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

Key Facts Comparison

The average tuition & fees of Top 100 Liberal Arts Colleges is $45,239 for State residents and $52,379 for out-of-state students. The average acceptance rate is 44.80% and graduation rate is 81.02%. 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	$59,238	7.00%	93%	7:1	1,764
	2	Claremont McKenna College	$60,715	10.00%	93%	8:1	1,422
	3	Swarthmore College	$59,328	7.00%	94%	8:1	1,651
	4	Williams College	$61,770	8.00%	94%	6:1	2,224
	5	Barnard College	$62,525	9.00%	93%	10:1	3,043
	6	Amherst College	$64,100	7.00%	92%	7:1	1,971
	7	Harvey Mudd College	$62,817	13.00%	94%	9:1	905
	8	Washington and Lee University	$61,750	17.00%	94%	8:1	2,238
	9	Bowdoin College	$61,528	9.00%	94%	9:1	1,951
	10	Davidson College	$57,340	16.99%	90%	10:1	1,973
	11	Wellesley College	$61,920	14.00%	92%	8:1	2,461
	12	Soka University of America	$35,544	57.03%	91%	7:1	445
	13	Carleton College	$62,634	17.00%	91%	8:1	2,044
	14	Colby College	$63,520	8.00%	87%	10:1	2,262
	15	Middlebury College	$62,460	13.00%	91%	9:1	2,937
	16	Thomas Aquinas College	$27,000	85.11%	86%	11:1	497
	17	United States Naval Academy	-$1 / -	8.45%	91%	8:1	4,528
	18	Haverford College	$63,628	14.00%	90%	8:1	1,420
	19	Hamilton College	$62,670	12.00%	92%	9:1	2,055
	20	Vassar College	$64,800	19.00%	93%	8:1	2,516
	21	Scripps College	$60,712	28.01%	82%	10:1	1,116
	22	Pitzer College	$60,578	18.00%	88%	12:1	1,168
	23	Colgate University	$64,290	12.00%	90%	9:1	3,176
	24	Wesleyan University	$64,322	14.00%	91%	8:1	3,581
	25	Colorado College	$65,028	16.00%	86%	9:1	2,266
	26	Principia College	$32,130	47.85%	86%	5:1	321
	27	University of Richmond	$60,330	24.00%	89%	8:1	3,890
	28	Lafayette College	$59,368	34.00%	88%	10:1	2,725
	29	Oberlin College	$62,024	35.00%	82%	9:1	2,953
	30	University of New Hampshire at Manchester	$15,804 / $34,664	85.00%	60%	9:1	664
	31	Berea College	$45,026	24.99%	66%	9:1	1,468
	32	Bucknell University	$61,746	33.00%	88%	9:1	3,757
	33	United States Military Academy	$0 / -	10.66%	84%	7:1	4,594
	34	Grinnell College	$61,480	11.00%	87%	9:1	1,748
	35	Macalester College	$62,500	28.01%	90%	10:1	2,244
	36	Bates College	$61,066	14.00%	92%	10:1	1,821
	37	United States Air Force Academy	$0 / -	12.43%	86%	8:1	4,181
	38	Trinity College	$63,930	36.00%	85%	9:1	2,190
	39	Smith College	$58,768	23.00%	91%	9:1	2,924
	40	Wheaton College	$42,240	88.01%	88%	11:1	3,047
	41	Connecticut College	$63,005	40.00%	81%	9:1	1,829
	42	St. John's College	$37,260	50.00%	75%	8:1	540
	43	Occidental College	$60,566	39.00%	83%	9:1	1,964
	44	Skidmore College	$62,398	26.00%	84%	8:1	2,686
	45	Bryn Mawr College	$59,330	31.00%	87%	9:1	1,778
	46	Kenyon College	$66,490	33.99%	87%	9:1	1,875
	47	Mount Holyoke College	$58,498	40.01%	85%	10:1	2,342
	48	Denison University	$60,000	22.00%	81%	9:1	2,321
	49	St Olaf College	$54,650	55.99%	85%	12:1	2,988
	50	College of the Holy Cross	$58,360	36.00%	93%	10:1	3,029
	51	St. John's College	$37,090	54.08%	72%	7:1	449
	52	Hillsdale College	$30,902	21.01%	88%	8:1	1,602
	53	Whitman College	$58,622	48.01%	89%	9:1	1,559
	54	Reed College	$64,760	31.00%	73%	9:1	1,566
	55	Union College	$63,954	47.00%	85%	9:1	2,096
	56	Sarah Lawrence College	$61,234	50.00%	76%	11:1	1,766
	57	Wabash College	$47,475	61.02%	83%	9:1	840
	58	Franklin and Marshall College	$65,844	36.00%	83%	9:1	2,145
	59	Wheaton College (Massachusetts)	$60,230	78.99%	73%	12:1	1,701
	60	Elizabethtown College	$35,670	80.99%	75%	12:1	1,933
	61	Virginia Military Institute	$19,914 / $49,722	70.97%	74%	10:1	1,652
	62	Hobart William Smith Colleges	$61,725	68.00%	73%	9:1	1,684
	63	Saint Johns University	$52,164	85.99%	79%	11:1	1,643
	64	Muhlenberg College	$58,205	66.00%	82%	9:1	2,095
	65	Hope College	$38,370	80.01%	81%	11:1	3,132
	66	Centre College	$48,070	63.00%	86%	9:1	1,320
	67	Hendrix College	$35,100	59.99%	73%	11:1	1,120
	68	St Lawrence University	$62,020	62.99%	82%	11:1	2,279
	69	Illinois Wesleyan University	$53,814	41.99%	81%	12:1	1,653
	70	Ursinus College	$58,016	81.99%	72%	10:1	1,556
	71	Wofford College	$51,530	60.00%	80%	11:1	1,765
	72	Furman University	$55,772	66.99%	82%	9:1	2,463
	73	Lawrence University	$53,979	72.00%	80%	8:1	1,483
	74	College of Saint Benedict	$52,108	87.98%	77%	11:1	1,557
	75	DePauw University	$55,410	66.00%	83%	9:1	1,724
	76	Saint Anselm College	$45,340	81.99%	77%	11:1	1,977
	77	University of Virginia's College at Wise	$11,498 / $31,592	76.05%	39%	11:1	1,814
	78	Saint Mary's College	$49,930	83.98%	74%	9:1	1,527
	79	Bennington College	$61,448	44.98%	68%	10:1	884
	80	Centenary College of Louisiana	$38,820	64.00%	57%	8:1	542
	81	Wesleyan College	$27,650	67.03%	56%	9:1	734
	82	Allegheny College	$53,610	70.01%	75%	9:1	1,575
	83	Gettysburg College	$61,760	56.00%	82%	10:1	2,401
	84	The King's College	$21,690	44.95%	58%	10:1	384
	85	Dickinson College	$61,351	35.00%	82%	9:1	2,186
	86	The College of Wooster	$57,500	56.01%	77%	11:1	1,968
	87	Pennsylvania State University-Penn State Brandywine	$15,139 / $24,833	-	-	13:1	1,351
	88	Earlham College	$50,058	73.02%	73%	7:1	736
	89	Luther College	$48,160	75.00%	73%	11:1	1,744
	90	Meredith College	$42,540	73.01%	68%	10:1	1,711
	91	Rhodes College	$52,310	54.01%	85%	10:1	2,073
	92	Agnes Scott College	$45,786	67.00%	75%	12:1	1,109
	93	Austin College	$44,950	54.01%	68%	11:1	1,228
	94	Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts	$11,590 / $20,535	92.03%	58%	9:1	994
	95	Thomas More College of Liberal Arts	$28,000	-	90%	11:1	89
	96	Gordon College	$27,040	91.97%	72%	11:1	1,804
	97	Sweet Briar College	$23,590	76.00%	42%	10:1	454
	98	Bard College	$60,622	46.00%	71%	9:1	2,591
	99	Concordia College at Moorhead	$28,916	66.00%	74%	12:1	1,919
	100	Emmanuel College	$44,908	80.00%	70%	13:1	1,950
Average			$45,239 / $52,379	44.80%	81.02%	9.43:1	1,900