The University of Pennsylvania no longer holds a top-10 honored spot in Niche’s Best Colleges in America rankings.
For 2026, the university moved from sixth in 2025 to No. 12 in the 2026 rankings, writes Ryan Mulligan for Philadelphia Business Journal.
For the region, Swarthmore College is the only other local school besides Penn to even stay in the top 50. It came in at No. 36, up two slots from last year.
Niche also ranked Swarthmore in the top 10 for the best small colleges, the best liberal arts colleges, and the most diverse colleges in America.
Villanova University fell to No. 68 from No. 64, while Haverford College is one spot lower than last year, from 70 to 69th.
Drexel University fell off steeply, from No. 99 to No. 203.
Niche ratings are based on over 500,000 reviews from college students, along with admissions data, tuition, and salaries for graduates.
Social life, athletics, and campus appearance are also factored into the ranking scores.
The Best Colleges 2026 rankings listed the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Yale University, Stanford University, Harvard University, and Dartmouth College as the top five in the nation.
See all the college rankings in the Philadelphia Business Journal.
