The Patriot League is a Division I athletic conference made up of small to mid-sized colleges and universities in the Northeast. Of its 10 full-time member schools, eight are private, and two are service academies.
The league is known more for elite academics than for success on the athletic field. Out of all the Division I conferences, the Patriot League has arguably the strongest academics top to bottom other than the Ivy League.
This guide ranks the Patriot League schools academically from top to bottom.
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Patriot League Schools Ranked Academically
This guide is the latest installment in College Jaguar’s series of conference academic rankings. We understand there are plenty of websites, newspapers, and magazines that rank colleges, such as U.S. News. But we feel these publications don’t always provide the most accurate barometer of educational quality.
Our biggest issue with the U.S. News rankings is that they focus on too many factors that we don’t believe have a direct impact on the quality of education a student receives.
For instance, Pell Grant data is a fantastic measure of a school’s commitment to admitting economically disadvantaged students and making college financially feasible for them. But it doesn’t really tell you much about the quality of classroom instruction or how well-prepared students are for the job market when they graduate.
Therefore, we prefer to focus on metrics that we feel have a direct cause-and-effect relationship with student success. The factors we use to rank colleges within a conference include the following:
- Graduation rate: This is a big one for us. A high graduation rate almost always indicates that a college or university is doing a lot of things right. A low rate usually implies the opposite.
- Incoming student stats: It’s hard to get a thorough education if you aren’t constantly being challenged by your peers. Therefore, the more intelligent the students around you, the better your educational experience tends to be. That’s why we emphasize incoming student stats in our rankings.
- Reputation: It matters how a college is perceived by employers and grad schools. A degree from a highly reputable school can open doors, as potential hiring managers and admissions officers immediately recognize the work it took to get that degree.
- Acceptance rate: A low acceptance rate doesn’t always indicate that a school is prestigious. But a low rate combined with high incoming student stats and a high yield (the percentage of accepted students who enroll) suggests that the school is highly sought-after.
Here are the Patriot League schools ranked academically:
#1: United States Military Academy
- Location: West Point, NY
- U.S. News ranking: #8 in National Liberal Arts Colleges
- Acceptance rate: 12%
- Middle 50% SAT range: 1,220-1,450
- Middle 50% ACT range: 27-33
- Graduation rate: 86%
The United States Military Academy at West Point is the oldest and, in our opinion, the most prestigious service academy in the United States. If you can get in, you won’t pay a dime of tuition for your education — an education that is as good as you can receive anywhere. Instead, you’ll owe the United States Army eight years of your life as a commissioned officer when you graduate.
Students looking for the traditional college experience — tailgating, Greek life, all-night ragers — should avoid USMA. This isn’t the kind of school where you’re going to be having pizza ordered to your dorm at midnight. It’s a rigorous experience, both in and out of the classroom. Your entire day will be regimented, especially as an underclassman.
But those who can hack not only will get a world-class education, but they won’t have to worry about looking for a job when they graduate.
#2: United States Naval Academy
- Location: Annapolis, MD
- U.S. News ranking: #3 in National Liberal Arts Colleges
- Acceptance rate: 11%
- Middle 50% SAT range: 1,200-1,440
- Middle 50% ACT range: 25-32
- Graduation rate: 91%
The United States Naval Academy at Annapolis is another of the country’s elite service academies. The incoming student stats at USNA are slightly lower than West Point’s, but the acceptance rate is a little lower, too. This is likely because the incoming class sizes are a little smaller and the Naval Academy has become more popular in recent years.
Both West Point and Annapolis are classified as liberal arts colleges by U.S. News because of their exclusive focus on undergraduate education. But that doesn’t mean the service academies only shine in the humanities. You can get a fantastic STEM education, as well. Not to mention, the military training and discipline you’ll receive will prepare you for success in any industry.
#3: Colgate University
- Location: Hamilton, NY
- U.S. News ranking: #21 in National Liberal Arts Colleges
- Acceptance rate: 12%
- Middle 50% SAT range: 1,410-1,530
- Middle 50% ACT range: 32-34
- Graduation rate: 91%
Colgate is a small liberal arts college in a rural part of upstate New York. It has surged up the rankings in recent years thanks to a rapidly growing applicant pool. Nowadays, fewer than one in five applicants gets into Colgate.
This school comes in at #3 on our list because it shines in a number of areas. If you want to study finance or economics and go work on Wall Street, Colgate provides a veritable pipeline to get there.
That said, Colgate isn’t strictly a school for “finance bros” (and their female counterparts). It also has excellent liberal arts and humanities programs. If you’ve ever seen the classic comedy movie Super Troopers (link to Amazon), those guys are all Colgate alums who met as brothers of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity on campus.
#4: College of the Holy Cross
- Location: Worcester, MA
- U.S. News ranking: #27 in National Liberal Arts Colleges
- Acceptance rate: 36%
- Middle 50% SAT range: 1,260-1,430
- Middle 50% ACT range: 28-32
- Graduation rate: 92%
Holy Cross is a liberal arts college in Worcester, MA, with an undergraduate enrollment of about 3,000. It is a Jesuit school, which means you’re guaranteed to get a rigorous education and develop your critical thinking skills. The student body at Holy Cross is also highly community service-oriented, owing to another major tenet of the Jesuit faith.
This school is an excellent choice if you want a prestigious degree and a rigorous education but your stats aren’t at the tippy top. With an acceptance rate of over 35%, an SAT average of 1,345, and an ACT average of 30, Holy Cross is a realistic choice for bright students who don’t quite have an Ivy League resume.
#5: Boston University
- Location: Boston, MA
- U.S. News ranking: #43 in National Universities
- Acceptance rate: 14%
- Middle 50% SAT range: 1,350-1,500
- Middle 50% ACT range: 31-34
- Graduation rate: 89%
Boston University has drastically increased in selectivity in recent years, riding the trend of college students gravitating to schools in cities. Its campus — which is far from a traditional college campus — is integrated with Boston proper, making jaunts into the city convenient for students.
BU’s graduation rate of 89% is the main reason we have it ranked behind Holy Cross despite being more selective and having higher incoming student stats. For one reason or another, more than one in 10 students don’t manage to get a degree within six years of matriculating as freshmen.
#6: Lehigh University
- Location: Bethlehem, PA
- U.S. News ranking: #47 in National Universities
- Acceptance rate: 37%
- Middle 50% SAT range: 1,340-1,490
- Middle 50% ACT range: 30-33
- Graduation rate: 89%
With more than 5,000 undergraduates, Lehigh University is one of the larger schools in the Patriot League. It’s a great choice for students who don’t want to be just a face in the crowd at a huge Big Ten or SEC school but who also worry that a small liberal arts college will be too confining.
Lehigh excels in STEM programs, particularly engineering, but it also provides a top-notch liberal arts education. The school epitomizes the work-hard-play-hard lifestyle, as many students balance their demanding academic load with big-time partying.
#7: Lafayette College
- Location: Easton, PA
- U.S. News ranking: #30 in National Liberal Arts Colleges
- Acceptance rate: 34%
- Middle 50% SAT range: 1,330-1,480
- Middle 50% ACT range: 30-33
- Graduation rate: 89%
Lafayette College is Lehigh’s archrival, located just down the road. The two schools have similar vibes and academic offerings even though Lehigh is classified as a national university and Lafayette as a liberal arts college. Lafayette is viewed as slightly more humanities-driven, but its STEM programs are still excellent, and it has an engineering school (which most liberal arts colleges don’t).
Honestly, Lehigh and Lafayette are pretty interchangeable on this list. Lafayette has a slightly lower acceptance rate, but its incoming student stats are also a little lower. Their graduation rates are identical. Lafayette, with just under 3,000 undergraduates, is a bit smaller, but it’s still fairly large for a liberal arts college.
If you’re trying to choose between one or the other, it’s difficult to do so based on reputation and prestige alone. They’re just too similar in that regard. It’s better to spend some time on both campuses and see which one feels like a better fit.
#8: Bucknell University
- Location: Lewisburg, PA
- U.S. News ranking: #30 in National Liberal Arts Colleges
- Acceptance rate: 33%
- Middle 50% SAT range: 1,170-1,370
- Middle 50% ACT range: 25-32
- Graduation rate: 88%
Bucknell is another solid liberal arts college that also features an engineering program. Whereas most schools have gotten more selective and increased their incoming student stats in recent years, Bucknell has trended slightly in the other direction. Its acceptance rate has actually climbed a bit in recent years, and its SAT and ACT midranges have slightly fallen.
If we’d made this list five years ago, it’s likely that Bucknell would’ve been ahead of both Lafayette and Lehigh. (It’s still slightly ahead of Lafayette in the U.S. News liberal arts college rankings.)
That said, Bucknell’s minor slippage in the rankings doesn’t take away from the fact that it’s still an excellent liberal arts college where you can get a first-class education. Be warned that the school’s location is rural and the party scene is pervasive. But the right student will absolutely thrive there.
#9: American University
- Location: Washington, D.C.
- U.S. News ranking: #105 in National Universities
- Acceptance rate: 41%
- Middle 50% SAT range: 1,290-1,435
- Middle 50% ACT range: 29-33
- Graduation rate: 79%
American University is located in Washington, D.C. For that reason, it attracts many students interested in politics and government. (It also has a reputation for having one of the most left-leaning student bodies in the entire country, which might be a good or bad thing depending on your own ideological perspectives.)
For many years, American was considered the third-best school in the D.C. area at best, behind Georgetown and George Washington University. These days, American is arguably on par with GW and may have even passed it. Its incoming student stats have shot up. But with an acceptance rate of 64%, it’s still a realistic option for most strong students.
#10: Loyola University Maryland
- Location: Baltimore, MD
- U.S. News ranking: #7 in Regional Universities North
- Acceptance rate: 83%
- Middle 50% SAT range: 1,180-1,360
- Middle 50% ACT range: 26-33
- Graduation rate: 81%
Loyola University in Baltimore rounds out our list. We hate having to put a school last when we do these lists, because most conferences we rank — and the Patriot League is certainly no exception — are academically fantastic from top to bottom.
But someone has to bring up the rear. And in this case, it’s Loyola. This Jesuit institution provides an amazing education in an interesting and eclectic city (but also one with very high crime, so be warned if safety is one of your big considerations).
Loyola’s urban location helps students network with employers for internships and job opportunities after graduation. The school’s graduation rate of 81% is strong but not awe-inspiring, and its acceptance rate of 83% makes it a great safety school option if you are shooting for a higher-ranked Patriot League school.
