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.

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Small Public Private 4 Year
Millikin University Campus

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  • Private 4 Year
  • Decatur, IL
  • 3.7 | 3 reviews
  • 1,586 total enrollment

Millikin is a private university known for undergraduate music, theatre, and business. The residential campus is in Decatur in central Illinois.

#18 Best Private Colleges in Illinois 6/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 860-1130
  • Avg GPA 3.4
  • Acceptance Rate 67%
  • Net Price $22,813
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Central College Campus

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  • Private 4 Year
  • Pella, IA
  • | 0 reviews
  • 1,084 total enrollment

Central is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate sciences, education, and study abroad. Most undergrads live on a residential campus in the small college town of Pella.

#9 Best Private Colleges in Iowa 6/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1056-1120
  • Avg GPA 3.52
  • Acceptance Rate 86%
  • Net Price $23,848
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Randolph Macon College Campus

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  • Private 4 Year
  • Ashland, VA
  • | 0 reviews
  • 1,687 total enrollment

Randolph-Macon is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate biology, psychology, and business. Most undergrads live on a historic campus in the small college town of Ashland.

#4 Best Private Colleges in Virginia 6/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 980-1220
  • Avg GPA 3.7
  • Acceptance Rate 87%
  • Net Price $28,912
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University of Pittsburgh Bradford Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Bradford, PA
  • | 0 reviews
  • 1,009 total enrollment

Pitt-Bradford is a public regional campus of the University of Pittsburgh known for undergraduate nursing, biology, and business. The rural campus lies near the Allegheny National Forest in northwestern Pennsylvania.

#5 Best Public Universities in Pennsylvania 6/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1010-1200
  • Avg GPA 3.28
  • Acceptance Rate 89%
  • Net Price $15,830
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Immaculata University Campus

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  • Private 4 Year
  • Immaculata, PA
  • 3.0 | 4 reviews
  • 2,512 total enrollment

Immaculata is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate nursing and education. The suburban Chester County campus was a women's college for most of its history before becoming coeducational.

#39 Best Private Colleges in Pennsylvania 6/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1156-1323
  • Avg GPA 3.5
  • Acceptance Rate 86%
  • Net Price $24,708
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Waynesburg University Campus

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  • Private 4 Year
  • Waynesburg, PA
  • | 0 reviews
  • 1,231 total enrollment

Waynesburg is a private university known for undergraduate nursing and education. The residential campus sits in the small town of Waynesburg in southwestern Pennsylvania.

#40 Best Private Colleges in Pennsylvania 6/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 930-1250
  • Avg GPA 3.64
  • Acceptance Rate 90%
  • Net Price $18,667
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Wartburg College Campus
 

  • Private 4 Year
  • Waverly, IA
  • | 0 reviews
  • 1,483 total enrollment

Wartburg is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate music, education, and biology. Most students live on the residential campus in the small Iowa town of Waverly, with long ties to the Evangelical Lutheran Church.

#1 Best Value Colleges in Iowa 6/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 930-1200
  • Avg GPA 3.48
  • Acceptance Rate 76%
  • Net Price $24,031
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Drury University Campus
 

  • Private 4 Year
  • Springfield, MO
  • | 0 reviews
  • 1,615 total enrollment

Drury is a private university known for undergraduate architecture and business. The urban campus is in Springfield in southwest Missouri.

#4 Best Private Colleges in Missouri 6/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1130-1290
  • Avg GPA 3.79
  • Acceptance Rate 58%
  • Net Price $21,903
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Brigham Young University Hawaii Campus

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  • Private 4 Year
  • Laie, HI
  • 5.0 | 1 reviews
  • 2,906 total enrollment

BYU-Hawaii is a small private university known for undergraduate hospitality and tourism management, business, and Pacific Island studies. The seaside campus in Laie sits on Oahu's North Shore and is affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

#1 Best Value in Hawaii 6/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 960-1190
  • Predicted Avg GPA 3.47
  • Acceptance Rate 47%
  • Net Price $12,410
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St Bonaventure University Campus

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  • Private 4 Year
  • Saint Bonaventure, NY
  • 5.0 | 1 reviews
  • 2,752 total enrollment

St. Bonaventure is a private Franciscan university known for undergraduate journalism, communication, and business. The rural campus sits in southwestern New York near Olean.

#49 Best Private Colleges in New York 6/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1065-1290
  • Avg GPA 3.48
  • Acceptance Rate 82%
  • Net Price $27,373
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Christian Brothers University Campus
 

  • Private 4 Year
  • Memphis, TN
  • | 0 reviews
  • 1,772 total enrollment

Christian Brothers is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate engineering and business. The urban campus sits in midtown Memphis.

#8 Best Private Colleges in Tennessee 6/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1020-1380
  • Avg GPA 3.67
  • Acceptance Rate 87%
  • Net Price $16,754
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University of Pittsburgh Johnstown Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Johnstown, PA
  • | 0 reviews
  • 1,813 total enrollment

Pitt-Johnstown is a public regional campus of the University of Pittsburgh known for undergraduate engineering and nursing. The residential campus sits on a wooded hillside in Pennsylvania's Laurel Highlands.

#6 Best Public Universities in Pennsylvania 6/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 985-1220
  • Avg GPA 3.57
  • Acceptance Rate 95%
  • Net Price $18,452
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Mount Saint Mary College Campus

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  • Private 4 Year
  • Newburgh, NY
  • | 0 reviews
  • 2,491 total enrollment

Mount Saint Mary is a private Catholic college known for undergraduate nursing and education. The campus overlooks the Hudson River in Newburgh.

#50 Best Private Colleges in New York 6/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1090-1255
  • Avg GPA 3.3
  • Acceptance Rate 89%
  • Net Price $26,896
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Montana Technological University Campus
 

  • Public 4 Year
  • Butte, MT
  • | 0 reviews
  • 1,702 total enrollment

Montana Tech is a public university known for undergraduate mining, petroleum, and geological engineering. The campus sits in the historic mining city of Butte.

#1 Best Public Universities in Montana 6/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1040-1260
  • Avg GPA 3.5
  • Acceptance Rate 91%
  • Net Price $16,665
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Fresno Pacific University Campus

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  • Private 4 Year
  • Fresno, CA
  • | 0 reviews
  • 2,879 total enrollment

Fresno Pacific is a private Christian university known for undergraduate teacher education and nursing. The campus is located in Fresno in California's Central Valley.

#27 Best Private Colleges in California 6/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 970-1240
  • Avg GPA 3.54
  • Acceptance Rate 64%
  • Net Price $15,261
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Spring Arbor University Campus
 

  • Private 4 Year
  • Spring Arbor, MI
  • 3.2 | 4 reviews
  • 2,441 total enrollment

Spring Arbor is a private Free Methodist university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and social work. The residential campus sits in the small village of Spring Arbor in south-central Michigan.

#8 Best Private Colleges in Michigan 6/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1010-1240
  • Avg GPA 3.61
  • Acceptance Rate 52%
  • Net Price $21,067
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Cedar Crest College Campus

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  • Private 4 Year
  • Allentown, PA
  • 5.0 | 1 reviews
  • 1,290 total enrollment

Cedar Crest is a private women's college known for undergraduate nursing and forensic science. The suburban campus sits in Allentown in Pennsylvania's Lehigh Valley.

#42 Best Private Colleges in Pennsylvania 6/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1000-1230
  • Avg GPA 3.42
  • Acceptance Rate 84%
  • Net Price $23,691
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Otterbein University Campus

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  • Private 4 Year
  • Westerville, OH
  • | 0 reviews
  • 2,332 total enrollment

Otterbein is a private university known for undergraduate theatre, musical theatre, and nursing. The historic campus sits in Westerville, a suburb of Columbus.

#19 Best Private Colleges in Ohio 6/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1035-1260
  • Avg GPA 3.66
  • Acceptance Rate 85%
  • Net Price $20,457
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