Wall Street Journal Ranks Muhlenberg Among Nation’s Best Colleges
When measured against institutions of all sizes across the country, Muhlenberg shows strong performance in the financial success of its graduates.Thursday, October 2, 2025 07:51 AM
Founded in 1848, Muhlenberg College is located in the city of Allentown, Pennsylvania.Muhlenberg College ranks No. 11 in the state of Pennsylvania and No. 129 in the nation on the newly released Wall Street Journal (WSJ)/College Pulse 2026 Best Colleges in the U.S. list, which measures the financial success of graduates. The WSJ also ranked Muhlenberg No. 5 in the state for “student experience.”
Rather than ranking colleges against similar peers, the WSJ list blends together four-year institutions of all sizes, both public and private, from small liberal arts colleges to R1 research institutions. Only 584 institutions across the country made this year’s list.
According to the WSJ, this ranking emphasizes “how well colleges prepare students for financial success. More than any other factor, it rewards the boost an institution provides to its graduates' salaries, beyond an estimate of what they could have expected from attending any college.”
The rankings also consider each college’s graduation rate and diversity, as well as their learning environment, based on a survey of about 120,000 students and recent alumni. Muhlenberg’s 82% graduation rate far exceeds the national average of 58% for four-year colleges.
Developed and executed in collaboration with College Pulse and Statista, the survey asked students and alumni about teaching, career preparation, facilities, and how likely students were to recommend their school to a friend.
Recent Muhlenberg alumni have gone on to work at companies including the Big Four accounting firms, Pixar, Accenture, Goldman Sachs, Lockheed Martin, BlackRock, CBS Sports and Universal Music Group. Others have landed jobs on Broadway and in national and regional performances. Muhlenberg has a more than 90% placement rate into medical, dental and law school. Learn more about Muhlenberg outcomes.
