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.
Baker University
- Private 4 Year
- Baldwin City, KS
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| 0 reviews
- 2,017 total enrollment
Baker is a private Methodist-related university known for undergraduate education, nursing, and business. The historic campus sits in the small college town of Baldwin City.
- SAT Range 970-1130
- Avg GPA 3.45
- Acceptance Rate 94%
- Net Price $26,211
Greenville University
- Private 4 Year
- Greenville, IL
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| 0 reviews
- 1,104 total enrollment
Greenville University is a private Free Methodist university known for undergraduate teacher education and music. Most students live on the residential campus in the small town of Greenville.
- SAT Range 771-1230
- Avg GPA 3.23
- Acceptance Rate 97%
- Net Price $20,799
Rocky Mountain College
- Private 4 Year
- Billings, MT
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| 0 reviews
- 1,032 total enrollment
Rocky Mountain College is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate aviation and equestrian studies. The campus sits in Billings, Montana's largest city, near the Yellowstone River.
- SAT Range 893-1133
- Avg GPA 3.42
- Acceptance Rate 70%
- Net Price $20,791
Lancaster Bible College
- Private 4 Year
- Lancaster, PA
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1.0 | 1 reviews
- 2,519 total enrollment
Lancaster Bible College is a private Bible college known for undergraduate biblical studies, ministry, and Christian education. The suburban campus sits in Lancaster County and pairs Bible coursework with professional majors.
- SAT Range 1070-1280
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.31
- Acceptance Rate 56%
- Net Price $25,940
Life University
- Private 4 Year
- Marietta, GA
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| 0 reviews
- 2,714 total enrollment
Life University is a private university known for chiropractic education and undergraduate exercise science and biology. The suburban campus is in Marietta near Atlanta.
- SAT Range 920-1130
- Avg GPA 3.11
- Acceptance Rate 93%
- Net Price $29,111
Mount Mary University
- Private 4 Year
- Milwaukee, WI
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| 0 reviews
- 1,182 total enrollment
Mount Mary is a private Catholic women's university known for undergraduate fashion design, dietetics, and art. The campus sits in a residential neighborhood on Milwaukee's northwest side.
- SAT Range 866-1123
- Avg GPA 3.13
- Acceptance Rate 62%
- Net Price $20,390
Reinhardt University
- Private 4 Year
- Waleska, GA
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5.0 | 1 reviews
- 1,233 total enrollment
Reinhardt is a private university known for undergraduate business, education, and music. The campus is set in the small North Georgia mountain town of Waleska.
- SAT Range 940-1160
- Avg GPA 3.25
- Acceptance Rate 62%
- Net Price $24,550
Benedictine College
- Private 4 Year
- Atchison, KS
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5.0 | 1 reviews
- 2,535 total enrollment
Benedictine College is a private Catholic liberal arts college known for undergraduate theology, philosophy, and business. The campus sits on bluffs overlooking the Missouri River in Atchison.
- SAT Range 1140-1380
- Avg GPA 3.57
- Acceptance Rate 98%
- Net Price $28,629
Siena Heights University
- Private 4 Year
- Adrian, MI
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| 0 reviews
- 1,781 total enrollment
Siena Heights is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and business. Students attend a compact campus in the small city of Adrian in southeast Michigan.
- SAT Range 806-1073
- Avg GPA 3.32
- Acceptance Rate 69%
- Net Price $17,520
University of Maine at Farmington
- Public 4 Year
- Farmington, ME
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| 0 reviews
- 2,100 total enrollment
University of Maine at Farmington is a small public liberal arts college known for undergraduate teacher education and creative writing. The residential campus is set in the western Maine college town of Farmington.
- SAT Range 995-1245
- Avg GPA 3.15
- Acceptance Rate 97%
- Net Price $17,451
Carlow University
- Private 4 Year
- Pittsburgh, PA
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3.0 | 3 reviews
- 2,416 total enrollment
Carlow is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate nursing, health sciences, and education. The compact urban campus sits in Pittsburgh's Oakland neighborhood.
- SAT Range 960-1168
- Avg GPA 3.6
- Acceptance Rate 87%
- Net Price $21,002
Mississippi University for Women
- Public 4 Year
- Columbus, MS
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| 0 reviews
- 2,193 total enrollment
Mississippi University for Women is a public university known for undergraduate nursing and education. Historically the first public women's college in the United States, the Columbus campus is now coeducational.
- SAT Range 850-1180
- Avg GPA 3.49
- Acceptance Rate 90%
- Net Price $12,487
Seton Hill University
- Private 4 Year
- Greensburg, PA
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| 0 reviews
- 1,927 total enrollment
Seton Hill is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate performing arts, education, and business. The campus is in Greensburg, a small city east of Pittsburgh.
- SAT Range 1020-1240
- Avg GPA 3.74
- Acceptance Rate 80%
- Net Price $23,056
Saint Joseph's College of Maine
- Private 4 Year
- Standish, ME
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| 0 reviews
- 1,454 total enrollment
A private Catholic college known for undergraduate nursing and health sciences. The campus sits on the shores of Sebago Lake in a rural Maine setting.
- SAT Range 960-1150
- Avg GPA 3.0
- Acceptance Rate 84%
- Net Price $28,217
Buena Vista University
- Private 4 Year
- Storm Lake, IA
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| 0 reviews
- 1,890 total enrollment
Buena Vista is a private university known for undergraduate education and business. The residential campus sits beside Storm Lake in northwest Iowa.
- SAT Range 930-1130
- Avg GPA 3.49
- Acceptance Rate 78%
- Net Price $19,704
Brenau University
- Private 4 Year
- Gainesville, GA
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| 0 reviews
- 2,436 total enrollment
Brenau is a private university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and the arts. Traditional undergraduates enroll in its residential Women's College on a historic campus in Gainesville.
- SAT Range 930-1200
- Avg GPA 3.39
- Acceptance Rate 88%
- Net Price $19,743
Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady University
- Private 4 Year
- Baton Rouge, LA
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| 0 reviews
- 1,191 total enrollment
FranU is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate nursing and health sciences. The compact Baton Rouge campus is tied to the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady health system.
- SAT Range -
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.23
- Acceptance Rate 99%
- Net Price $16,432
University of Virginia's College at Wise
- Public 4 Year
- Wise, VA
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| 0 reviews
- 2,167 total enrollment
UVA Wise is a public liberal arts college known for undergraduate nursing and teacher education. The rural campus sits in the Appalachian Mountains of southwestern Virginia.
- SAT Range 945-1120
- Avg GPA 3.57
- Acceptance Rate 29%
- Net Price $14,378