Arcadia University Earns Top Marks for Social Mobility, Study Abroad

GLENSIDE, Pa., Oct. 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Arcadia University, a top-ranked private university in Greater Philadelphia, has once again been recognized for its performance in social mobility and its unparalleled excellence in study abroad.

In the U.S. News & World Report 2026 Best Colleges rankings, Arcadia is named a Top Performer on Social Mobility for the seventh consecutive year – ranked 7th in Pennsylvania and in the top 25% of schools in the region. This ranking is in part assessed by using graduation rates of students awarded Pell grants; Arcadia's six-year graduation rate for Pell recipients was 61% for the 2018 cohort, up from 58.4% the year prior, compared to the national average of 49% (4-year institutions, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System).

The vast majority (95%) of students who earn degrees from Arcadia secure full-time employment, volunteer 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.

Arcadia also remains #1 in Pennsylvania for study abroad, a spot it has held since the introduction of that category seven years ago. Nationally, Arcadia is ranked ninth for study abroad. Eighty percent of Arcadia students use their passports during their time in college.

Among all ranked colleges and universities in the Regional Universities: North category, Arcadia is second in the Philadelphia area.

Earlier this year, Arcadia was named one of The Princeton Review's best regional colleges for the 11th year in a row. Arcadia's graduate programs in the Health Sciences and Education are consistently ranked in U.S. News & World Report's Best Graduate School rankings, which come out each April.

About Arcadia University
Arcadia University provides a values-based education rooted in authenticity and belonging, with expert faculty, career-focused academic programs, and top-ranked study abroad opportunities to prepare students to be work ready, world ready, and future ready. The Institute of International Education has consistently ranked Arcadia first in the nation for study abroad, and the Princeton Review has ranked Arcadia among the "Best in the Northeast" for 11 consecutive years. Housed in the College of Health Sciences, the University's Physical Therapy program is ranked as the best in the Philadelphia region (and #2 in PA) by U.S. News & World Report. Learn more about our vibrant community at www.arcadia.edu.

SOURCE Arcadia University