Comparison tool
Rankings across 8 publishers plus admissions, cost, debt and outcome data for Muhlenberg College, Illinois Institute of Technology, Occidental College. Every figure is sourced and dated.
| Metric | MuhlenbergAllentown, PA | Illinois InstituteChicago, IL | OccidentalLos Angeles, CA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 72.0% | 54.9% | 44.2% |
| SAT middle 50% | 1250–1410 | 1180–1440 | 1380–1520 |
| Average net price | $28,90521.2% on Pell grants | $18,42530.0% on Pell grants | $38,26316.6% on Pell grants |
| Published tuition & fees | $62,805Most recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $52,386Most recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release | $66,274Most recent reported academic year, College Scorecard June 2026 release |
| 6-year graduation rate | 82.2% | 75.2% | 80.9% |
| First-year retention | 89.9% | 86.0% | 89.8% |
| Undergraduates on Pell grants | 21.2% | 30.0% | 16.6% |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry | $69,107 | $82,592 | $75,951 |
| Median federal debt at graduation | $25,455 | $25,000 | $23,000 |
| Student-faculty ratio | 8:1 | 17:1 | 9:1 |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 1,727 | 2,833 | 1,877 |
| Consensus percentile | 29Lower is better | 28Lower is better | 27Lower is better |
| Methodology sensitivity | 48 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 33 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points | 65 ptsHow far published lists disagree, in percentile points |
Highlighted cells mark the most favourable value in that row where a direction is meaningful. No highlight appears for metrics like enrollment or SAT range, where “better” depends entirely on what you want.
“Not ranked by this source” means that publisher’s list does not include the school — not missing data and not a poor rank.
| Source | Muhlenberg | Illinois Institute | Occidental |
|---|---|---|---|
| US News | #71 of 210Liberal arts collegesNational Liberal Arts Colleges · 2026 | #117 of 436National universitiesNational Universities · 2026 | #34 of 210Liberal arts collegesNational Liberal Arts Colleges · 2026 |
| Forbes | #295 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 | #171 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 | #110 of 500Top colleges (Forbes)America's Top Colleges · 2026 |
| Washington Monthly | #163 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 | #451 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 | #238 of 1,504Tuition & tax value (WM)Best Colleges for Your Tuition (and Tax) Dollars · 2026 |
| WSJ | #111 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 | #153 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 | #359 of 500U.S. colleges (WSJ)Best Colleges in the U.S. · 2026 |
| Niche | #516 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #159 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 | #176 of 2,605Overall (Niche)Best Colleges (Overall) · 2026 |
| Money | Listed | Listed | Listed |
| Princeton Review | Listed | Listed | Listed |
| QS | Not ranked by this source | #594 of 1,504World (QS)World University Rankings · 2026 | Not ranked by this source |
Students comparing Muhlenberg College on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing Illinois Institute of Technology on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
Full profileStudents comparing Occidental College on federal cost, completion, and earnings data who will layer in fit, location, and program strength separately.
This school may not appear on every publisher list we track; an empty rankings table means no tracked publisher ranked it, not missing federal data.
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