Rankings and recognition
Verified DataCollegesRef does not invent magazine-style ranks. This section surfaces verified classification data and editorial context only.
Carnegie classification
A Liberal Arts College or College with an Arts & Sciences focus
Institutional classification used for academic peer grouping.
Athletics
NCAA Division III
NCAA division where available from verified imports.
Editorial spotlight
Franklin and Marshall College — editorial overview (Lancaster, PA)
Some people mistakenly believe that American founding father Benjamin Franklin started the University of Pennsylvania, but that’s a myth. The true story is, about 250 years ago, Ben Franklin donated the money to start Franklin College, which later merged with Marshall College, to...
Similar schools
Related colleges
Explainable similarity scores based on admissions, cost, outcomes, and campus profile.
Bryn Mawr College
99Bryn Mawr, PA
Academic / institutional profile alignment (100/100)
Dickinson College
98Carlisle, PA
Academic / institutional profile alignment (100/100)
Bucknell University
97Lewisburg, PA
Academic / institutional profile alignment (100/100)
Allegheny College
92Meadville, PA
Academic / institutional profile alignment (100/100)
Alvernia University
90Reading, PA
Campus culture / environment alignment (100/100)
DeSales University
88Center Valley, PA
Campus culture / environment alignment (100/100)
Elizabethtown College-Pennsylvania
88Elizabethtown, PA
Campus culture / environment alignment (100/100)
Connecticut College
88New London, CT
Academic / institutional profile alignment (100/100)
Clarks Summit University
88Clarks Summit, PA
Campus culture / environment alignment (100/100)