Top Liberal Arts Colleges

Academic OverviewKey Fact

Institutional Characteristics

The following table compares the basic academic information between Top 100 Liberal Arts Colleges. By school type, there are 8 public and 92 private schools in Top 100 Liberal Arts Colleges. By school level, all 100 schools are 4 years or high institutes.

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Academic Comparison - Top 100 Liberal Arts Colleges
Rank	Name	Location	Type/Level	Highest Degree	Offered Degree
1	Pomona College	Claremont, CA	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Bachelor's Degree	Bachelor
2	Claremont McKenna College	Claremont, CA	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Master's Degree	Bachelor, Master
3	Swarthmore College	Swarthmore, PA	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Bachelor's Degree	Bachelor
4	Williams College	Williamstown, MA	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Master's Degree	Bachelor, Master
5	Barnard College	New York, NY	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Bachelor's Degree	Bachelor
6	Amherst College	Amherst, MA	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Bachelor's Degree	Bachelor
7	Harvey Mudd College	Claremont, CA	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Bachelor's Degree	Bachelor
8	Washington and Lee University	Lexington, VA	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Doctor's Degree	Bachelor, Doctorate
9	Bowdoin College	Brunswick, ME	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Bachelor's Degree	Bachelor
10	Davidson College	Davidson, NC	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Bachelor's Degree	Bachelor
11	Wellesley College	Wellesley, MA	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Bachelor's Degree	Bachelor
12	Soka University of America	Aliso Viejo, CA	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Master's Degree	Bachelor, Master
13	Carleton College	Northfield, MN	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Bachelor's Degree	Bachelor
14	Colby College	Waterville, ME	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Bachelor's Degree	Bachelor
15	Middlebury College	Middlebury, VT	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Doctor's Degree	Bachelor, Master, Doctorate
16	Thomas Aquinas College	Santa Paula, CA	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Bachelor's Degree	Bachelor
17	United States Naval Academy	Annapolis, MD	Public, 4 or more years	Bachelor's Degree	Bachelor
18	Haverford College	Haverford, PA	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Bachelor's Degree	Bachelor
19	Hamilton College	Clinton, NY	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Bachelor's Degree	Bachelor
20	Vassar College	Poughkeepsie, NY	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Master's Degree	Bachelor, Master
21	Scripps College	Claremont, CA	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Bachelor's Degree	Bachelor, Post-Graduate
22	Pitzer College	Claremont, CA	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Bachelor's Degree	Bachelor
23	Colgate University	Hamilton, NY	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Master's Degree	Bachelor, Master
24	Wesleyan University	Middletown, CT	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Doctor's Degree	Bachelor, Master, Doctorate, Post-Graduate
25	Colorado College	Colorado Springs, CO	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Master's Degree	Bachelor, Master
26	Principia College	Elsah, IL	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Bachelor's Degree	Bachelor
27	University of Richmond	University of Richmond, VA	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Doctor's Degree	Certificate, Associate, Bachelor, Master, Doctorate, Post-Graduate
28	Lafayette College	Easton, PA	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Bachelor's Degree	Bachelor
29	Oberlin College	Oberlin, OH	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Master's Degree	Certificate, Bachelor, Master, Post-Graduate
30	University of New Hampshire at Manchester	Manchester, NH	Public, 4 or more years	Bachelor's Degree	Associate, Bachelor
31	Berea College	Berea, KY	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Bachelor's Degree	Bachelor
32	Bucknell University	Lewisburg, PA	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Master's Degree	Bachelor, Master
33	United States Military Academy	West Point, NY	Public, 4 or more years	Bachelor's Degree	Bachelor
34	Grinnell College	Grinnell, IA	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Bachelor's Degree	Bachelor
35	Macalester College	Saint Paul, MN	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Bachelor's Degree	Bachelor
36	Bates College	Lewiston, ME	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Bachelor's Degree	Bachelor
37	United States Air Force Academy	USAF Academy, CO	Public, 4 or more years	Bachelor's Degree	Bachelor
38	Trinity College	Hartford, CT	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Master's Degree	Bachelor, Master
39	Smith College	Northampton, MA	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Doctor's Degree	Bachelor, Master, Doctorate, Post-Graduate
40	Wheaton College	Wheaton, IL	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Doctor's Degree	Bachelor, Master, Doctorate, Post-Graduate
41	Connecticut College	New London, CT	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Master's Degree	Bachelor, Master
42	St. John's College	Annapolis, MD	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Master's Degree	Bachelor, Master
43	Occidental College	Los Angeles, CA	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Master's Degree	Bachelor, Master
44	Skidmore College	Saratoga Springs, NY	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Master's Degree	Bachelor, Master
45	Bryn Mawr College	Bryn Mawr, PA	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Doctor's Degree	Bachelor, Master, Doctorate, Post-Graduate
46	Kenyon College	Gambier, OH	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Bachelor's Degree	Bachelor
47	Mount Holyoke College	South Hadley, MA	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Master's Degree	Bachelor, Master, Post-Graduate
48	Denison University	Granville, OH	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Bachelor's Degree	Bachelor
49	St Olaf College	Northfield, MN	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Bachelor's Degree	Bachelor
50	College of the Holy Cross	Worcester, MA	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Bachelor's Degree	Bachelor
51	St. John's College	Santa Fe, NM	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Master's Degree	Bachelor, Master
52	Hillsdale College	Hillsdale, MI	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Doctor's Degree	Bachelor, Master, Doctorate
53	Whitman College	Walla Walla, WA	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Bachelor's Degree	Bachelor
54	Reed College	Portland, OR	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Master's Degree	Bachelor, Master
55	Union College	Schenectady, NY	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Bachelor's Degree	Bachelor
56	Sarah Lawrence College	Bronxville, NY	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Master's Degree	Bachelor, Master
57	Wabash College	Crawfordsville, IN	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Bachelor's Degree	Bachelor
58	Franklin and Marshall College	Lancaster, PA	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Bachelor's Degree	Bachelor
59	Wheaton College	Norton, MA	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Bachelor's Degree	Bachelor
60	Elizabethtown College	Elizabethtown, PA	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Master's Degree	Certificate, Bachelor, Master
61	Virginia Military Institute	Lexington, VA	Public, 4 or more years	Bachelor's Degree	Bachelor
62	Hobart William Smith Colleges	Geneva, NY	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Master's Degree	Bachelor, Master
63	Saint Johns University	Collegeville, MN	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Master's Degree	Bachelor, Master
64	Muhlenberg College	Allentown, PA	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Bachelor's Degree	Certificate, Associate, Bachelor
65	Hope College	Holland, MI	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Bachelor's Degree	Bachelor
66	Centre College	Danville, KY	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Bachelor's Degree	Bachelor
67	Hendrix College	Conway, AR	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Master's Degree	Bachelor, Master
68	St Lawrence University	Canton, NY	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Master's Degree	Bachelor, Master, Post-Graduate
69	Illinois Wesleyan University	Bloomington, IL	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Bachelor's Degree	Bachelor
70	Ursinus College	Collegeville, PA	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Bachelor's Degree	Bachelor
71	Wofford College	Spartanburg, SC	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Bachelor's Degree	Bachelor
72	Furman University	Greenville, SC	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Master's Degree	Bachelor, Master, Post-Graduate
73	Lawrence University	Appleton, WI	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Bachelor's Degree	Bachelor
74	College of Saint Benedict	Saint Joseph, MN	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Bachelor's Degree	Bachelor
75	DePauw University	Greencastle, IN	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Bachelor's Degree	Bachelor
76	Saint Anselm College	Manchester, NH	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Bachelor's Degree	Bachelor
77	The University of Virginia's College at Wise	Wise, VA	Public, 4 or more years	Bachelor's Degree	Bachelor
78	Saint Mary's College	Notre Dame, IN	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Doctor's Degree	Bachelor, Master, Doctorate
79	Bennington College	Bennington, VT	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Master's Degree	Bachelor, Master
80	Centenary College of Louisiana	Shreveport, LA	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Master's Degree	Bachelor, Master
81	Wesleyan College	Macon, GA	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Master's Degree	Bachelor, Master
82	Allegheny College	Meadville, PA	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Bachelor's Degree	Bachelor
83	Gettysburg College	Gettysburg, PA	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Bachelor's Degree	Bachelor
84	The King's College	New York, NY	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Bachelor's Degree	Bachelor
85	Dickinson College	Carlisle, PA	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Bachelor's Degree	Bachelor
86	The College of Wooster	Wooster, OH	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Bachelor's Degree	Bachelor
87	Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Brandywine	Media, PA	Public, 4 or more years	Bachelor's Degree	Certificate, Associate, Bachelor
88	Earlham College	Richmond, IN	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Master's Degree	Bachelor, Master, Post-Graduate
89	Luther College	Decorah, IA	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Bachelor's Degree	Bachelor
90	Meredith College	Raleigh, NC	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Master's Degree	Bachelor, Master, Post-Graduate
91	Rhodes College	Memphis, TN	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Master's Degree	Bachelor, Master
92	Agnes Scott College	Decatur, GA	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Master's Degree	Bachelor, Master
93	Austin College	Sherman, TX	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Master's Degree	Bachelor, Master
94	Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts	North Adams, MA	Public, 4 or more years	Master's Degree	Certificate, Bachelor, Master, Post-Graduate
95	Thomas More College of Liberal Arts	Merrimack, NH	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Bachelor's Degree	Bachelor
96	Gordon College	Wenham, MA	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Master's Degree	Bachelor, Master, Post-Graduate
97	Sweet Briar College	Sweet Briar, VA	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Master's Degree	Bachelor, Master
98	Bard College	Annandale-On-Hudson, NY	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Doctor's Degree	Associate, Bachelor, Master, Doctorate
99	Concordia College at Moorhead	Moorhead, MN	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Master's Degree	Bachelor, Master
100	Emmanuel College	Boston, MA	Private (not-for-profit), 4 or more years	Master's Degree	Bachelor, Master, Post-Graduate

Key Facts Comparison

The average tuition & fees of Top 100 Liberal Arts Colleges is $45,226 for State residents and $50,628 for out-of-state students. The average acceptance rate is 47.94% and graduation rate is 80.53%. The following table compares key facts for each schools including acceptance rate, graduation rate, tuition, student to faculty ratio, and student population.

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Key Facts Comparison Between Top 100 Liberal Arts Colleges
	Rank	Name	Tuition & Fees	Acceptance Rate	Graduation Rate	Student Faculty Ratio	Student Population
	1	Pomona College	$56,686	9%	94%	7:1	1,475
	2	Claremont McKenna College	$58,111	13%	92%	8:1	1,264
	3	Swarthmore College	$56,056	9%	97%	8:1	1,437
	4	Williams College	$59,660	15%	96%	6:1	1,987
	5	Barnard College	$59,687	14%	90%	9:1	2,744
	6	Amherst College	$61,150	12%	95%	7:1	1,745
	7	Harvey Mudd College	$60,703	18%	93%	8:1	854
	8	Washington and Lee University	$59,380	25%	93%	8:1	2,183
	9	Bowdoin College	$58,322	9%	95%	9:1	1,777
	10	Davidson College	$55,200	20%	93%	9:1	1,983
	11	Wellesley College	$60,752	20%	94%	8:1	2,280
	12	Soka University of America	$34,166	52%	87%	8:1	403
	13	Carleton College	$60,225	21%	94%	9:1	1,940
	14	Colby College	$61,220	10%	90%	10:1	2,155
	15	Middlebury College	$59,770	22%	94%	8:1	2,669
	16	Thomas Aquinas College	$26,000	86%	84%	11:1	462
	17	United States Naval Academy	-$1 / -	9%	90%	8:1	4,594
	18	Haverford College	$61,210	18%	93%	8:1	1,307
	19	Hamilton College	$59,970	18%	91%	9:1	1,902
	20	Vassar College	$62,870	25%	88%	8:1	2,435
	21	Scripps College	$58,442	35%	88%	10:1	958
	22	Pitzer College	$57,978	17%	83%	10:1	922
	23	Colgate University	$61,966	27%	91%	9:1	3,054
	24	Wesleyan University	$62,049	21%	91%	8:1	3,053
	25	Colorado College	$62,070	14%	88%	10:1	2,050
	26	Principia College	$30,820	93%	75%	6:1	340
	27	University of Richmond	$58,570	31%	88%	8:1	4,056
	28	Lafayette College	$57,114	36%	90%	10:1	2,514
	29	Oberlin College	$60,240	35%	86%	9:1	2,658
	30	University of New Hampshire at Manchester	$15,785 / $33,985	85%	58%	10:1	717
	31	Berea College	$43,612	33%	67%	10:1	1,432
	32	Bucknell University	$59,802	38%	88%	9:1	3,726
	33	United States Military Academy	$0 / -	9%	85%	7:1	4,536
	34	Grinnell College	$58,648	19%	87%	9:1	1,493
	35	Macalester College	$60,518	39%	93%	10:1	2,049
	36	Bates College	$59,062	14%	92%	10:1	1,876
	37	United States Air Force Academy	$0 / -	13%	87%	8:1	4,307
	38	Trinity College	$61,370	36%	82%	9:1	2,241
	39	Smith College	$56,114	37%	87%	9:1	2,504
	40	Wheaton College	$40,820	87%	88%	10:1	2,908
	41	Connecticut College	$60,795	38%	82%	9:1	1,737
	42	St. John's College	$36,170	61%	66%	7:1	446
	43	Occidental College	$58,426	41%	84%	9:1	1,839
	44	Skidmore College	$56,322	32%	86%	8:1	2,582
	45	Bryn Mawr College	$56,320	38%	85%	9:1	1,634
	46	Kenyon College	$63,310	37%	89%	10:1	1,615
	47	Mount Holyoke College	$56,518	52%	84%	9:1	2,040
	48	Denison University	$57,500	28%	80%	9:1	2,258
	49	St Olaf College	$52,670	51%	85%	12:1	2,953
	50	College of the Holy Cross	$56,540	38%	93%	10:1	2,970
	51	St. John's College	$35,710	69%	73%	7:1	355
	52	Hillsdale College	$30,042	36%	88%	9:1	1,543
	53	Whitman College	$55,982	54%	86%	9:1	1,360
	54	Reed College	$62,730	42%	77%	9:1	1,385
	55	Union College	$61,659	41%	86%	10:1	2,047
	56	Sarah Lawrence College	$59,470	55%	72%	9:1	1,506
	57	Wabash College	$45,850	63%	75%	10:1	868
	58	Franklin and Marshall College	$63,406	37%	85%	9:1	2,254
	59	Wheaton College	$58,180	77%	78%	11:1	1,670
	60	Elizabethtown College	$34,600	86%	72%	11:1	1,881
	61	Virginia Military Institute	$19,670 / $48,324	60%	85%	10:1	1,698
	62	Hobart William Smith Colleges	$60,240	62%	77%	10:1	1,833
	63	Saint Johns University	$49,842	81%	74%	12:1	1,668
	64	Muhlenberg College	$55,830	62%	81%	10:1	2,067
	65	Hope College	$36,650	78%	76%	11:1	3,061
	66	Centre College	$46,000	72%	83%	11:1	1,333
	67	Hendrix College	$33,350	71%	65%	10:1	1,077
	68	St Lawrence University	$60,220	47%	80%	11:1	2,319
	69	Illinois Wesleyan University	$52,512	57%	82%	11:1	1,636
	70	Ursinus College	$56,600	80%	74%	10:1	1,493
	71	Wofford College	$49,550	53%	80%	11:1	1,764
	72	Furman University	$53,372	65%	81%	10:1	2,567
	73	Lawrence University	$52,401	69%	79%	8:1	1,430
	74	College of Saint Benedict	$50,126	84%	85%	12:1	1,668
	75	DePauw University	$53,896	68%	87%	9:1	1,752
	76	Saint Anselm College	$43,910	76%	84%	11:1	2,019
	77	The University of Virginia's College at Wise	$11,162 / $30,672	83%	52%	11:1	1,905
	78	Saint Mary's College	$48,010	82%	81%	9:1	1,581
	79	Bennington College	$59,638	60%	71%	9:1	799
	80	Centenary College of Louisiana	$38,060	64%	56%	9:1	563
	81	Wesleyan College	$26,390	60%	51%	8:1	779
	82	Allegheny College	$52,530	73%	73%	10:1	1,667
	83	Gettysburg College	$59,960	48%	84%	9:1	2,507
	84	The King's College	$37,690	39%	50%	15:1	442
	85	Dickinson College	$58,733	52%	84%	9:1	1,932
	86	The College of Wooster	$55,500	65%	74%	11:1	1,924
	87	Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Brandywine	$14,838 / $24,110	87%	71%	13:1	1,351
	88	Earlham College	$49,323	59%	67%	10:1	815
	89	Luther College	$46,760	64%	77%	11:1	1,802
	90	Meredith College	$41,224	72%	64%	11:1	1,802
	91	Rhodes College	$50,910	51%	82%	10:1	1,875
	92	Agnes Scott College	$44,250	68%	72%	10:1	1,080
	93	Austin College	$43,525	49%	71%	13:1	1,302
	94	Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts	$11,306 / $20,251	88%	53%	11:1	1,202
	95	Thomas More College of Liberal Arts	$25,200	90%	76%	9:1	80
	96	Gordon College	$26,250	68%	72%	11:1	1,816
	97	Sweet Briar College	$23,080	76%	32%	7:1	362
	98	Bard College	$57,968	57%	74%	9:1	2,465
	99	Concordia College at Moorhead	$28,016	58%	68%	12:1	1,973
	100	Emmanuel College	$43,572	76%	62%	13:1	1,946
Average			$45,226 / $50,628	47.94%	80.53%	9.50:1	1,833