Are you struggling to find a college or university that is perfect for you?

Then, take a look at this quick and easy-to-read guide that focuses on campuses that are both nearby and affordable!

Millersville University of Pennsylvania

Millersville, PA; Public; 4-year; Tuition Cost (2025) $12,262

Admission Requirements:

• Recommended at least a 2.80 GPA
• Verification of attempting the BST and one of the Pre-Service Testing requirements
• 2 letters of recommendation

Acceptance Rate is about 96%

Millersville was founded in 1855, and its campus is 250 acres in size. It was ranked in the Top 30 Public Schools in the North by the U.S. News and World Report. Millersville has many courses, but it is especially strong in its Meteorology and Science programs.

Elizabethtown College

Elizabethtown, PA; Private; 4-year; Tuition Cost (2025) $37,250

Admission Requirements:

• Interviews are not required but are strongly recommended
• Application should include high school GPA
• It’s also considerable to include SAT/ACT scores  

Acceptance Rate is about 77%

For 125 years, Elizabethtown College, or Etown for short, has been serving education thoughtfully. Their mission is to provide learning opportunities for students regardless of their career path. Like Millersville, Etown has many major options and also provides good athletic, artistic, and academic programs.

Franklin & Marshall College

Lancaster, PA; Private; 4-year; Tuition Cost (2025) $68,180

Admission Requirements:

• Requires students be at the top of their class, with mostly As in their high school classes 
• Most students have an SAT score of between 1310 and 1440.
• Recommended GPA of 3.80

Acceptance rate is about 36%

While Franklin & Marshall is a pretty selective (and expensive) school to get into, it is ranked #31 in National Liberal Arts Colleges. It is also one of the oldest colleges in the United States. Popular majors include Behavioral Sciences, Biology/Biological Sciences, and Business Administration and Management.

Lancaster County Career and Technology Center (CTC)

Lancaster, PA; Public; Career Institute; Tuition Fees Vary By Program (average cost after aid is $11k)

Admission Requirements:

• Age 18 or older for higher education
• Can enroll as a junior or senior who attends a Lancaster County school district 
  • Students must complete application process with a high school counselor

There are many HHS students involved with CTC. It is actually a career institute, meaning it features programs so that students can follow a potential career path. CTC has four campuses, and the main campus is on Willow Street.  It has over 20 fields of study for people looking to advance their careers.

YTI Career Institute

Lancaster/York/Altoona, PA; Private; Career Institute; Tuition Fees vary by program

Admission Requirements:

• High School diploma/GED/college degree
• Passing score on the Wonderlic test

YTI is also a career institute, and it offers 13 career training programs across three campuses. Fields include culinary arts, healthcare, and trades. YTI is also quite flexible as it allows hybrid or online learning methods.

Pennsylvania College of Art and Design

Lancaster, PA; Private; 4-year; Tuition Cost (2025) $29,450

Admission Requirements:

• Recommended strong academic performance, however below-average students are often accepted
• Recommended to include SAT/ACT scores and demonstrate creative ability 

Acceptance rate is about 46%

PA College of Art and Design focuses on student artists, designers, and other creatives. It is pretty competitive, and it is considered a very good school for the arts. Some programs include digital media, fine art, graphic design, illustration, and others.

Saint Joseph’s University 

Philadelphia, PA; Private; 4-year; Tuition Cost (2025) $49,610

Admission Requirements:

• Recommended strong high school performance
• Students applying for a health professions program should have at least 3 lab sciences and 3 math courses and have a 3.00 GPA

Acceptance Rate is about 89%

Even though it is not selective, Saint Joseph’s is ranked No. 5 in the U.S. News & World Report’s Regional Universities North Category. It also has over 260 programs in business, education, health, nursing, sciences, and more.

There are many other schools that were not included on this list, but feel free to look for others. These are just some of the closest ones to Lancaster. I wrote this not only for other students, but I also had a feeling that it would help me learn a bit for my own future. That being said, I highly recommend doing some research on your own!