Here Are The 5 Best Colleges In Pennsylvania, According To Niche

PENNSYLVANIA — The University of Pennsylvania is the best college in Pennsylvania, according to rankings released Monday by Niche, a college ranking and review platform. In all, 129 colleges in Pennsylvania were ranked among the best.

More than 4,000 U.S. colleges and universities were ranked in the 2026 Best Colleges in America

The top five colleges in Pennsylvania are:

1. UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA (Philadelphia, PA)

Overall Niche grade: _A+_
Acceptance rate: _6 percent_
Net price: _$26,017_
SAT range: _1500 to 1570

2. CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY (Pittsburgh, PA)
Overall Niche grade: _A+_
Acceptance rate: _11 percent_
Net price: _$32,964_
SAT range: _1500 to 1570_

3. SWARTHMORE COLLEGE (Swarthmore, PA)
Overall Niche grade: _A+_
Acceptance rate: _7 percent_
Net price: _$17,930_
SAT range: _1460 to 1560_

4. LEHIGH UNIVERSITY (Bethlehem, PA)
Overall Niche grade: _A+_
Acceptance rate: _29 percent_
Net price: _$33,289_
SAT range: _1350 to 1490_

5. VILLANOVA UNIVERSITY (Villanova, PA)
Overall Niche grade: _A+_
Acceptance rate: _25 percent_
Net price: _$37,946_
SAT range: _1400 to 1510_

Other Pennsylvania schools and their rankings are found on the Niche website.

Niche also ranked the best colleges for athletics, student life, dorm life, and other aspects of college life that are important to students.

2026 Best Colleges in America

1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
2. Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
3. Stanford University, Stanford, California
4. Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
5. Dartmouth University, Hanover, New Hampshire

2026 Colleges with the Best Student Life in America

1. University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
2. University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia
3. University of California, Los Angeles
4. 4. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
5. Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee

2026 Best College Athletics in America

1. University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
2. Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
3. The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama
4. University of Connecticut, Storrs, Connecticut
5. 5. Clemson University, Clemson, South Carolina

“We built Niche to help students and families cut through the noise and make informed choices,” Niche founder and CEO Luke Skurman said in a news release. “Our rankings are designed to reflect not just data, but the real voices and lived experiences of students across the country. That blend of insight is what makes Niche unique. We’re giving students the clarity to identify the colleges where they see themselves belonging and succeeding.”

Niche’s rankings are based on data from the U.S. Department of Education and National Science Foundation; enrollment, graduation, and alumni earnings statistics; and more than 1 million college reviews from students and alumni. More about the methodology is found on the website.

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