Muhlenberg Recognized for Outcomes and Contribution to Public Good
Demonstrating Muhlenberg’s exceptionally high return on investment, the college performed especially well in Washington Monthly’s outcomes category.Tuesday, September 2, 2025 03:51 PM
Founded in 1848, Muhlenberg College is located in the city of Allentown, Pa.Muhlenberg College has earned recognition as a 2025 top liberal arts college and a Best Bang for the Buck college by the Washington Monthly. The publication placed Muhlenberg at No. 46 out of 1,421 ranked liberal arts colleges this year based on its contribution to the public good in four categories: access, affordability, outcomes, and promoting public service.
Demonstrating Muhlenberg’s exceptionally high return on investment, the college performed especially well in Washington Monthly’s outcomes category. But because the new rankings weigh each of the four categories equally, the college needed to display excellence across the full breadth of measures, rather than excelling in just one measure. The categories include:
- Access ranks colleges by how well they provide access to nonwealthy students.
- Affordability ranks colleges by their affordability and graduate debt.
- Outcomes ranks colleges by the academic and financial outcomes they provide to students, delving into graduation rates, early career income, and the number of graduates who go on to earn doctorates.
- Service tracks the number of students who enroll in service-oriented majors, commitment to encouraging voting participation, and the number of graduates who enter AmeriCorps and the Peace Corps.
The Best Bang for the Buck ranking grades colleges on how well they help nonwealthy students attain marketable degrees at affordable prices by isolating the access, affordability, and outcomes metrics from the main rankings.
