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.
SUNY College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill
- Public 4 Year
- Cobleskill, NY
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3.0 | 2 reviews
- 1,988 total enrollment
SUNY Cobleskill is a public college of agriculture and technology known for undergraduate animal science, agriculture, and culinary arts. The rural campus in upstate New York includes working farms and agricultural facilities.
- SAT Range 990-1170
- Avg GPA 3.1
- Acceptance Rate 84%
- Net Price $18,140
St. Thomas Aquinas College
- Private 4 Year
- Sparkill, NY
-
| 0 reviews
- 2,037 total enrollment
St. Thomas Aquinas is a private Catholic college known for undergraduate teacher education and business. The suburban campus sits in Sparkill just north of New York City.
- SAT Range 880-1085
- Avg GPA 3.0
- Acceptance Rate 93%
- Net Price $21,187
Chicago State University
- Public 4 Year
- Chicago, IL
-
| 0 reviews
- 2,238 total enrollment
Chicago State is a public university known for undergraduate education and nursing. The urban campus is located on Chicago's South Side.
- SAT Range 750-963
- Avg GPA 3.18
- Acceptance Rate 43%
- Net Price $10,441
Chestnut Hill College
- Private 4 Year
- Philadelphia, PA
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5.0 | 1 reviews
- 1,288 total enrollment
Chestnut Hill is a private Catholic liberal arts college known for undergraduate education, psychology, and business. The wooded campus is set in Philadelphia's historic Chestnut Hill neighborhood.
- SAT Range 900-1090
- Avg GPA 3.12
- Acceptance Rate 74%
- Net Price $28,588
Texas Wesleyan University
- Private 4 Year
- Fort Worth, TX
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3.0 | 1 reviews
- 2,487 total enrollment
Texas Wesleyan is a private Methodist university known for undergraduate teacher education and business. The historic campus sits in Fort Worth's Polytechnic Heights neighborhood.
- SAT Range 1020-1100
- Avg GPA 3.35
- Acceptance Rate 69%
- Net Price $26,416
Coppin State University
- Public 4 Year
- Baltimore, MD
-
| 0 reviews
- 2,210 total enrollment
Coppin State is a public historically Black university known for undergraduate nursing and teacher education. The urban campus sits in west Baltimore.
- SAT Range 880-1020
- Avg GPA 2.62
- Acceptance Rate 46%
- Net Price $9,831
Lasell University
- Private 4 Year
- Newton, MA
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4.8 | 18 reviews
- 1,668 total enrollment
Lasell is a private university known for undergraduate fashion design, merchandising, and business. The suburban Newton campus sits just outside Boston.
- SAT Range 1030-1158
- Avg GPA 3.12
- Acceptance Rate 81%
- Net Price $27,773
Penn State Brandywine
- Public 4 Year
- Media, PA
-
| 0 reviews
- 1,236 total enrollment
Penn State Brandywine is a public university campus known for undergraduate business, information sciences and technology, and biology. The suburban campus is located near Philadelphia in Media.
- SAT Range 1080-1310
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 98%
- Net Price $22,710
Rivier University
- Private 4 Year
- Nashua, NH
-
| 0 reviews
- 2,777 total enrollment
Rivier is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate nursing and education. The campus is in Nashua in southern New Hampshire.
- SAT Range 1055-1175
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 83%
- Net Price $28,584
West Virginia University Institute of Technology
- Public 4 Year
- Beckley, WV
-
| 0 reviews
- 1,278 total enrollment
WVU Tech is a public college known for undergraduate engineering and technology. The campus sits in Beckley in the mountains of southern West Virginia.
- SAT Range 880-1120
- Avg GPA 3.51
- Acceptance Rate 37%
- Net Price $11,281
Carson Newman University
- Private 4 Year
- Jefferson City, TN
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4.0 | 1 reviews
- 2,669 total enrollment
Carson-Newman is a private Baptist university with undergraduate strengths in nursing, education, and the liberal arts. Students live on a residential campus in the small East Tennessee town of Jefferson City.
- SAT Range 955-1215
- Avg GPA 3.6
- Acceptance Rate 90%
- Net Price $20,895
Rockford University
- Private 4 Year
- Rockford, IL
-
| 0 reviews
- 1,241 total enrollment
Rockford is a private university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and the liberal arts. The residential campus sits in the mid-sized city of Rockford in northern Illinois.
- SAT Range 850-1070
- Avg GPA 3.25
- Acceptance Rate 93%
- Net Price $23,642
Cairn University Langhorne
- Private 4 Year
- Langhorne, PA
-
| 0 reviews
- 1,097 total enrollment
Cairn is a private Christian university known for undergraduate biblical studies, ministry, and education. The suburban campus sits in Langhorne near Philadelphia.
- SAT Range 1000-1160
- Avg GPA 3.31
- Acceptance Rate 88%
- Net Price $23,273
Columbia International University
- Private 4 Year
- Columbia, SC
-
| 0 reviews
- 2,914 total enrollment
CIU is a private Christian university known for undergraduate biblical studies and intercultural studies. Most undergrads live on the residential campus in Columbia.
- SAT Range 990-1195
- Avg GPA 3.5
- Acceptance Rate 94%
- Net Price $26,056
Northwestern Oklahoma State University
- Public 4 Year
- Alva, OK
-
| 0 reviews
- 2,079 total enrollment
Northwestern Oklahoma State is a small public university known for undergraduate education, nursing, and business. The residential campus sits in the small college town of Alva in northwestern Oklahoma.
- SAT Range 803-1036
- Avg GPA 3.42
- Acceptance Rate 65%
- Net Price $10,492
Bethel University
- Private 4 Year
- Mishawaka, IN
-
4.3 | 3 reviews
- 1,167 total enrollment
Bethel is a private Christian university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and ministry. The Mishawaka campus is affiliated with the Missionary Church.
- SAT Range 900-1150
- Avg GPA 3.46
- Acceptance Rate 98%
- Net Price $19,494
Heidelberg University
- Private 4 Year
- Tiffin, OH
-
| 0 reviews
- 1,091 total enrollment
Heidelberg is a private liberal arts university known for undergraduate education and business. The residential campus is in the small city of Tiffin in northwest Ohio.
- SAT Range 1030-1162
- Avg GPA 3.33
- Acceptance Rate 86%
- Net Price $19,447
Nichols College
- Private 4 Year
- Dudley, MA
-
| 0 reviews
- 1,392 total enrollment
Nichols is a private college known for undergraduate business, management, and sport management. The residential campus sits in the small town of Dudley in south-central Massachusetts.
- SAT Range 1028-1236
- Avg GPA 2.9
- Acceptance Rate 81%
- Net Price $32,337