Ratings and Rankings

Advancing four places from last year, 51�Թ� is now ranked #14 Best Value School by U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges rankings for 2026, making 51�Թ� a great, centrally located option for students in Northeastern Pennsylvania who want to stay closer to home. 51�Թ� continues to demonstrate its exceptional affordability and academic excellence as the top regional four-year private university included in this category.

Additionally, in the “Best Colleges for Veterans” (Regional Universities North category), 51�Թ� is ranked at #29 and has consistently placed in the top 30 institutions for this category year over year. On the “Best Regional Universities North” list, 51�Թ� had a solid showing in its overall position at #61 (tie). This notable placement among institutions from seven states demonstrates 51�Թ�’s enduring quality and consistency as a higher education provider in the region. Ranked at #88 (tie) in Top Performers on Social Mobility, 51�Թ� is the only local university to place in the Top 100, counted among those institutions that are more successful than others at advancing social mobility by enrolling and graduating large proportions of disadvantaged students awarded with Pell Grants. The social mobility ranking also includes borrower debt and college graduates earning more than high school graduates.

51�Թ� also has earned impressive placements, both nationally and statewide, in the 2025 Niche College Rankings. Niche, the leading platform connecting students and families with colleges and schools, compared 51�Թ� with thousands of institutions nationwide and hundreds of institutions of higher education in Pennsylvania.

51�Թ� earned high marks in a number of categories, most notably:

Best Colleges for Architecture in America (#40)
Best Colleges for Education in Pennsylvania (#15)
Best Catholic Colleges in America (#51) and in Pennsylvania (#5)
Top Private Universities in Pennsylvania (#19)
Best Small Colleges in America (#186) and Pennsylvania (#10)

51�Թ� also earned high marks for Best College Dorms in Pennsylvania (#15), Best College Locations in Pennsylvania (#20), Best Value Colleges in Pennsylvania (#22), Best Colleges in Pennsylvania (#23), and Safest College Campuses in Pennsylvania (#26), among positive placements in many other categories.

Additional Recognitions

2022-2023 51�Թ� College of Distinction pin Colleges of Distinction Pennslyvania pin Catholic Colleges of Distinction pin 2022 2023 Colleges of Distinction pin 2022-2023 Nursing Colleges of Distinction pin 2022-2023 Education Colleges of Distinction pin 2022-2023 Business Colleges of Distinction pin 2022-2023 Career Development distinction pin

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51�Թ� Ranks Among the Best

Additional Recognitions

51�Թ� in the News

Ranked #30 Top Private University and #45 Overall in Regional Universities North, 51�Թ� attained top placement in the Northeastern Pennsylvania region for this category.

51�Թ� earned notable placements across a wide range of categories, demonstrating the University’s strength in academics, value, student experience, and several of its signature programs.

The accreditation review also acknowledged 51�Թ�'s growing culture of evidence-based decision-making and continuous improvement, while recognizing major investments in student success, academic assessment, governance, financial stewardship, and strategic planning.

51�Թ�, in partnership with Gourmet Dining, has earned the Bronze Award in the prestigious Loyal E. Horton Dining Awards, presented by the National Association of College & University Food Services (NACUFS), widely regarded as the premier recognition in collegiate culinary arts.

Undergraduate students who earn a semester GPA of 3.50-4.00 on 12 or more graded credits merit this academic honor.

This honor is part of the AIA Pennsylvania Architectural Excellence Special Awards program, which recognizes outstanding contributions by individuals, organizations, and institutions that advance the built environment and the architectural profession across the Commonwealth.

51�Թ�'s 2025 nursing graduates well exceeded the national average, with the Nursing Program achieving a perfect NCLEX pass rate for the third consecutive year..

51�Թ� P.A. graduates achieved overall perfect pass rate on the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE), exceeding the national average. This exam must be passed to be eligible for licensure in all 50 states.

51�Թ� continues to offer the “Best Value” among Northeast Pennsylvania universities, according to the 2026 U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges ranking.

Dates were recently confirmed for on-site visits by the Middle States Evaluation Team during Academic Year 2025-26.

Undergraduate students who earn a semester GPA of 3.50-4.00 on 12 or more graded credits merit this academic honor.

Institutions seeking re-accreditation from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) must engage in a self-study process—basically, a review and summation of the University’s life.

The CPN Seal of Prevention™ recognizes institutions of higher education that demonstrate leadership in the areas of student safety, well-being, and inclusion to improve student well-being and success.

This designation recognizes colleges and universities for outstanding efforts to increase nonpartisan student voter participation.

This is the second consecutive year that 51�Թ� nursing graduates have achieved a perfect pass rate within one year of graduation.

51�Թ� earned impressive placements both nationally and statewide in this year's rankings by Niche, the leading platform connecting students and families with colleges and schools.

51�Թ� continues to offer the “Best Value” among Northeast Pennsylvania universities, according to the 2025 U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges ranking.

Several 51�Թ� Pacers athletics teams were recognized recently by their respective coaches’ associations for their academic excellence.

"U.S. News & World Report’s 2024 Best Colleges" ranking deems 51�Թ� the Best Value among Northeast PA colleges.

51�Թ� students were members of two of the four winning teams selected by company executives—tying the highest college-winning representation at the conference.

Both nationally and statewide, 51�Թ� earned high marks in the 2024 Niche College Rankings.

The Pennsylvania Department of Education has recognized 51�Թ�'s leadership in the area of college student food security.

51�Թ�'s illustration program has attained noteworthy placements among the top programs in the state, region, and nation in the 2023 Illustration School Rankings.

Top honors for the University, students, staff, and faculty.

51�Թ�’s School of Architecture (MUSOA) captured second place honors in the Retrofit Housing division in the final stage of the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon® 2023 Design Challenge.

51�Թ� was recently named a Voter Friendly Campus by Fair Elections Center’s Campus Vote Project and NASPA – Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education as part of the nationwide Voter Friendly Campus initiative.

51�Թ�'s MFA program has been ranked at #4 nationally by Best Value Schools. 51�Թ� is the only regional insititution to earn this national recognition.

51�Թ�’s public administration programs earned top honors for overall quality, affordability, and commitment to student success.

51�Թ� is the only university in the region that offers a bachelor's degree in aviation management.

Student efforts to increase voter registration and voting rates have earned 51�Թ� national recognition as one of "America’s Best Colleges for Student Voting."

51�Թ� offers the “Best Value” among Northeast Pennsylvania Universities, according to the 2022 U.S. News & World Report’s Best Colleges ranking.

51�Թ� is the highest ranked local four-year private college in the "Best Value" and "Best College for Veterans" categories, with strong rankings in the "Best Regional Universities North" and "Top Performers in Social Media" categories.

Placement based on “51�Թ�’s mission to help students to ‘live responsibly in an interdependent world.’

31st as a “Best Value School,” 34th in the category of “Best Colleges for Veterans,” and 56th overall among institutions in the “Masters-North”

The research identifies the top programs in the nation based on curriculum quality, program flexibility, affordability, and graduate outcomes.

51�Թ� has been recognized nationally for its high-impact approach to education and its honorable commitment to engaged, experiential education by Colleges of Distinction

Learn.org stated that while earning their career-enhancing degree, students can access world-class facilities that were built with sustainability in mind and re-use the school’s former natatorium and gymnasium.

Graphic Design program ranks among the top 10 in Pennsylvania, and its Illustration program ranks number 4 in the state and number 18 on the east coast for 2021, by Animation Career Review.

51�Թ� has been recognized nationally for its high-impact approach to education

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