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.
Hiram College
- Private 4 Year
- Hiram, OH
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| 0 reviews
- 1,061 total enrollment
Hiram is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate sciences and biomedical humanities. Students follow the Hiram Plan of 12-week terms paired with intensive three-week courses.
- SAT Range 890-1100
- Avg GPA 3.28
- Acceptance Rate 94%
- Net Price $21,868
Anderson University
- Private 4 Year
- Anderson, IN
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| 0 reviews
- 1,228 total enrollment
Anderson University is a private Christian university known for undergraduate music, nursing, and business. Most students live on its residential campus in Anderson, northeast of Indianapolis.
- SAT Range 900-1150
- Avg GPA 3.4
- Acceptance Rate 79%
- Net Price $25,332
Northwestern College
- Private 4 Year
- Orange City, IA
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4.0 | 2 reviews
- 1,705 total enrollment
Northwestern College is a private Christian liberal arts college known for undergraduate education and nursing. The campus sits in the small town of Orange City in northwest Iowa.
- SAT Range 940-1240
- Avg GPA 3.57
- Acceptance Rate 80%
- Net Price $26,347
Averett University
- Private 4 Year
- Danville, VA
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1.6 | 5 reviews
- 1,476 total enrollment
Averett is a private university known for undergraduate aviation and business programs. The small campus sits in the city of Danville near the North Carolina border.
- SAT Range 926-1143
- Avg GPA 3.07
- Acceptance Rate 57%
- Net Price $23,471
Thomas University
- Private 4 Year
- Thomasville, GA
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| 0 reviews
- 1,471 total enrollment
Thomas University is a private university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and business. The small campus is located in Thomasville in southern Georgia.
- SAT Range 990-1220
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 38%
- Net Price $17,823
Quincy University
- Private 4 Year
- Quincy, IL
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2.3 | 3 reviews
- 1,210 total enrollment
Quincy is a small private Catholic university in the Franciscan tradition known for undergraduate nursing, business, and education. The residential campus is in the Mississippi River city of Quincy.
- SAT Range 1000-1200
- Avg GPA 3.47
- Acceptance Rate 51%
- Net Price $19,477
Maryville College
- Private 4 Year
- Maryville, TN
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| 0 reviews
- 1,136 total enrollment
Maryville is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate environmental studies and outdoor programs. The residential campus sits near the Great Smoky Mountains in East Tennessee.
- SAT Range 1018-1188
- Avg GPA 3.61
- Acceptance Rate 61%
- Net Price $21,469
Emory & Henry University
- Private 4 Year
- Emory, VA
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| 0 reviews
- 1,311 total enrollment
Emory & Henry is a private liberal arts university known for undergraduate teacher education and the social sciences. The rural campus sits in the Appalachian Mountains of southwestern Virginia.
- SAT Range 1051-1223
- Avg GPA 3.5
- Acceptance Rate 84%
- Net Price $21,446
Hardin Simmons University
- Private 4 Year
- Abilene, TX
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5.0 | 1 reviews
- 1,665 total enrollment
Hardin-Simmons is a private Baptist university known for undergraduate nursing, music, and education. The residential campus is located in Abilene in West Texas.
- SAT Range 1010-1190
- Avg GPA 3.43
- Acceptance Rate 90%
- Net Price $19,811
Friends University
- Private 4 Year
- Wichita, KS
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5.0 | 1 reviews
- 1,961 total enrollment
Friends is a private Christian university known for undergraduate music and business. The Wichita campus retains its Quaker-founded identity.
- SAT Range 960-1090
- Avg GPA 3.4
- Acceptance Rate 55%
- Net Price $28,889
Flagler College
- Private 4 Year
- Saint Augustine, FL
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0.0 | 1 reviews
- 2,425 total enrollment
Flagler is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate business, education, and communication. The historic campus centers on the former Hotel Ponce de Leon in downtown St. Augustine.
- SAT Range 960-1190
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.38
- Acceptance Rate 81%
- Net Price $32,395
Piedmont University
- Private 4 Year
- Demorest, GA
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2.0 | 2 reviews
- 1,857 total enrollment
Piedmont is a private university known for undergraduate education and nursing. The campus is set in the small town of Demorest in northeast Georgia's Blue Ridge foothills.
- SAT Range 1038-1245
- Avg GPA 3.54
- Acceptance Rate 93%
- Net Price $22,252
Freed Hardeman University
- Private 4 Year
- Henderson, TN
-
| 0 reviews
- 2,306 total enrollment
Freed-Hardeman is a private Christian university affiliated with the Churches of Christ, known for undergraduate biblical studies, ministry, and education. The residential campus sits in the small town of Henderson in West Tennessee.
- SAT Range 952-1087
- Avg GPA 3.75
- Acceptance Rate 60%
- Net Price $20,178
University of Pittsburgh Greensburg
- Public 4 Year
- Greensburg, PA
-
| 0 reviews
- 1,321 total enrollment
Pitt-Greensburg is a regional public campus of the University of Pittsburgh known for undergraduate biology, psychology, and business management. The residential campus sits in suburban Greensburg east of Pittsburgh.
- SAT Range 1055-1253
- Avg GPA 3.5
- Acceptance Rate 95%
- Net Price $18,365
Guilford College
- Private 4 Year
- Greensboro, NC
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| 0 reviews
- 1,180 total enrollment
Guilford is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate peace and conflict studies. The Quaker-founded residential campus sits in Greensboro.
- SAT Range 1120-1260
- Avg GPA 3.14
- Acceptance Rate 80%
- Net Price $22,270
Malone University
- Private 4 Year
- Canton, OH
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| 0 reviews
- 1,256 total enrollment
Malone is a private Christian university known for undergraduate nursing and education. The suburban campus sits in Canton in northeastern Ohio.
- SAT Range 930-1180
- Avg GPA 3.49
- Acceptance Rate 76%
- Net Price $22,390
Carthage College
- Private 4 Year
- Kenosha, WI
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4.5 | 4 reviews
- 2,844 total enrollment
Carthage is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate nursing, business, and education. The campus sits on the western shore of Lake Michigan.
- SAT Range 1000-1205
- Avg GPA 3.36
- Acceptance Rate 87%
- Net Price $27,066
Oklahoma Baptist University
- Private 4 Year
- Shawnee, OK
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5.0 | 1 reviews
- 1,569 total enrollment
Oklahoma Baptist is a private Baptist university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and music. The residential campus sits in the smaller city of Shawnee east of Oklahoma City.
- SAT Range 1070-1240
- Avg GPA 3.68
- Acceptance Rate 49%
- Net Price $23,839