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
Southwestern College Campus
 

  • Private 4 Year
  • Winfield, KS
  • | 0 reviews
  • 1,041 total enrollment

Southwestern College is a small private liberal arts college with undergraduate programs in education and business. Students live on a residential campus in the small town of Winfield, Kansas.

#1 Best Private Colleges in Kansas 6/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 900-1220
  • Avg GPA 3.33
  • Acceptance Rate 76%
  • Net Price $29,488
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Southwest Baptist University Campus
 

  • Private 4 Year
  • Bolivar, MO
  • | 0 reviews
  • 2,199 total enrollment

Southwest Baptist is a private Baptist university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and ministry programs. The residential campus sits in the small college town of Bolivar in southwest Missouri.

#6 Best Private Colleges in Missouri 6/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 810-1210
  • Avg GPA 3.55
  • Acceptance Rate 68%
  • Net Price $21,336
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Walsh University Campus
 

  • Private 4 Year
  • North Canton, OH
  • | 0 reviews
  • 2,192 total enrollment

Walsh is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and business. The suburban campus sits in North Canton near Canton, Ohio.

#20 Best Private Colleges in Ohio 6/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1040-1280
  • Predicted Avg GPA 3.38
  • Acceptance Rate 71%
  • Net Price $23,933
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Wayland Baptist University Campus

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  • Private 4 Year
  • Plainview, TX
  • 2.5 | 2 reviews
  • 2,809 total enrollment

Wayland Baptist is a private Baptist university known for undergraduate education, business, and Christian studies. The campus is in the small city of Plainview on the Texas High Plains.

#14 Best Private Colleges in Texas 6/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 900-1090
  • Avg GPA 3.14
  • Acceptance Rate 56%
  • Net Price $20,446
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Catawba College Campus

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  • Private 4 Year
  • Salisbury, NC
  • | 0 reviews
  • 1,376 total enrollment

Catawba is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate environmental science and ecology. The residential campus sits in Salisbury in North Carolina's Piedmont region.

#8 Best Private Colleges in North Carolina 6/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1030-1300
  • Avg GPA 3.64
  • Acceptance Rate 75%
  • Net Price $18,447
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Mount Vernon Nazarene University Campus
 

  • Private 4 Year
  • Mount Vernon, OH
  • 3.5 | 2 reviews
  • 1,671 total enrollment

Mount Vernon Nazarene is a private Christian university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and ministry. Most students live on the residential campus in the small city of Mount Vernon.

#21 Best Private Colleges in Ohio 6/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1046-1315
  • Avg GPA 3.55
  • Acceptance Rate 84%
  • Net Price $22,961
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Westminster College Campus

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  • Private 4 Year
  • New Wilmington, PA
  • | 0 reviews
  • 1,191 total enrollment

Westminster is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate education, business, and the sciences. The residential campus sits in the small college town of New Wilmington.

#43 Best Private Colleges in Pennsylvania 6/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1040-1258
  • Avg GPA 3.57
  • Acceptance Rate 93%
  • Net Price $20,394
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University of Lynchburg Campus

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  • Private 4 Year
  • Lynchburg, VA
  • 5.0 | 1 reviews
  • 2,316 total enrollment

University of Lynchburg is a private university known for undergraduate nursing and health sciences. Students live on a residential campus in Lynchburg near the Blue Ridge Mountains.

#6 Best Private Colleges in Virginia 6/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 980-1230
  • Avg GPA 3.53
  • Acceptance Rate 43%
  • Net Price $23,845
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D'Youville University Campus

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  • Private 4 Year
  • Buffalo, NY
  • | 0 reviews
  • 2,556 total enrollment

D'Youville is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate nursing and health sciences. The compact urban campus sits on Buffalo's west side near the Peace Bridge.

#51 Best Private Colleges in New York 6/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 995-1220
  • Avg GPA 3.68
  • Acceptance Rate 81%
  • Net Price $20,690
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Fisk University Campus

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  • Private 4 Year
  • Nashville, TN
  • | 0 reviews
  • 1,059 total enrollment

Fisk is a private historically Black university known for undergraduate natural sciences and music. The historic urban campus sits in Nashville and is closely tied to the Fisk Jubilee Singers.

#9 Best Private Colleges in Tennessee 6/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1140-1510
  • Avg GPA 3.1
  • Acceptance Rate 37%
  • Net Price $18,595
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Vanguard University of Southern California Campus
 

  • Private 4 Year
  • Costa Mesa, CA
  • 3.5 | 4 reviews
  • 2,246 total enrollment

Vanguard is a private Christian university known for undergraduate nursing, business, and theatre. The suburban Costa Mesa campus is affiliated with the Assemblies of God.

#28 Best Private Colleges in California 6/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 980-1200
  • Avg GPA 3.31
  • Acceptance Rate 62%
  • Net Price $23,286
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University of Hawaii at Hilo Campus

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  • Public 4 Year
  • Hilo, HI
  • | 0 reviews
  • 2,668 total enrollment

UH Hilo is a public university known for undergraduate astronomy, marine science, and Hawaiian studies. The campus sits on Hawaii's Big Island near Mauna Kea and Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.

#3 Best Colleges in Hawaii 6/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 945-1175
  • Avg GPA 3.36
  • Acceptance Rate 61%
  • Net Price $12,673
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Gallaudet University Campus

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  • Private 4 Year
  • Washington, DC
  • | 0 reviews
  • 1,335 total enrollment

Gallaudet is a private university designed for deaf and hard of hearing students, known for undergraduate deaf education, American Sign Language, and interpreting. Students communicate primarily in ASL on the urban Washington, D.C. campus.

#2 Best Value Colleges in District Of Columbia 6/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 780-1022
  • Avg GPA 3.3
  • Acceptance Rate 58%
  • Net Price $15,944
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Lubbock Christian University Campus

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  • Private 4 Year
  • Lubbock, TX
  • 5.0 | 1 reviews
  • 1,595 total enrollment

Lubbock Christian is a private Christian university known for undergraduate nursing and education. The residential campus in Lubbock is affiliated with the Churches of Christ.

#15 Best Private Colleges in Texas 6/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 950-1190
  • Avg GPA 3.71
  • Acceptance Rate 73%
  • Net Price $24,544
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North Park University Campus

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  • Private 4 Year
  • Chicago, IL
  • 4.0 | 1 reviews
  • 2,557 total enrollment

North Park is a private Christian university known for undergraduate nursing, music, and business. The compact urban campus sits in Chicago's North Park neighborhood on the city's North Side.

#20 Best Private Colleges in Illinois 5/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 890-1162
  • Avg GPA 3.14
  • Acceptance Rate 69%
  • Net Price $20,372
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Northwood University Campus

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  • Private 4 Year
  • Midland, MI
  • | 0 reviews
  • 2,409 total enrollment

Northwood is a private university known for undergraduate business, management, and automotive marketing. The Midland campus centers on a specialized free-enterprise business curriculum in central Michigan.

#9 Best Private Colleges in Michigan 5/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 950-1160
  • Avg GPA 3.41
  • Acceptance Rate 65%
  • Net Price $25,549
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Huntington University Campus
 

  • Private 4 Year
  • Huntington, IN
  • | 0 reviews
  • 1,776 total enrollment

Huntington is a private Christian university known for undergraduate education and ministry. Most students live on a residential campus in the small city of Huntington.

#11 Best Private Colleges in Indiana 5/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 930-1150
  • Avg GPA 3.6
  • Acceptance Rate 76%
  • Net Price $19,767
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Dominican University New York Campus
 

  • Private 4 Year
  • Orangeburg, NY
  • | 0 reviews
  • 1,396 total enrollment

Dominican University New York is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and business. The suburban campus in Orangeburg sits in Rockland County north of New York City.

#52 Best Private Colleges in New York 5/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1095-1235
  • Avg GPA 3.09
  • Acceptance Rate 63%
  • Net Price $33,972
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