Like all counties in Pennsylvania, Bucks County operates a system of public schools. The Bucks County Intermediate Unit #22 oversees the 13 districts of schools, including the educational powerhouses New Hope-Solebury, Central Bucks West and Council Rock. A number of private K-12 organizations also provide schooling in Bucks County, including Montessori schools and several elementary and high schools run by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Some of the Catholic schools in Bucks include Holy Ghost Prep for boys and its sister academy Villa Joseph Marie High School. After graduation, students can attend Bucks County Community College or study a trade at Pennco Tech or CHI Institute. Notable universities located in Bucks County include Delaware Valley College and LaSalle University, both offering excellent academic programs and top-ranked sports teams.
The Montgomery County Intermediate Unit administers the 22 public school districts. This county contains a number of academic and sports standouts, including Upper Dublin and Lower Merion, from which Kobe Bryant graduated. Montgomery County also abounds in top-notch private schools, such as Abington Friends, Germantown Academy, Haverford School and The Hill School, whose alumni include Donald Trump and filmmaker Oliver Stone. The Archdiocese of Philadelphia operates Catholic K-12 programs in this county as well. Bryn Mawr College and Montgomery Community College both offer two-year degree programs; students interested in four-year or graduate schooling can choose to attend private colleges such as Haverford College, Rosemont, Ursinus or Arcadia University. Penn State Abington is the only state university in Montgomery County.
The Delaware County Intermediate Unit oversees the 17 school districts in this county. Sports and academics are both strongly encouraged in Delaware County; the Radnor and Swarthmore-Wallingford school districts boast excellent programs, and sports factor heavily in Ridley, Interboro and Upper Darby. Catholic and private K-12 programs include Archbishop Prendergast, Archbishop Carroll, Holy Cross and Cardinal O'Hara as well as the Valley Forge Military Academy, Agnes Irwin School, and several schools run by the Religious Society of Friends, otherwise known as "Quaker Schools." Delaware County Community College is one of the nation's largest two-year schools; students interested in trades can also attend the Williamson Free School of Mechanical Trades or the Pennsylvania Institute of Technology. Students interested in a private, four-year college experience can matriculate at Villanova, Widener, Swarthmore, Haverford, Eastern or Neumann. Penn State operates the county's only public university at its Brandywine campus.
Chester County's Intermediate Unit administers the K-12 programs in 14 districts. In 2008, Philadelphia Magazine ranked Tredyffrin-Eastown School District as the top school district in the Philadelphia region, with Unionville-Chadds Ford coming in fourth. A number of outstanding private and preparatory schools offer K-12, including Villa Maria Academy, Devon Preparatory, Bishop Shanahan, two Friends schools and Malvern Preparatory. The state universities Penn State Great Valley and West Chester University both offer four-year degree programs. Some of Chester County's private colleges include Valley Forge Christian College and Immaculata. Cheyney University and Lincoln University are both historically black colleges in Chester County.