The recently released U.S. News & World Report 2027 College Rankings provided some bragging points for Lehigh Valley institutions.

Here’s a look at where local colleges and universities stood among the nearly 1,500 ranked schools:

Cedar Crest College

For regional universities in the North, Cedar Crest tied for No. 89 overall and tied for No. 63 for top private schools in that category.

In that same regional category, the college tied for No. 36 on the “Top Performers on Social Mobility” list.

Its Bachelor of Science in Nursing program tied for No. 394 out of 671 nationally ranked schools.

DeSales University
DeSales moved up 21 spots to tie for No. 262 out of 427 ranked national universities. Also, it ranked No. 120 in top private schools in its category.

The university also had two online master’s programs rank in the top 100, with the nursing program placing No. 48 and the criminal justice program placing No. 63.

“This year’s rankings reaffirm DeSales University’s position as a nationally recognized institution and one of only two Lehigh Valley universities included in the National University category,” DeSales President James Greenfield said in a news release.

Lafayette College

Lafayette placed No. 30 overall out of 206 ranked national liberal arts colleges. It also ranked as the No. 27 top private school and No. 77 “Best Value School” in that category.

For individual programs, highlights included undergraduate engineering, tied for No. 15; economics, tied for No. 140; and computer science, tied for No. 217.

The college also tied for No. 66 on the “Best Undergraduate Teaching” list for national liberal arts colleges.

Lehigh University

Lehigh University tied for No. 44 on the national universities list. Other honors in its category included tying for No. 31 in top private schools and ranking No. 29 in “Best Value Schools.”

For individual programs, undergraduate engineering ranked No. 57, computer science ranked No. 75, business ranked No. 101 and economics tied for No. 122.

The university also tied for No. 22 on the “Best Undergraduate Teaching” list for national universities.

Moravian University

For regional universities in the North, Moravian tied for No. 29 in overall rank, tied for No. 19 on the top private colleges list, and ranked No. 31 on the “Best Colleges for Veterans” list.

In that same regional category, Moravian ranked No. 34 in “Best Value Schools” and tied for No. 75 on the “Top Performers on Social Mobility” list.

“The past year has seen tremendous momentum at Moravian; from launching the aviation program to opening a new student center and more recently starting an AI Innovation Lab to address real-world issues,” Moravian President Bryon Grigsby said in a news release. “Despite the broader challenges facing higher education, we listen closely to what students need, and that strategy is paying off. These rankings reflect the relentless hard work of our faculty and staff year-round.”

Muhlenberg College

Muhlenberg placed No. 62 among the 206 ranked national liberal arts colleges. The college says that’s its highest-ever ranking, surpassing its previous high of No. 64 in 2015. It also ranked No. 59 for top private national liberal arts colleges.

For individual programs, the college called out its undergraduate psychology programs, which placed No. 276 out of 676 ranked programs, a 21-spot gain.

“We are proud of this progress, which reflects our steadfast commitment to delivering an extraordinary educational experience and a strong return on investment for our students,” Muhlenberg President Kathleen Harring said in a news release. “While we celebrate this milestone, we remain focused on continued investment in the student outcomes that matter most.”