Pennsylvania is home to some of the country’s most experienced fertility programs, and every one of them is required to report annual outcomes to two independent bodies: SART (Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology) and the CDC. That means you have access to verified, auditable data, as long as you know how to read it correctly.
This guide breaks down Pennsylvania IVF success rates, compares them to the national benchmark, and explains what those numbers do and do not tell you about your personal probability of success.
Pennsylvania IVF Success Rates: RMA Philadelphia vs. the National Average
The table below uses RMA Philadelphia’s final SART report as a concrete, verifiable reference point for understanding where a high-volume Pennsylvania program sits relative to the national benchmark. All figures represent live births per intended egg retrieval (all embryo transfers, patient’s own eggs); the most comprehensive measure of IVF success available.
As SART cautions on every clinic report:“A comparison of clinic success rates may not be meaningful because patient medical characteristics, treatment approaches, and entry criteria for ART may vary from clinic to clinic.” Use these figures as a directional reference and starting point for your research, not a final verdict.
| Age Group | National Avg. Live Birth Rate | RMA Philadelphia Live Birth Rate | Difference vs. National |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 35 | 53.2% | 58.8% | +5.6 pts |
| 35–37 | 39.9% | 57.4% | +17.5 pts |
| 38–40 | 26.2% | 34.3% | +8.1 pts |
| 41–42 | 13.2% | 12.0% | –1.2 pts |
| Over 42 | 4.1% | 9.1% | +5.0 pts |
RMA Philadelphia’s data tracks above the national average in four of five age groups. Their high success rates can be attributed to expert reproductive endocrinologists, refined protocols, and high-quality genetic testing, including pre-implantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A). Genetic screening enables clinicians to select and transfer healthy embryos that are most likely to implant successfully.
To find published data for other Pennsylvania fertility programs, use the SART clinic search or the CDC ART Success Rates application, both of which are publicly accessible and free of charge.
How SART and the CDC Measure IVF Success
Since 1992, federal law has required all Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) programs to report cycle outcomes to the CDC, which publishes clinic-specific and national figures annually. SART, a voluntary professional society, independently collects and validates the same data; its member clinics undergo additional peer review before numbers are released publicly.
The most important distinction is which metric a number describes. The table below clarifies the terms you will encounter most often when researching Pennsylvania IVF success rates:
| Metric | What It Measures | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Live birth rate per intended egg retrieval (all transfers) | All births from one retrieval, including all subsequent frozen transfers | Most comprehensive; reflects full cumulative probability |
| Live birth rate per intended egg retrieval (first transfer only) | Birth from only the first embryo transfer after retrieval | Single-attempt probability; always lower than cumulative |
| Live birth rate per transfer | Birth from one individual embryo transfer event | Common in marketing; the highest-looking number, least context |
| Live birth rate per new patient | Birth across all a patient’s cycles at that clinic | Useful for gauging real-world odds over time |
| Clinical pregnancy rate | Confirmed heartbeat at 6–8 weeks | Does not account for miscarriage; can be misleading |
The live birth rate per intended egg retrieval (all transfers) is the most patient-relevant metric. It captures the full arc of one retrieval cycle, including any frozen embryo transfers that follow. When evaluating any Pennsylvania fertility program, confirm which metric is being cited before drawing conclusions.
Pennsylvania IVF Success Rates by Age Group
Across Pennsylvania (and in line with national trends), age is the single strongest predictor of IVF success with a patient’s own eggs. Understanding that helps patients set accurate expectations before they begin IVF.
Women under 35 have the highest IVF success rates in Pennsylvania. The SART national average for this group is 53.2% per intended retrieval (all transfers), and established, high-volume Pennsylvania programs such as RMA (58.8%) have consistently reported at or above that benchmark. Embryo quality is typically strongest in this age group, ovarian response to stimulation is more predictable, and a single retrieval usually produces enough embryos for at least one transfer with frozen options remaining.
IVF success rates decline steadily after 35. The primary driver is egg quality: as women age, the proportion of embryos with chromosomal abnormalities rises, reducing the number that are viable for transfer regardless of ovarian response.
For women 41 and older, embryo banking (completing multiple retrievals before any transfer) is a common strategy for accumulating enough genetically normal embryos to maximize the chances of success. For women over 42, donor egg IVF, which is reported separately from own-egg data, often produces higher success rates.
Clinic Types in Pennsylvania: What the Differences Mean
Pennsylvania’s IVF landscape includes three broad program categories:
Private specialty practices concentrate exclusively on reproductive medicine. They typically offer individualized stimulation protocols, tightly integrated laboratory oversight (usually a single IVF lab serving multiple clinical locations), and deep physician specialization in infertility care. RMA Philadelphia, with one shared IVF laboratory and four clinical locations in the greater Philadelphia area, is an example of this model.
Academic and hospital-affiliated programs are embedded within larger medical centers, giving them direct access to subspecialty consultants: maternal-fetal medicine physicians, reproductive surgeons, and oncology teams.
Multi-site network practices standardize protocols across multiple locations, supporting consistency and geographic convenience. Large network volume enables robust laboratory quality control and broad insurance plan participation.
No single clinic type is universally superior. Your diagnosis, treatment history, and personal priorities should guide the decision.
Reach Out to RMA to Learn More
Pennsylvania IVF success rates follow the national pattern: outcomes are strongest for women under 35 and decline with age, but the degree of that decline varies by clinic, protocol, and individual biology.
RMA Philadelphia reports a 58.8% live birth rate for women under 35 and a 57.4% rate for women ages 35–37, both tracking above the national average. These numbers reflect a practice built around delivering one healthy singleton per cycle, supported by a dedicated IVF laboratory and extensive genetic screening.
If you are evaluating IVF care in Pennsylvania and want to understand how your specific age, diagnosis, and history translate into realistic expectations, we invite you to schedule a fertility consultation with RMA Philadelphia.
