Penn Slips in New Colleges Rankings from U.S. News & World Report
Photo | Scott Spitzer
It’s that time of year again — when college students go back to school, see old friends and probably hit the year’s first party. It’s also the time of year when U.S. News & World Report publishes its annual ranking of colleges.
The University of Pennsylvania is always a top contender, but this year had a slip in the rankings. In fact, it was the only school from last year’s top 10 to shift at all, dropping from a tie at No. 8 to No. 9.
Others that made U.S. News & World Report‘s top 200? Temple, Drexel, Widener and (wait for it…) Immaculata University. Yes, the Mighty Macs of Immaculata made the list despite being a small Roman Catholic university with an undergrad enrollment of just 2,138.
The methodology for the list took into account first-year student retention, graduation rates and the strength of faculty.
Philly Colleges Ranked:
| Rank | College | Tuition and Fees | Undergrad Enrollment | Acceptance Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | University of Pennsylvania | $49,536 | 9,746 | 10.4% |
| 99 (tied) | Drexel University | $48,791 | 14,503 | 76.0% |
| 115 (tied) | Temple University | $15,096 (in-state) $25,122 (out-of-state) | 28,287 | 61.7% |
| 161 (tied) | Immaculata University | $33,280 | 2,138 | 75.9% |
| 187 (tied) | Widener University | $41,224 | 3,437 | 65.0% |
U.S. News & World Report also ranked liberal arts colleges — and Philly-area schools ranked particularly well. Swarthmore College and Haverford College ranked in the top 12.
Philly Liberal Arts Colleges Ranked:
| Rank | College | Tuition and Fees | Total Enrollment | Fall 2014 Acceptance Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Swarthmore College | $47,442 | 1,542 | 17.0% |
| 12 (tie) | Haverford College | $49,098 | 1,194 | 24.7% |
| 25 (tie) | Bryn Mawr College | $47,140 | 1,709 | 40.5% |
| 93 (tie) | Ursinus College | $47,700 | 1,681 | 83.2% |
