Best colleges for NCAA Division III athletes in Pennsylvania
Colleges that compete in NCAA Division III athletics, ranked by Compass Score.
Best colleges for NCAA Division III athletes in Pennsylvania60 schools
60 schools qualify, ranked by the Compass Score. The top 25 are shown.
How this list is made
- Schools in Pennsylvania.
- Accredited four-year undergraduate colleges.
- Competes in NCAA Division III (the school's athletics association, from federal and association data).
- Each school needs a complete Compass Score, so every row shows a rating.
- Ordered by Compass Score, highest first. Schools with the same score share a rank.
Updated Oct. 20, 2026. Methodology. Spot an error? Send a correction.
- 1
Haverford College
Haverford, PA · Private nonprofitHonor RollExceptional: Compass grade A+
- NCAA Division III athletics
- 90% graduate
- 2
Swarthmore College
Swarthmore, PA · Private nonprofitHonor RollExceptional: Compass grade A+
- NCAA Division III athletics
- 92% graduate
- 3
Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA · Private nonprofitHonor RollTop 1% for earnings
- NCAA Division III athletics
- 94% graduate
- 4
Franklin and Marshall College
Lancaster, PA · Private nonprofitHonor RollExceptional: Compass grade A
- NCAA Division III athletics
- 84% graduate
- 5
Bryn Mawr College
Bryn Mawr, PA · Private nonprofitHonor RollExceptional: Compass grade A
- NCAA Division III athletics
- 82% graduate
- 6
Gettysburg College
Gettysburg, PA · Private nonprofitHonor RollExceptional: Compass grade A
- NCAA Division III athletics
- 83% graduate
- 7
Dickinson College
Carlisle, PA · Private nonprofitHonor RollExceptional: Compass grade A
- NCAA Division III athletics
- 80% graduate
- 8
Muhlenberg College
Allentown, PA · Private nonprofitTop 9% for graduation
- NCAA Division III athletics
- 82% graduate
- 9
Grove City College
Grove City, PA · Private nonprofitTop 9% for graduation
- NCAA Division III athletics
- 83% graduate
- 10
Allegheny College
Meadville, PA · Private nonprofitExcellent: Compass grade A-
- NCAA Division III athletics
- 73% graduate
- 11
Susquehanna University
Selinsgrove, PA · Private nonprofitTop 10% for graduation
- NCAA Division III athletics
- 82% graduate
- 12
Ursinus College
Collegeville, PA · Private nonprofitTop 12% for earnings
- NCAA Division III athletics
- 73% graduate
- 13
University of Scranton
Scranton, PA · Private nonprofitTop 11% for graduation
- NCAA Division III athletics
- 80% graduate
- 14
Messiah University
Mechanicsburg, PA · Private nonprofitTop 15% for graduation
- NCAA Division III athletics
- 75% graduate
- 15
Immaculata University
Immaculata, PA · Private nonprofitTop 10% for earnings
- NCAA Division III athletics
- 71% graduate
- 16
Moravian University
Bethlehem, PA · Private nonprofitTop 18% for graduation
- NCAA Division III athletics
- 72% graduate
- 17
Elizabethtown College
Elizabethtown, PA · Private nonprofitTop 13% for graduation
- NCAA Division III athletics
- 76% graduate
- 18
Juniata College
Huntingdon, PA · Private nonprofitTop 16% for graduation
- NCAA Division III athletics
- 74% graduate
- 19
Marywood University
Scranton, PA · Private nonprofitTop 18% for graduation
- NCAA Division III athletics
- 72% graduate
- 20
DeSales University
Center Valley, PA · Private nonprofitTop 18% for graduation
- NCAA Division III athletics
- 72% graduate
- 21
Lancaster Bible College
Lancaster, PA · Private nonprofitVery good: Compass grade B+
- NCAA Division III athletics
- 67% graduate
- 22
Saint Vincent College
Latrobe, PA · Private nonprofitTop 23% for graduation
- NCAA Division III athletics
- 69% graduate
- 23
Geneva College
Beaver Falls, PA · Private nonprofitVery good: Compass grade B+
- NCAA Division III athletics
- 61% graduate
- 24
Widener University
Chester, PA · Private nonprofitTop 14% for earnings
- NCAA Division III athletics
- 68% graduate
- 25
Lebanon Valley College
Annville, PA · Private nonprofitTop 24% for earnings
- NCAA Division III athletics
- 65% graduate
Compare cost and outcomes
| School | Net price a year | Median debt | Earnings 10 years out | Graduation rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Haverford College | $25,314 | $13,621 | $79,966 | 90% |
| Swarthmore College | $23,149 | $17,500 | $80,257 | 92% |
| Carnegie Mellon University | $31,944 | $21,750 | $114,862 | 94% |
| Franklin and Marshall College | $36,425 | $19,000 | $76,124 | 84% |
| Bryn Mawr College | $31,759 | $25,000 | $75,217 | 82% |
| Gettysburg College | $31,490 | $26,999 | $71,517 | 83% |
| Dickinson College | $37,607 | $19,000 | $70,204 | 80% |
| Muhlenberg College | $28,905 | $25,455 | $69,107 | 82% |
| Grove City College | — | — | — | 83% |
| Allegheny College | $22,940 | $27,000 | $62,069 | 73% |
| Susquehanna University | $28,819 | $27,000 | $61,723 | 82% |
| Ursinus College | $30,536 | $27,000 | $73,721 | 73% |
| University of Scranton | $32,568 | $27,000 | $74,652 | 80% |
| Messiah University | $26,502 | $25,621 | $54,064 | 75% |
| Immaculata University | $24,258 | $27,000 | $75,701 | 71% |
| Moravian University | $30,670 | $26,793 | $61,860 | 72% |
| Elizabethtown College | $26,598 | $27,000 | $62,399 | 76% |
| Juniata College | $23,988 | $27,000 | $56,918 | 74% |
| Marywood University | $23,388 | $26,186 | $55,817 | 72% |
| DeSales University | $31,643 | $25,788 | $61,295 | 72% |
| Lancaster Bible College | $25,480 | $20,500 | $44,096 | 67% |
| Saint Vincent College | $23,510 | $27,000 | $59,982 | 69% |
| Geneva College | $25,890 | $25,198 | $50,004 | 61% |
| Widener University | $25,759 | $27,000 | $70,920 | 68% |
| Lebanon Valley College | $26,979 | $27,000 | $62,621 | 65% |
Net price is the average yearly cost after grants. Federal data (College Scorecard). “—” means the school reports no figure.
This list in other states
- Arkansas 3
- California 13
- Connecticut 10
- District of Columbia 3
- Georgia 8
- Illinois 21
- Indiana 10
- Iowa 10
- Kentucky 5
- Maine 11
- Maryland 9
- Massachusetts 38
- Michigan 7
- Minnesota 19
- Mississippi 3
- Missouri 3
- New Hampshire 5
- New Jersey 14
- New York 60
- North Carolina 10
- Ohio 21
- Oregon 6
- Rhode Island 4
- Tennessee 3
- Texas 15
- Vermont 3
- Virginia 19
- Washington 4
- Wisconsin 24