It's not easy to decide which school to attend when you have so many options available. At College Factual, we're committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our Best Bachelor's Degree Colleges in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking.
Our analysis looked at 250 schools in the Middle Atlantic Region to determine which ones have the best bachelor's degree programs. Our ranking methodology focuses on different objective factors to make this determination of the best schools. In the next few paragraphs, we'll talk a little about what we use in our analysis and why.
Early-Career Salaries Are Higher
One measure we use to determine the quality of a school is to look at the average salary of bachelor's graduates during the early years of their career. While bachelor's degree recipients from schools in the Middle Atlantic Region earn an average starting salary of $40,457, those from the top 25 school on this list made an average of $52,959.
Starting Salary ( 43428 to 63063 )
Average Student Debt
In addition to average starting salaries, we also consider the average amount of student loans that students take on while pursuing their bachelor's degree.
During their time at college, bachelor's degree seekers from schools in the Middle Atlantic Region take out an average of $25,851.
The average debt load at a particular school may not be bad, but it's an important thing to consider in conjunction with post-graduation earnings.
Other Ranking Factors in Our Methodology
In addition to average post-graduation earnings and average student debt loads, we also look at a host of other factors to determining our Best Bachelor's Degree Schools ranking.
Several other factors - such as how much the school spends on educational resources, the demand of the school, the availability of online learning options, and the student body caliber - go into our rankings.
If you'd rather work on your bachelor's degree in a specific area of the country, you might be interested in our rankings by place. Also, check out our other college rankings to help you with your college decision.
Top Bachelor's Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region
Our 2024 rankings named University of Pennsylvania the best school in the Middle Atlantic Region in terms of overall quality for students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the large private not-for-profit school handed out 3,499 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from UPenn make an average of $61,681 per year during the early years of their career. The average amount of student debt accumulated by bachelor’s students is $16,455. Average monthly loan payments are around $547 for a 10-year repayment plan.
A rank of #2 on our Best Bachelor’s Degree in the Middle Atlantic Region list means Carnegie Mellon University is a great place for students working on their degree. This fairly large private not-for-profit school is located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 1,953 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $74,627 during the early years of their career. Bachelor’s students leave the school with an average of $23,648 in student loans.
A rank of #3 on our Best Bachelor’s Degree in the Middle Atlantic Region list means Columbia University in the City of New York is a great place for students working on their degree. New York, New York is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 2,654 students in 2020-2021.
Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $54,764 during the early years of their career. Bachelor’s students leave the school with an average of $20,581 in student loans. This translates to an average monthly payment of $567 if the graduate is repaying the loan over a 10-year period.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Georgetown University. The school came in at #4 in the Middle Atlantic Region on this year’s best bachelor’s degree schools ranking. Washington, District of Columbia is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 2,120 students in 2020-2021.
Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from Georgetown go into careers with an average salary of $58,686 during the early years of their career. Bachelor’s students leave the school with an average of $16,394 in student loans. This translates to an average monthly payment of $769 if the graduate is repaying the loan over a 10-year period.
Out of the 250 bachelor’s degree schools in the Middle Atlantic Region that were part of this year’s ranking, Princeton University landed the #5 spot on the list. Princeton is a private not-for-profit institution located in Princeton, New Jersey. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 1,175 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from Princeton go into careers with an average salary of $56,659 during the early years of their career. Bachelor’s students leave the school with an average of $10,750 in student loans.
Cornell University landed the #6 spot on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. This large private not-for-profit school is located in Ithaca, New York, and it awarded 4,287 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from Cornell go into careers with an average salary of $54,196 during the early years of their career. The average amount of student debt accumulated by bachelor’s students is $15,079. If the student is repaying the loan over 10 years, the average monthly payment is $570.
With a ranking of #7, New York University did quite well on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list. New York University is a large private not-for-profit school located in New York, New York that handed out 6,752 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from NYU make an average of $43,918 per year during the early years of their career. Bachelor’s students carry an average student debt load of about $21,345 after getting their degree. Average monthly loan payments are around $754 for a 10-year repayment plan.
Johns Hopkins University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Located in Baltimore, Maryland, the large private not-for-profit school handed out 1,847 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
During the early years of their career, bachelor’s degree graduates from Johns Hopkins make an average of $41,996 a year. Bachelor’s students leave the school with an average of $16,659 in student loans. Average monthly loan payments are around $599 for a 10-year repayment plan.
With a ranking of #9, University of Maryland - College Park did quite well on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list. UMCP is a large public school situated in College Park, Maryland. It awarded 8,838 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $46,303 during the early years of their career. Bachelor’s students leave the school with an average of $20,640 in student loans. If the student is repaying the loan over 10 years, the average monthly payment is $391.
Swarthmore College came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Swarthmore is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. It awarded 481 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $60,066 during the early years of their career. Bachelor’s students carry an average student debt load of about $17,633 after getting their degree.
George Washington University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. GWU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Washington, District of Columbia. The school has a large population, and it awarded 3,572 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from GWU make an average of $50,440 per year during the early years of their career. The average amount of student debt accumulated by bachelor’s students is $24,378. This translates to an average monthly payment of $532 if the graduate is repaying the loan over a 10-year period.
Lehigh University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Lehigh is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. It awarded 1,423 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from Lehigh make an average of $65,912 per year during the early years of their career. The average amount of student debt accumulated by bachelor’s students is $24,413. This translates to an average monthly payment of $621 if the graduate is repaying the loan over a 10-year period.
Stevens Institute of Technology ranked #13 on this year’s Best Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Located in Hoboken, New Jersey, the medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 768 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2020-2021.
Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from Stevens go into careers with an average salary of $71,490 during the early years of their career. Bachelor’s students leave the school with an average of $26,598 in student loans. If the student is repaying the loan over 10 years, the average monthly payment is $696.
Villanova University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Villanova is located in Villanova, Pennsylvania and has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2,251 bachelor’s degrees to qualified graduate students.
Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $55,387 during the early years of their career. Bachelor’s students carry an average student debt load of about $26,086 after getting their degree. This translates to an average monthly payment of $594 if the graduate is repaying the loan over a 10-year period.
Fashion Institute of Technology ranked #15 on this year’s Best Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Located in New York, New York, the medium-sized public school awarded 1,677 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2020-2021.
The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from FIT SUNY is $38,375 during the early years of their career. The average amount of student debt accumulated by bachelor’s students is $21,745. Average monthly loan payments are around $334 for a 10-year repayment plan.
University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus landed the #16 spot on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. University of Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Campus is a large public school located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania that handed out 5,522 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $40,794 during the early years of their career. The average amount of student debt accumulated by bachelor’s students is $26,494. If the student is repaying the loan over 10 years, the average monthly payment is $448.
Bucknell University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Bucknell is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1,077 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
During the early years of their career, bachelor’s degree graduates from Bucknell make an average of $56,780 a year. Bachelor’s students carry an average student debt load of about $26,145 after getting their degree. Average monthly loan payments are around $741 for a 10-year repayment plan.
Colgate University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. Colgate is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Hamilton, New York. It awarded 896 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Colgate is $48,442 during the early years of their career. The average amount of student debt accumulated by bachelor’s students is $15,650.
Barnard College landed the #19 spot on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. This small private not-for-profit school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 676 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Barnard is $42,928 during the early years of their career. Bachelor’s students leave the school with an average of $18,076 in student loans.
With a ranking of #20, University of Rochester did quite well on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Rochester, New York is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 2,035 students in 2020-2021.
Upon graduation, bachelor’s degree recipients go on to jobs making an average salary of $47,274 during the early years of their career. Bachelor’s students leave the school with an average of $20,215 in student loans. Average monthly loan payments are around $403 for a 10-year repayment plan.
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute landed the #21 spot on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. This medium-sized private not-for-profit school is located in Troy, New York, and it awarded 1,582 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from RPI go into careers with an average salary of $64,155 during the early years of their career. Bachelor’s students leave the school with an average of $25,344 in student loans. This translates to an average monthly payment of $515 if the graduate is repaying the loan over a 10-year period.
Drexel University did quite well in the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking, coming in at #22. Drexel University is a large private not-for-profit school located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that handed out 3,440 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
The average salary of a graduate with a bachelor’s degree from Drexel is $51,887 during the early years of their career. Bachelor’s students leave the school with an average of $29,046 in student loans. If the student is repaying the loan over 10 years, the average monthly payment is $737.
With a ranking of #23, American University did quite well on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list. The American University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Washington, District of Columbia. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 2,109 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Graduates with a bachelor’s degree from The American University make an average of $42,128 per year during the early years of their career. Bachelor’s students leave the school with an average of $24,433 in student loans. Average monthly loan payments are around $674 for a 10-year repayment plan.
University of Delaware ranked #24 on this year’s Best Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region list. Located in Newark, Delaware, the large public school awarded 4,743 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2020-2021.
Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from UD go into careers with an average salary of $41,836 during the early years of their career. Bachelor’s students carry an average student debt load of about $25,167 after getting their degree. This translates to an average monthly payment of $545 if the graduate is repaying the loan over a 10-year period.
Lafayette College came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Bachelor’s Degree Schools in the Middle Atlantic Region ranking. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Easton, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 720 bachelor’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Those who receive a bachelor’s degree from Lafayette go into careers with an average salary of $53,246 during the early years of their career. Bachelor’s students leave the school with an average of $19,218 in student loans. If the student is repaying the loan over 10 years, the average monthly payment is $616.
The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
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