The Best Small Colleges
These are the top ranked small, public and private, four-year colleges in the United States as ranked by CollegeSimply. These schools all have total enrollment under 3,000. Small colleges allow students a more intimate and personalized experience where it's more likely you will get to know your professors. Leading the list for 2027 is California Institute of Technology. Learn how the Best Small Colleges rankings are calculated on our ranking methodology page.
Saint Norbert College
- Private 4 Year
- De Pere, WI
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| 0 reviews
- 2,032 total enrollment
Saint Norbert is a private Catholic liberal arts college known for undergraduate business, education, and communication. It is the only Norbertine college in the United States, with a residential campus along the Fox River.
- SAT Range 1033-1290
- Avg GPA 3.57
- Acceptance Rate 86%
- Net Price $27,880
Marymount Manhattan College
- Private 4 Year
- New York, NY
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| 0 reviews
- 1,601 total enrollment
Marymount Manhattan is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate theater, dance, and communication arts. The urban campus sits on Manhattan's Upper East Side.
- SAT Range 1105-1323
- Avg GPA 3.45
- Acceptance Rate 83%
- Net Price $38,376
Covenant College
- Private 4 Year
- Lookout Mountain, GA
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| 0 reviews
- 1,100 total enrollment
Covenant is a private Christian liberal arts college known for undergraduate programs taught from a Reformed theological perspective. The mountaintop campus on Lookout Mountain overlooks the Chattanooga valley.
- SAT Range 1160-1380
- Avg GPA 3.7
- Acceptance Rate 87%
- Net Price $27,926
Manhattanville University
- Private 4 Year
- Purchase, NY
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4.4 | 25 reviews
- 2,512 total enrollment
Manhattanville is a private university known for undergraduate education and the liberal arts. The suburban campus occupies a historic estate in Purchase.
- SAT Range 1020-1230
- Avg GPA 3.19
- Acceptance Rate 87%
- Net Price $21,690
Nebraska Wesleyan University
- Private 4 Year
- Lincoln, NE
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5.0 | 2 reviews
- 1,654 total enrollment
Nebraska Wesleyan is a private liberal arts university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and the sciences. Most students live on the residential campus in Lincoln.
- SAT Range 1020-1290
- Avg GPA 3.7
- Acceptance Rate 80%
- Net Price $21,122
Asbury University
- Private 4 Year
- Wilmore, KY
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5.0 | 1 reviews
- 2,100 total enrollment
Asbury is a private Christian university known for undergraduate media communications and equestrian studies. Most students live on the residential campus in the small town of Wilmore.
- SAT Range 1080-1320
- Avg GPA 3.65
- Acceptance Rate 63%
- Net Price $23,033
William Jessup University
- Private 4 Year
- Rocklin, CA
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| 0 reviews
- 1,865 total enrollment
Jessup is a private Christian university known for undergraduate business, psychology, and ministry programs. The suburban campus sits in Rocklin in the greater Sacramento area.
- SAT Range 1041-1228
- Avg GPA 3.33
- Acceptance Rate 93%
- Net Price $29,679
University of Saint Joseph
- Private 4 Year
- West Hartford, CT
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| 0 reviews
- 1,952 total enrollment
University of Saint Joseph is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and pharmacy. Founded as a women's college by the Sisters of Mercy, the West Hartford campus is now fully coeducational.
- SAT Range 850-1170
- Avg GPA 3.46
- Acceptance Rate 79%
- Net Price $29,300
Cornell College
- Private 4 Year
- Mount Vernon, IA
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| 0 reviews
- 1,094 total enrollment
Cornell College is a private liberal arts college known for its One Course At A Time calendar of intensive undergraduate courses. Most students live on the residential campus in the small town of Mount Vernon.
- SAT Range 1120-1285
- Avg GPA 3.53
- Acceptance Rate 80%
- Net Price $25,220
Mount St. Joseph University
- Private 4 Year
- Cincinnati, OH
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| 0 reviews
- 2,265 total enrollment
Mount St. Joseph is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate nursing, health sciences, and education. The hilltop campus overlooks the Ohio River on Cincinnati's west side.
- SAT Range 930-1140
- Avg GPA 3.56
- Acceptance Rate 59%
- Net Price $17,094
Ouachita Baptist University
- Private 4 Year
- Arkadelphia, AR
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| 0 reviews
- 1,858 total enrollment
Ouachita Baptist is a private Baptist university known for undergraduate music, education, and business. Most students live on the residential campus in the small college town of Arkadelphia.
- SAT Range 1070-1280
- Avg GPA 3.72
- Acceptance Rate 68%
- Net Price $24,532
University of Connecticut Stamford
- Public 4 Year
- Stamford, CT
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| 0 reviews
- 2,482 total enrollment
UConn Stamford is a public regional campus known for undergraduate business and digital media. The urban campus sits in downtown Stamford.
- SAT Range 930-1260
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 83%
- Net Price $15,566
Marietta College
- Private 4 Year
- Marietta, OH
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| 0 reviews
- 1,109 total enrollment
Marietta is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate petroleum engineering and environmental science. The campus sits in a historic town along the Ohio River.
- SAT Range 1040-1200
- Avg GPA 3.54
- Acceptance Rate 79%
- Net Price $22,007
Bay Path University
- Private 4 Year
- Longmeadow, MA
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| 0 reviews
- 2,605 total enrollment
Bay Path is a private university known for educating undergraduate women in business, health sciences, and cybersecurity. The residential campus sits in suburban Longmeadow near Springfield.
- SAT Range 1010-1210
- Avg GPA 3.4
- Acceptance Rate 85%
- Net Price $15,463
Capital University
- Private 4 Year
- Columbus, OH
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| 0 reviews
- 2,263 total enrollment
Capital is a private university known for undergraduate music through its conservatory, plus nursing and education. The residential campus sits in Bexley, a suburb of Columbus.
- SAT Range 910-1180
- Avg GPA 3.63
- Acceptance Rate 70%
- Net Price $22,395
King's College
- Private 4 Year
- Wilkes-Barre, PA
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| 0 reviews
- 1,939 total enrollment
King's is a private Catholic college known for undergraduate business and physician assistant studies. The urban campus occupies several blocks in downtown Wilkes-Barre.
- SAT Range 1070-1270
- Avg GPA 3.5
- Acceptance Rate 93%
- Net Price $23,689
Curry College
- Private 4 Year
- Milton, MA
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1.8 | 4 reviews
- 1,994 total enrollment
Curry is a private college known for undergraduate nursing, criminal justice, and communication. The suburban campus sits in Milton just south of Boston.
- SAT Range 1050-1230
- Avg GPA 3.01
- Acceptance Rate 88%
- Net Price $29,917
Saint Francis University
- Private 4 Year
- Loretto, PA
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| 0 reviews
- 2,963 total enrollment
Saint Francis is a private Franciscan university known for undergraduate physical therapy, physician assistant studies, and health sciences. The rural campus sits in the Allegheny Mountains town of Loretto.
- SAT Range 1050-1230
- Avg GPA 3.69
- Acceptance Rate 77%
- Net Price $28,326