GLENSIDE, PA — Arcadia University has once again earned national recognition for its leadership in social mobility and study abroad programs, according to the U.S. News & World Report 2026 Best Colleges rankings.
For the seventh consecutive year, Arcadia was named a Top Performer on Social Mobility, ranking seventh in Pennsylvania and within the top 25 percent of regional universities in the North. The ranking measures how effectively institutions serve economically disadvantaged students by examining graduation outcomes for Pell Grant recipients. Arcadia’s six-year graduation rate for Pell recipients reached 61 percent for the 2018 cohort, surpassing both its prior year rate of 58.4 percent and the national average of 49 percent for four-year institutions.
Arcadia also retained its long-standing position as the top-ranked university in Pennsylvania for study abroad participation — a distinction it has held since the category was introduced seven years ago. Nationally, it placed ninth. Approximately 80 percent of Arcadia students study abroad before graduation, underscoring the university’s emphasis on global learning.
“Arcadia’s commitment to providing access, opportunity, and global experience continues to drive our students’ success,” said university officials.
Arcadia graduates continue to demonstrate strong outcomes after earning their degrees, with 95 percent securing full-time employment, volunteer service positions, or graduate school placements within nine months of graduation. Top employers include Comcast NBCUniversal, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Independence Blue Cross, Vanguard, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Among institutions classified as Regional Universities: North, Arcadia ranks second in the Philadelphia area. Earlier this year, it was also recognized by The Princeton Review as one of the best regional colleges for the 11th consecutive year. The university’s graduate programs in Health Sciences and Education continue to appear in U.S. News & World Report’s annual Best Graduate School rankings.
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