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Downtown-WilliamsportPhoto: Djorion · CC BY-SA 3.0
Colleges in and near Williamsport

Williamsport is a college town: 16 of every 100 residents are students

Pennsylvania College of Technology (3,903 students on campus) and Lycoming College (1,063) are inside the city. Across Pennsylvania, 6 of every 100 residents are enrolled in college.

College town16% of residents are studentsPennsylvania College of TechnologyLycoming College

From the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard, June 2026; IPEDS fall 2023 enrollment) and the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, 2020–24. Straight-line distances from the center of Williamsport. Colleges are described, not graded.

Within 15 miles
2
4,966 students on campus
Nearest college
0.7 mi
Pennsylvania College of Technology
Residents in college
16%
Above PA (6%)
Nearest community college
44.3 mi
Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology
Nearest public university
0.7 mi
Pennsylvania College of Technology · $18,240 in-state
Students on campus in Williamsport
4,966
next to 27,384 residents

What stands out about college in Williamsport

Facts about the town and its distance to campus; each college’s own figures follow.

A college town16 of every 100 Williamsport residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Pennsylvania.Two colleges within 1.9 milesLycoming College admits 74% of applicants. Together they have 4,966 students on campus.In-state price at Pennsylvania College of TechnologyLiving in Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania College of Technology charges $18,240 in tuition and fees; from out of state, $25,980. State residency rules decide which a new arrival pays.A community college 44.3 miles awayCentral Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology in Pleasant Gap.
Town & gown

What it’s like to live in Williamsport

How much the colleges shape the town, from the Census Bureau’s survey of residents.

16 of every 100 Williamsport residents are in college (PA: 6).

4,966students on campus at Williamsport’s 2 colleges, next to 27,384 residents (dorm students count as residents)
1,497college students live in Williamsport households rather than dorms
31.5median age · PA 40.9
57%of homes rented · PA 31%
$855median rent · 29% below the state
WilliamsportWilliamsport, PA
Cost of living$855/mo median rentC+SafetyCrime reported to the FBIC+HealthCDC estimatesCJobs & incomeIncome, jobs, getting aroundC−HandbookTrash day, parking, who to call

How students change Williamsport’s other numbers

Read the town’s other grades with this in mind. How TownRatings handles college towns →

Jobs & income C−

Students who live off campus count in the Census poverty figures: 24.6% of Williamsport residents are below the poverty line, 23.0% when college students are left out (that estimate could be off by 4 points either way). 48% of the students themselves are below the line. In college towns, the Jobs & income grade uses the rate without students and leaves unemployment out.

Cost of living C+

The Cost grade counts the share of renters paying 30% or more of income on rent, leaving it out only where students are a quarter of residents or more. Here they are 16%, so student incomes still weigh on that figure.

Health C

CDC’s estimates follow each place’s age mix, and Williamsport’s median age is 31.5 (Pennsylvania 40.9), so the adult figures describe a young population.

Safety C+

Crime is counted per resident, and students who live here count as residents. A college with its own police department reports its incidents under that department, not the city.

Every college

Colleges within 15 miles of Williamsport

One private college within 1.9 miles, and one public college within 0.7 miles.

5 mi10 mi15 miPennsylvania College of TechnologyLycoming CollegeWilliamsport
University or collegeCommunity college
Pennsylvania College of TechnologyUniversity or college · Public · 3,903 on campus · In Williamsport$25knet price53%graduate$53kearningsLycoming CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · 1,063 on campus · In Williamsport74%admitted$19knet price60%graduate$56kearnings

Degree-granting colleges with 100 or more students on campus (fall 2023 enrollment, minus students who study only online). Admitted: share of applicants offered a place. Net price: the average a year after grants, for students on federal aid. Graduate: within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting.

What it costs

What would your family pay?

The average a year after grants, for families on federal aid, at the colleges within 15 miles. Pick your family’s income.

Family income

Starts at $48–75k, where Williamsport’s median household income ($48,851) falls.

Lycoming CollegeIn Williamsport · sticker $64,105$15,883a year
Pennsylvania College of TechnologyIn Williamsport · sticker $33,192$21,546a year

The average a year after grants and scholarships, for first-time, full-time students on federal aid, from the College Scorecard. Your own price depends on your aid package; every college has a net price calculator. For community colleges the net price counts housing and food at full cost, so tuition is shown beside it. “—”: not reported for that income.

Outcomes

Do students finish, and does it pay?

Each dot is a college within 15 miles of Williamsport: across is the share who graduate, up is what they earn ten years after starting.

$0$20k$40k$60k$80k0%25%50%75%100%Graduate →Pennsylvania College of TechnologyLycoming College
Pennsylvania College of Technology53% graduate$53k earnings$24k typical debt
Lycoming College60% graduate$56k earnings$27k typical debt

Graduation: first-time, full-time students within 6 years (4-year colleges) or 3 years (2-year). Earnings: median, 10 years after starting, for students who got federal aid.

Majors

What students study in Williamsport

Share of bachelor’s and associate degrees by field across Williamsport’s 2 colleges, weighted by undergraduates; then the biggest programs.

Health professions 15%Mechanics & repair 14%Engineering tech 14%Business 11%Construction trades 10%Precision production 5%Everything else 31%

Biggest programs

Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical NursingPennsylvania College of Technology · 55 graduates a year
$87k4 yrs out
Industrial Production Technologies/TechniciansPennsylvania College of Technology · 49 graduates a year
$86k4 yrs out
Business Administration, Management and OperationsPennsylvania College of Technology · 49 graduates a year
$61k4 yrs out
Electromechanical Technologies/TechniciansPennsylvania College of Technology · 37 graduates a year
$79k4 yrs out
Psychology, GeneralLycoming College · 36 graduates a year
$49k4 yrs out
Human Services, GeneralPennsylvania College of Technology · 31 graduates a year
$41k4 yrs out
Business Administration, Management and OperationsLycoming College · 31 graduates a year
$66k4 yrs out
Design and Applied ArtsPennsylvania College of Technology · 28 graduates a year
$54k4 yrs out

College Scorecard: degree shares (PCIP; each college’s six largest fields are kept, the rest count as everything else) and the field-of-study file, median earnings 4 years after graduating.

Questions about college in Williamsport

Is Williamsport a college town?

Yes. 16 of every 100 Williamsport residents are enrolled in college (Census, 2020–24), against 6 across Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania College of Technology has 3,903 students on campus, next to 27,384 residents.

What colleges are in Williamsport?

Pennsylvania College of Technology and Lycoming College are inside the city. Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology is 44.3 miles away in Pleasant Gap.

Why is Williamsport’s poverty rate so high?

Students who live off campus count in the Census figures. 24.6% of residents are below the poverty line; leaving college students out, 23.0% are (ACS 2020–24, give or take 4 points).

What is the closest community college to Williamsport, and what does it cost?

Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology in Pleasant Gap, 44.3 miles away.

Neighbors talk college

Students, parents, alumni and the neighbors next door.

Town Square →
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Colleges: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS (Scorecard 06/10/2026 · IPEDS 2024 · fall 2023 enrollment). “On campus” is fall enrollment minus students who study only online. Distances are straight-line from the center of Williamsport. Residents in college, age, rent and poverty (including poverty without college students, table B14006): U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–24. Colleges are described, not graded; the College town label marks towns where 15% or more of residents are enrolled. How TownRatings describes colleges →