by our College Data Analytics TeamIt's not easy to decide which college to attend when you have so many options available. College Factual has developed its Top Middle Atlantic Region Colleges ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
After analyzing 400 schools in the Middle Atlantic Region , we came up with our list of those that offered the highest quality education. Our ranking is based on over 20 objective factors, including post graduate earnings, freshman retention, and graduation rate. We steer clear of subjective measures since they don't give a clear picture when determining how one school compares to another.
Since one ranking on its own is not enough to give you a complete understanding of your educational options, you can refine this list by location and field of study. We've also developed a number of other tools and rankings based on other factors. These other rankings highlight colleges that excel in other factors such as value or diversity as well as schools that excel in serving different groups of students such as veterans or returnings adults.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering!
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
University of Pennsylvania tops this year’s ranking as the best school in the Middle Atlantic Region for overall quality.
The low student loan default rate of 2.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1% Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from UPenn go into careers with an average salary of $111,371 during the early years of their career.
The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at Johns Hopkins University helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best schools in the Middle Atlantic Region .
Since the school has a student-to-faculty rate of 6 to 1, those pursuing a bachelor’s degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from Johns Hopkins make an average of $87,555 per year during the early years of their career.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Carnegie Mellon University. It ranked #3 on our 2025 Best Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region list.
With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from Carnegie Mellon make an average of $114,862 per year during the early years of their career.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Cornell University. The school came in at #4 in the Middle Atlantic Region on this year’s overall quality ranking.
The school boasts an average 4-year graduation rate of 89%, which is excellent when compared to the national rate of 33%. Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $104,043 during the early years of their career..
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Georgetown University. The school came in at #5 in the Middle Atlantic Region on this year’s overall quality ranking.
With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from Georgetown go into careers with an average salary of $103,494 during the early years of their career.
Columbia University in the City of New York landed the #6 spot on the 2025 Best Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking.
Bachelor’s degree students at the school tend to finish their degree on-time. The 4-year graduation rate is 84%, which is impressive compared to the national rate of 33%. During the early years of their career, graduates from Columbia make an average of $102,491 a year.
Read full report on Columbia University in the City of New York
New York University did quite well in the 2025 Best Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking, coming in at #7.
Since the school has a student-to-faculty rate of 8 to 1, those pursuing a bachelor’s degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $82,509 during the early years of their career..
Jewish Theological Seminary of America landed the #8 spot on the 2025 Best Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking.
With a student-to-faculty rate of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. During the early years of their career, graduates from Jewish Theological Seminary of America make an average of $92,751 a year.
George Washington University did quite well in the 2025 Best Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking, coming in at #9.
The school boasts an average 4-year graduation rate of 79%, which is excellent when compared to the national rate of 33%. The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from GWU is $90,873 during the early years of their career.
Princeton University did quite well in the 2025 Best Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking, coming in at #10.
The student-to-faculty rate of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. During the early years of their career, graduates from Princeton make an average of $110,066 a year.
University of Maryland - Baltimore did quite well in the 2025 Best Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking, coming in at #11.
The student-to-faculty rate of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. During the early years of their career, graduates from UMB make an average of $88,174 a year.
Culinary Institute of America ranked #12 on this year’s Best Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region list.
Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from The Culinary Institute of America go into careers with an average salary of $47,475 during the early years of their career.
Fashion Institute of Technology came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from FIT SUNY is $62,696 during the early years of their career.
Villanova University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region list.
Bachelor’s degree students at the school tend to finish their degree on-time. The 4-year graduation rate is 89%, which is impressive compared to the national rate of 33%. Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $100,423 during the early years of their career..
University of Maryland - College Park ranked #15 on this year’s Best Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region list.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 95%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from UMCP is $82,860 during the early years of their career.
With a ranking of #16, American Musical and Dramatic Academy did quite well on the 2025 Best Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region list.
The student-to-faculty rate of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from American Musical and Dramatic Academy go into careers with an average salary of $26,975 during the early years of their career.
With a ranking of #17, Maryland Institute College of Art did quite well on the 2025 Best Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region list.
The impressive student-to-faculty rate of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from MICA go into careers with an average salary of $45,212 during the early years of their career.
SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking.
The student-to-faculty rate of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from SUNY Downstate make an average of $109,601 per year during the early years of their career.
Lehigh University landed the #19 spot on the 2025 Best Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking.
The school boasts an average 4-year graduation rate of 79%, which is excellent when compared to the national rate of 33%. Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $105,584 during the early years of their career..
American Academy of Dramatic Arts - New York ranked #20 on this year’s Best Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region list.
The impressive student-to-faculty rate of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from American Academy of Dramatic Arts - New York go into careers with an average salary of $27,019 during the early years of their career.
American University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region list.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $77,370 during the early years of their career..
Syracuse University landed the #22 spot on the 2025 Best Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking.
The student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1% Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from Syracuse go into careers with an average salary of $79,164 during the early years of their career.
With a ranking of #23, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute did quite well on the 2025 Best Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region list.
Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. During the early years of their career, graduates from RPI make an average of $102,051 a year.
Fordham University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking.
The school boasts an average 4-year graduation rate of 79%, which is excellent when compared to the national rate of 33%. Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from Fordham U go into careers with an average salary of $85,569 during the early years of their career.
Rutgers University - New Brunswick landed the #25 spot on the 2025 Best Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. During the early years of their career, graduates from Rutgers New Brunswick make an average of $74,479 a year.
Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 20% of this year’s ranking:
View Best Colleges Nationwide >
To learn more about the schools below, just click on their names:
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 51 | University at Buffalo | Buffalo, NY |
| 52 | New Jersey Institute of Technology | Newark, NJ |
| 53 | Manhattan School of Music | New York, NY |
| 54 | Marist College | Poughkeepsie, NY |
| 55 | University of Maryland Global Campus | Adelphi, MD |
| 56 | Adelphi University | Garden City, NY |
| 57 | Towson University | Towson, MD |
| 58 | Wagner College | Staten Island, NY |
| 59 | Duquesne University | Pittsburgh, PA |
| 60 | The New School | New York, NY |
| 61 | The College of New Jersey | Ewing, NJ |
All Majors and Fields of Study >
These schools also performed well in our Best Colleges ranking:
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 62 | University of Scranton | Scranton, PA |
| 63 | Ithaca College | Ithaca, NY |
| 64 | Lafayette College | Easton, PA |
| 65 | School of Visual Arts | New York, NY |
| 66 | University of Maryland - Baltimore County | Baltimore, MD |
| 67 | LIU Post | Brookville, NY |
| 68 | SUNY Cortland | Cortland, NY |
| 69 | Haverford College | Haverford, PA |
| 70 | Helene Fuld College of Nursing | New York, NY |
| 71 | Rutgers University - Camden | Camden, NJ |
| 72 | Montgomery College | Rockville, MD |
| 73 | Baruch College | New York, NY |
| 74 | University at Albany | Albany, NY |
| 75 | Bergen Community College | Paramus, NJ |
| 76 | Catholic University of America | Washington, DC |
| Rank | College | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 77 | Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences | Albany, NY |
| 78 | Seton Hall University | South Orange, NJ |
| 79 | Hofstra University | Hempstead, NY |
| 80 | St John’s College | Annapolis, MD |
| 81 | Clarkson University | Potsdam, NY |
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
References
More about our data sources and methodologies.