Ursinus College, Other Schools Rank in Top 100 for Athletics & Academics

Thirty-five Pennsylvania schools placed in the top 100 schools in the National Collegiate Scouting Association's yearly Power Rankings. 

Local college Ursinus College was ranked 87th in the top 100 NCAA Division III schools. 

The NCSA is an organization dedicated to helping student-athletes and college coaches connect. It publishes this annual Power Rankings list as a tool to help student-athletes evaluate a school's offerings in both academics and athletics. 

The NCSA compiles their scores from three sources: student-athlete graduation rates, U.S. News and World Report's academic rankings, and the Learfield Sports Directors' Cup, which is awarded to a school that is successful in a wide range of sports. 

Quoted in a press release, Lisa Strasman, COO and President of NCSA Athletic Recruiting said, “The Power Rankings are an objective tool to empower student athletes to find the right fit in a college or university, not only for its athletics, but academics as well."

"Our hope is to educate these student athletes and their parents on the importance of evaluating schools that will provide the education for an enriched, successful career after college, in addition to athletic success.” Strasman said.

The NCSA does an overall power ranking as well as rankings in each NCAA Division (I, II, and III).

The Pennsylvania schools that ranked in the overall top 100 (from all three NCAA divisions) were: 

• University of Pennsylvania, 21st
• Haverford College, 33rd
• The Pennsylvania State University - University Park, 41st
• Villanova University, 46th
• Lehigh University, 81st
• Franklin & Marshall College, 92nd

In addition to UPenn, Penn State, Villanova and Lehigh, three other schools ranked in the top 100 for Division I schools: 

• Bucknell University, 58th in Div. I
• Lafayette College, 62nd in Div. I
• St. Joseph's University, 98th in Div. I

Twelve Pennsylvania schools ranked in the top 100 Division II schools, and sixteen Pennsylvania schools ranked in the top 100 Division III schools. 

The Division II schools included California University of Pennsylvania; Seton Hill University; Millersville University; Philadelphia University; Chestnut Hill College; Gannon University; Bloomsburg University; Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania; East Stroudsburg University; Mercyhurst College; Shippensburg University; and the University of Pittsburgh Johnstown. 

In addition to Ursinus, the Division III schools were: Haverford College; Franklin & Marshall College; Carnegie-Mellon University; Swarthmore College; Dickinson College; Gettysburg College; Muhlenberg College; Elizabethtown College; Grove City College; Messiah College; the University of Scranton; Bryn Mawr College; Westminster College; Juniata College; and Lebanon Valley College.