31 Best Systems Engineering schools in Pennsylvania

Updated: March 15, 2026

Ranking by academic field

Below is a list of best universities in Pennsylvania ranked based on their research performance in Systems Engineering. A graph of 1.34M citations received by 29.8K academic papers made by 31 universities in Pennsylvania was used to calculate publications' ratings, which then were adjusted for release dates and added to final scores.

We don't distinguish between undergraduate and graduate programs nor do we adjust for current majors offered. You can find information about granted degrees on a university page but always double-check with the university website.

1. Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh

For Systems Engineering

#1 in the United States

#1 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 12%
Average SAT: 1535
Average ACT: 35
Net Price: $35,552

2. Pennsylvania State University

University Park

For Systems Engineering

#12 in the United States

#13 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 61%
Average SAT: 1330
Average ACT: 30
Receiving Aid: 67%

3. University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia

For Systems Engineering

#17 in the United States

#18 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 5%
Average SAT: 1540
Average ACT: 35
Net Price: $23,570

4. University of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh

For Systems Engineering

#32 in the United States

#37 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 58%
Average SAT: 1370
Average ACT: 31
Receiving Aid: 74%

5. Drexel University

Philadelphia

For Systems Engineering

#80 in the United States

#97 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 79%
Average SAT: 1340
Average ACT: 30
Net Price: $42,801

6. Temple University

Philadelphia

For Systems Engineering

#87 in the United States

#104 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 80%
Receiving Aid: 93%
Average Aid: $14,837
Enrollment: 29,640

7. Lehigh University

Bethlehem

For Systems Engineering

#110 in the United States

#131 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 26%
Average SAT: 1435
Average ACT: 33
Net Price: $34,154

8. California University of Pennsylvania

California

For Systems Engineering

#157 in the United States

#188 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 83%
Receiving Aid: 95%
Average Aid: $6,250
Enrollment: 6,885

9. Villanova University

Villanova

For Systems Engineering

#172 in the United States

#203 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 27%
Average SAT: 1453
Average ACT: 33
Net Price: $37,201

10. Duquesne University

Pittsburgh

For Systems Engineering

#265 in the United States

#303 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 84%
Average SAT: 1260
Average ACT: 29
Net Price: $37,917

11. Bucknell University

Lewisburg

For Systems Engineering

#267 in the United States

#307 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 29%
Average SAT: 1390
Average ACT: 32
Net Price: $39,003

12. Gettysburg College

Gettysburg

For Systems Engineering

#271 in the United States

#311 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 39%
Average SAT: 1365
Average ACT: 31
Net Price: $32,769

13. Thomas Jefferson University

Philadelphia

For Systems Engineering

#319 in the United States

#361 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 81%
Average SAT: 1245
Average ACT: 28
Net Price: $29,325

14. Bryn Mawr College

Bryn Mawr

For Systems Engineering

#326 in the United States

#368 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 29%
Average SAT: 1395
Average ACT: 31
Net Price: $33,221

15. Franklin and Marshall College

Lancaster

For Systems Engineering

#341 in the United States

#384 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 28%
Average SAT: 1387
Average ACT: 32
Net Price: $43,987

16. Swarthmore College

Swarthmore

For Systems Engineering

#343 in the United States

#386 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 7%
Average SAT: 1525
Average ACT: 34
Net Price: $22,469

17. University of Scranton

Scranton

For Systems Engineering

#349 in the United States

#393 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 81%
Average SAT: 1239
Average ACT: 28
Net Price: $34,234

18. Lafayette College

Easton

For Systems Engineering

#371 in the United States

#418 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 31%
Average SAT: 1425
Average ACT: 32
Net Price: $38,442

19. University of the Sciences

Philadelphia

For Systems Engineering

#395 in the United States

#443 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 69%
Net Price: $29,948
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $14,493

20. Widener University

Chester

For Systems Engineering

#418 in the United States

#468 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 71%
Average SAT: 1185
Net Price: $26,778
Receiving Aid: 100%

21. Haverford College

Haverford

For Systems Engineering

#420 in the United States

#470 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 12%
Average SAT: 1505
Average ACT: 34
Net Price: $26,535

22. Pennsylvania State University - College of Medicine

Hershey

For Systems Engineering

#423 in the United States

#473 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 10%
Founded: 1967

23. La Salle University

Philadelphia

For Systems Engineering

#430 in the United States

#480 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 97%
Net Price: $18,069
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $30,880

24. West Chester University of Pennsylvania

West Chester

For Systems Engineering

#454 in the United States

#505 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 78%
Average SAT: 1185
Average ACT: 26
Receiving Aid: 88%

25. Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania

Shippensburg

For Systems Engineering

#463 in the United States

#514 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 87%
Average ACT: 22
Receiving Aid: 98%
Average Aid: $6,756

26. Gannon University

Erie

For Systems Engineering

#469 in the United States

#520 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 74%
Net Price: $23,123
Receiving Aid: 85%
Average Aid: $29,799

27. Robert Morris University

Moon Township

For Systems Engineering

#479 in the United States

#532 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 90%
Net Price: $23,933
Receiving Aid: 92%
Average Aid: $27,629

28. Indiana University of Pennsylvania

Indiana

For Systems Engineering

#483 in the United States

#536 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 91%
Average SAT: 1075
Average ACT: 24
Receiving Aid: 100%

29. Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania

Bloomsburg

For Systems Engineering

#502 in the United States

#555 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 73%
Receiving Aid: 89%
Average Aid: $6,347
Enrollment: 7,500

30. Saint Joseph's University

Philadelphia

For Systems Engineering

#539 in the United States

#593 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 89%
Average SAT: 1260
Average ACT: 30
Net Price: $31,205

31. Harrisburg University of Science and Technology

Harrisburg

For Systems Engineering

#552 in the United States

#607 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 87%
Net Price: $15,984
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $19,706

Closest to Pennsylvania states to learn Systems Engineering

State	Universities Unis	Best university country rank Best uni rank
Maryland	12	10
District of Columbia	7	86
New Jersey	14	21
New York	57	16
Connecticut	12	34
Virginia	14	28
Ohio	20	19
Massachusetts	31	2
Rhode Island	3	69
Vermont	3	145
New Hampshire	3	108
North Carolina	13	38
Indiana	13	13
Kentucky	7	72
Michigan	14	7
South Carolina	7	79
Maine	3	228
Tennessee	12	48
Illinois	20	6
Georgia	10	5
Wisconsin	13	18
Alabama	9	97
Iowa	4	42
Missouri	10	43
Mississippi	5	100
Minnesota	10	25
Arkansas	6	142
Florida	18	30
Louisiana	7	78
Kansas	4	94
South Dakota	4	256
Nebraska	5	66
Oklahoma	4	96
North Dakota	2	138
Texas	40	8
Colorado	9	41
New Mexico	3	111
Utah	5	51
Idaho	3	165
Arizona	4	27
Washington	10	9
Oregon	8	68
California	52	3