania for Optics

We ranked the top 68 universities for Optics in Pennsylvania based on strict academic metrics. To determine these leaders, we isolated 1.65M specialized research publications which collectively generated 65.49M citations. This targeted approach bypasses general university reputation, directly revealing the strongest programs.

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1

University Park, PA

Pennsylvania State University

#17 in United States #18 in North America

61% Acceptance

42,604 Enrollment

1330 Avg SAT

1855 Founded

2

Philadelphia

University of Pennsylvania

#12 in United States #13 in North America

5% Acceptance

1,947 Enrollment

1540 Avg SAT

1740 Founded

3

Pittsburgh

Carnegie Mellon University

#38 in United States #41 in North America

12% Acceptance

7,377 Enrollment

1535 Avg SAT

1900 Founded

4

Pittsburgh

University of Pittsburgh

#33 in United States #36 in North America

58% Acceptance

25,900 Enrollment

1370 Avg SAT

1787 Founded

5

Philadelphia

Drexel University

#105 in United States #120 in North America

79% Acceptance

10,603 Enrollment

1340 Avg SAT

1891 Founded

6

Bethlehem, PA

Lehigh University

#157 in United States #180 in North America

26% Acceptance

5,911 Enrollment

1435 Avg SAT

1865 Founded

7

Philadelphia

Temple University

#81 in United States #93 in North America

80% Acceptance

21,457 Enrollment

1520 Avg SAT

1884 Founded

8

Philadelphia

Thomas Jefferson University

#145 in United States #166 in North America

81% Acceptance

814 Enrollment

1245 Avg SAT

1824 Founded

9

Wilkes-Barre

King’s College – Pennsylvania

#687 in United States #751 in North America

93% Acceptance

29,640 Enrollment

1170 Avg SAT

1946 Founded

10

Philadelphia

Moore College of Art and Design

#961 in United States #1033 in North America

56% Acceptance

12,029 Enrollment

1280 Avg SAT

1848 Founded

11

Hershey

Pennsylvania State University – College of Medicine

#518 in United States #569 in North America

10% Acceptance

2,220 Enrollment

1245 Avg SAT

1967 Founded

12

Mansfield, PA

Mansfield University of Pennsylvania

#799 in United States #867 in North America

87% Acceptance

442 Enrollment

1190 Avg SAT

1857 Founded

13

Easton, PA

Lafayette College

#347 in United States #386 in North America

31% Acceptance

2,775 Enrollment

1425 Avg SAT

1826 Founded

14

Allentown

Muhlenberg College

#683 in United States #747 in North America

72% Acceptance

1,737 Enrollment

1330 Avg SAT

1848 Founded

15

New Wilmington

Westminster College

#960 in United States #1032 in North America

93% Acceptance

1,137 Enrollment

1008 Avg SAT

1852 Founded

16

Meadville

Allegheny College

#481 in United States #530 in North America

55% Acceptance

29,640 Enrollment

1266 Avg SAT

1815 Founded

17

Erie

Gannon University

#796 in United States #864 in North America

74% Acceptance

14,074 Enrollment

1235 Avg SAT

1925 Founded

18

Haverford

Haverford College

#325 in United States #361 in North America

12% Acceptance

896 Enrollment

1505 Avg SAT

1833 Founded

19

Glenside

Arcadia University

#649 in United States #709 in North America

80% Acceptance

2,030 Enrollment

1165 Avg SAT

1853 Founded

20

Annville

Lebanon Valley College

#939 in United States #1011 in North America

84% Acceptance

1,720 Enrollment

1221 Avg SAT

1866 Founded

21

Scranton

University of Scranton

#477 in United States #526 in North America

81% Acceptance

9,942 Enrollment

1239 Avg SAT

1888 Founded

22

Collegeville

Ursinus College

#784 in United States #852 in North America

92% Acceptance

1,502 Enrollment

1293 Avg SAT

1869 Founded

23

Lewisburg, PA

Bucknell University

#286 in United States #317 in North America

29% Acceptance

3,920 Enrollment

1390 Avg SAT

1846 Founded

24

Erie

Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine

#1180 in United States #1255 in North America

11% Acceptance

2,901 Enrollment

1245 Avg SAT

25

Kutztown

Kutztown University of Pennsylvania

#628 in United States #687 in North America

91% Acceptance

4,588 Enrollment

1215 Avg SAT

1866 Founded

26

Philadelphia

Chestnut Hill College

#914 in United States #986 in North America

74% Acceptance

29,640 Enrollment

1170 Avg SAT

1924 Founded

27

Chester, PA

Widener University

#472 in United States #521 in North America

71% Acceptance

9,942 Enrollment

1185 Avg SAT

1862 Founded

28

Lincoln University

Lincoln University

#779 in United States #847 in North America

66% Acceptance

1,765 Enrollment

890 Avg SAT

1854 Founded

29

Bryn Mawr

Bryn Mawr College

#281 in United States #312 in North America

29% Acceptance

1,360 Enrollment

1395 Avg SAT

1885 Founded

30

Pittsburgh

La Roche College

#1130 in United States #1205 in North America

76% Acceptance

281 Enrollment

1070 Avg SAT

1963 Founded

31

Bloomsburg

Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

#627 in United States #686 in North America

73% Acceptance

9,377 Enrollment

1185 Avg SAT

1839 Founded

32

Dallas, PA

Misericordia University

#910 in United States #982 in North America

71% Acceptance

835 Enrollment

1170 Avg SAT

1924 Founded

33

California, PA

California University of Pennsylvania

#451 in United States #498 in North America

83% Acceptance

1470 Avg SAT

1852 Founded

34

Selinsgrove

Susquehanna University

#778 in United States #846 in North America

81% Acceptance

7,500 Enrollment

1200 Avg SAT

1858 Founded

35

Pittsburgh

Duquesne University

#262 in United States #293 in North America

84% Acceptance

6,885 Enrollment

1260 Avg SAT

1878 Founded

36

Elkins Park

Salus University

#1104 in United States #1179 in North America

34% Acceptance

400 Enrollment

1545 Avg SAT

1919 Founded

37

Millersville

Millersville University of Pennsylvania

#611 in United States #670 in North America

86% Acceptance

3,707 Enrollment

1115 Avg SAT

1855 Founded

38

Grove City

Grove City College

#899 in United States #969 in North America

72% Acceptance

14,074 Enrollment

1265 Avg SAT

1876 Founded

39

Lancaster, PA

Franklin and Marshall College

#442 in United States #489 in North America

28% Acceptance

1,808 Enrollment

1387 Avg SAT

1787 Founded

40

Moon Township

Robert Morris University

#775 in United States #843 in North America

90% Acceptance

5,135 Enrollment

1052 Avg SAT

1921 Founded

41

Swarthmore

Swarthmore College

#252 in United States #283 in North America

7% Acceptance

1,623 Enrollment

1525 Avg SAT

1864 Founded

42

Chambersburg

#1042 in United States #1116 in North America

92% Acceptance

1,379 Enrollment

1055 Avg SAT

1869 Founded

43

Wilkes-Barre

Wilkes University

#608 in United States #667 in North America

91% Acceptance

17,560 Enrollment

1135 Avg SAT

1933 Founded

44

Philadelphia

University of the Sciences

#868 in United States #937 in North America

69% Acceptance

4,473 Enrollment

1340 Avg SAT

1821 Founded

45

Carlisle, PA

Dickinson College

#428 in United States #475 in North America

42% Acceptance

2,311 Enrollment

1385 Avg SAT

1773 Founded

46

York, PA

York College of Pennsylvania

#768 in United States #836 in North America

74% Acceptance

9,942 Enrollment

1145 Avg SAT

1787 Founded

47

Villanova

Villanova University

#195 in United States #220 in North America

27% Acceptance

4,202 Enrollment

1453 Avg SAT

1842 Founded

48

Lock Haven

Lock Haven University

#988 in United States #1060 in North America

87% Acceptance

7,500 Enrollment

1185 Avg SAT

1870 Founded

49

Shippensburg

Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania

#573 in United States #628 in North America

87% Acceptance

4,371 Enrollment

1075 Avg SAT

1871 Founded

50

Huntingdon

Juniata College

#857 in United States #926 in North America

79% Acceptance

12,029 Enrollment

1225 Avg SAT

1876 Founded

51

Philadelphia

Saint Joseph’s University

#417 in United States #463 in North America

89% Acceptance

9,942 Enrollment

1260 Avg SAT

1851 Founded

52

Pittsburgh

Chatham University

#756 in United States #824 in North America

62% Acceptance

1,550 Enrollment

1183 Avg SAT

1869 Founded

53

Phoenixville

University of Valley Forge

#1587 in United States #1673 in North America

61% Acceptance

517 Enrollment

1398 Avg SAT

1939 Founded

54

Washington, PA

Washington & Jefferson College

#980 in United States #1052 in North America

81% Acceptance

6,885 Enrollment

1125 Avg SAT

1781 Founded

55

Philadelphia

Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine

#543 in United States #598 in North America

12% Acceptance

2,220 Enrollment

1245 Avg SAT

56

Saint Davids

Eastern University

#847 in United States #916 in North America

91% Acceptance

442 Enrollment

1245 Avg SAT

1952 Founded

57

Indiana, PA

Indiana University of Pennsylvania

#404 in United States #450 in North America

91% Acceptance

6,938 Enrollment

1075 Avg SAT

1875 Founded

58

Beaver Falls

#703 in United States #768 in North America

100% Acceptance

1,029 Enrollment

1370 Avg SAT

1848 Founded

59

Scranton

Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine

#1779 in United States #1868 in North America

100% Acceptance

64 Enrollment

1140 Avg SAT

2008 Founded

60

Edinboro

Edinboro University of Pennsylvania

#976 in United States #1048 in North America

83% Acceptance

3,070 Enrollment

1045 Avg SAT

1857 Founded

61

Slippery Rock

Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania

#540 in United States #595 in North America

71% Acceptance

7,500 Enrollment

1085 Avg SAT

1889 Founded

62

Clarion

Clarion University of Pennsylvania

#845 in United States #913 in North America

83% Acceptance

7,500 Enrollment

1170 Avg SAT

1867 Founded

63

Gettysburg

Gettysburg College

#384 in United States #430 in North America

39% Acceptance

2,104 Enrollment

1365 Avg SAT

1832 Founded

64

Loretto

Saint Francis University

#689 in United States #753 in North America

77% Acceptance

2,500 Enrollment

1140 Avg SAT

1847 Founded

65

Harrisburg, PA

Harrisburg University of Science and Technology

#973 in United States #1045 in North America

87% Acceptance

4,202 Enrollment

1269 Avg SAT

2001 Founded

66

Philadelphia

La Salle University

#530 in United States #582 in North America

97% Acceptance

9,942 Enrollment

1260 Avg SAT

1863 Founded

67

East Stroudsburg

East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania

#814 in United States #882 in North America

92% Acceptance

7,500 Enrollment

1090 Avg SAT

1893 Founded

68

West Chester

West Chester University of Pennsylvania

#369 in United States #412 in North America

78% Acceptance

7,500 Enrollment

1185 Avg SAT

1871 Founded