Muhlenberg Rises in U.S. News Top National College Rankings
Muhlenberg College climbs higher in 2026 national rankings released in September 2025 by U.S. News & World Report.Tuesday, September 23, 2025 07:51 AM
Founded in 1848, Muhlenberg College is located in the city of Allentown, Pennsylvania.Muhlenberg has risen to No. 49 in the best value national college category and No. 59 nationally for undergraduate teaching. The college maintains its position among the nation’s best, improving one position to No. 70 on the overall Top National Liberal Arts College list. The college also rises 39 points on the Top National Liberal Arts College Performer on Social Mobility list and appears on the national undergraduate psychology program list.
Reflective of the college’s exceptionally high retention and graduation rates, Muhlenberg’s overall ranking lands it among the top 10 of liberal arts schools in Pennsylvania’s highly competitive higher education market. Only 201 of more than 1,700 colleges made the 2026 Top National Liberal Arts College list. Twenty-two of those schools are located in Pennsylvania. Fewer than 100 colleges across the country earned a Best Value Schools ranking.
Reflecting Strong Outcomes
This year’s U.S. News rating significantly focuses on student outcomes: bachelor’s degree graduation rates, first-year retention, and each college’s performance against a predicted graduation rate. Post-graduation metrics assess federal loan debt and earnings five years after graduation.
Muhlenberg’s retention rate of 90% far surpasses the national average of 58% and its 82% graduation rate far exceeds the national average of 58% for four-year colleges. Recent data show that the return on investment of a Muhlenberg College degree outpaces 80% of those earned at any of the nation’s 4,600 public, private, non- or for-profit colleges and universities by 15 years post-graduation — rising to 90% by the 20-year mark.
Muhlenberg College — U.S. News & World Report Rankings, 2026
No. 70 – Overall Rank, National Liberal Arts Colleges; No. 9 in Pennsylvania
No. 49 – Best Value Schools, National Liberal Arts Colleges; No. 9 in Pennsylvania
No. 59 – Undergraduate Teaching Programs, National Liberal Arts Colleges; No. 8 in Pennsylvania
No. 81 – Top Performers on Social Mobility, National Liberal Arts Colleges; No. 11 in Pennsylvania
No. 297 – All Undergraduate Psychology Programs; No. 13 in Pennsylvania
