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.

402 Results
Sort:
Small Public Private 4 Year
Belmont Abbey College Campus

credit : source / license

  • Private 4 Year
  • Belmont, NC
  • 5.0 | 1 reviews
  • 1,388 total enrollment

Belmont Abbey is a private Benedictine Catholic college known for undergraduate business and the liberal arts. The historic campus adjoins Belmont Abbey monastery in the Charlotte metro area.

#14 Best Private Colleges in North Carolina 4/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 960-1200
  • Avg GPA 3.32
  • Acceptance Rate 75%
  • Net Price $24,726
Details Calculate my Chances
Mount Aloysius College Campus
 

  • Private 4 Year
  • Cresson, PA
  • | 0 reviews
  • 2,955 total enrollment

Mount Aloysius is a small private Catholic college known for undergraduate nursing and health sciences. The campus sits in the mountain town of Cresson in western Pennsylvania.

#58 Best Private Colleges in Pennsylvania 4/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 918-1168
  • Avg GPA 3.4
  • Acceptance Rate 82%
  • Net Price $22,216
Details Calculate my Chances
Lake Erie College Campus
 

  • Private 4 Year
  • Painesville, OH
  • | 0 reviews
  • 1,108 total enrollment

Lake Erie is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate equestrian studies and business. The compact campus sits in Painesville, a small city east of Cleveland.

#28 Best Private Colleges in Ohio 4/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 945-1115
  • Predicted Avg GPA 3.19
  • Acceptance Rate 70%
  • Net Price $22,892
Details Calculate my Chances
Indiana University Kokomo Campus

credit : source / license

  • Public 4 Year
  • Kokomo, IN
  • | 0 reviews
  • 2,921 total enrollment

IU Kokomo is a public regional campus of Indiana University known for undergraduate nursing, business, and education. Most students study on a compact campus in the midsize city of Kokomo.

#8 Best Public Universities in Indiana 4/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 960-1150
  • Avg GPA 3.29
  • Acceptance Rate 86%
  • Net Price $3,880
Details Calculate my Chances
Midland University Campus

credit : source / license

  • Private 4 Year
  • Fremont, NE
  • | 0 reviews
  • 1,558 total enrollment

Midland is a private Lutheran university known for undergraduate business, nursing, and education. Most students live on the residential campus in Fremont, northwest of Omaha.

#5 Best Private Colleges in Nebraska 4/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 963-1170
  • Avg GPA 3.26
  • Acceptance Rate 66%
  • Net Price $26,643
Details Calculate my Chances
Schreiner University Campus

credit : source / license

  • Private 4 Year
  • Kerrville, TX
  • | 0 reviews
  • 1,326 total enrollment

Schreiner is a small private university with undergraduate programs in nursing and education. The campus sits in Kerrville in the Texas Hill Country.

#23 Best Private Colleges in Texas 4/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 970-1160
  • Avg GPA 3.3
  • Acceptance Rate 88%
  • Net Price $22,884
Details Calculate my Chances
University of Wisconsin Superior Campus

credit : source / license

  • Public 4 Year
  • Superior, WI
  • | 0 reviews
  • 2,833 total enrollment

UW-Superior is a small public university known for undergraduate education, business, and transportation and logistics. The lakeside campus sits on the shore of Lake Superior in northern Wisconsin.

#12 Best Public Universities in Wisconsin 4/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range -
  • Avg GPA 3.32
  • Acceptance Rate 93%
  • Net Price $13,215
Details Calculate my Chances
Saint Mary of the Woods College Campus
 

  • Private 4 Year
  • Saint Mary of the Woods, IN
  • | 0 reviews
  • 1,159 total enrollment

Saint Mary-of-the-Woods is a private Catholic college known for undergraduate music therapy, nursing, and equine studies. The wooded campus near Terre Haute is the historic home of the Sisters of Providence.

#18 Best Private Colleges in Indiana 4/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 875-1070
  • Avg GPA 3.35
  • Acceptance Rate 72%
  • Net Price $20,451
Details Calculate my Chances
Wilmington College Campus
 

  • Private 4 Year
  • Wilmington, OH
  • 1.0 | 1 reviews
  • 1,040 total enrollment

A private Quaker liberal arts college known for undergraduate agriculture and peace studies. Students live on a residential campus in the small city of Wilmington in southwestern Ohio.

#29 Best Private Colleges in Ohio 4/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 850-1220
  • Avg GPA 3.47
  • Acceptance Rate 92%
  • Net Price $26,548
Details Calculate my Chances
Oklahoma Christian University Campus

credit : Oklahoma Christian University / license

  • Private 4 Year
  • Edmond, OK
  • | 0 reviews
  • 2,851 total enrollment

Oklahoma Christian is a private university affiliated with the Churches of Christ and known for undergraduate engineering, nursing, and business. The campus is in the Oklahoma City suburb of Edmond.

#5 Best Private Colleges in Oklahoma 4/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1010-1270
  • Avg GPA 3.62
  • Acceptance Rate 97%
  • Net Price $22,391
Details Calculate my Chances
Cornerstone University Campus

credit : source / license

  • Private 4 Year
  • Grand Rapids, MI
  • | 0 reviews
  • 1,695 total enrollment

Cornerstone is a private Christian university known for undergraduate ministry, biblical studies, and business. Students live on a compact residential campus in Grand Rapids.

#15 Best Private Colleges in Michigan 4/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 970-1220
  • Predicted Avg GPA 3.28
  • Acceptance Rate 78%
  • Net Price $21,335
Details Calculate my Chances
Crown College Campus

credit : source / license

  • Private 4 Year
  • Saint Bonifacius, MN
  • | 0 reviews
  • 1,846 total enrollment

Crown College is a private Christian college known for undergraduate ministry, biblical studies, and nursing. The campus is in the small town of St. Bonifacius west of the Twin Cities.

#14 Best Private Colleges in Minnesota 4/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 960-1150
  • Avg GPA 3.22
  • Acceptance Rate 23%
  • Net Price $27,332
Details Calculate my Chances
Grand View University Campus
 

  • Private 4 Year
  • Des Moines, IA
  • | 0 reviews
  • 1,856 total enrollment

Grand View is a private Lutheran university known for undergraduate nursing, business, and education. The urban campus sits in Des Moines, Iowa's capital city.

#15 Best Private Colleges in Iowa 4/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 920-1080
  • Avg GPA 3.3
  • Acceptance Rate 99%
  • Net Price $22,319
Details Calculate my Chances
West Liberty University Campus

credit : source / license

  • Public 4 Year
  • West Liberty, WV
  • | 0 reviews
  • 2,299 total enrollment

West Liberty is a small public university known for undergraduate education, nursing, and business. The residential campus is set in a small town in West Virginia's Northern Panhandle.

#5 Best Public Universities in West Virginia 4/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 890-1123
  • Avg GPA 3.53
  • Acceptance Rate 97%
  • Net Price $13,655
Details Calculate my Chances
Muskingum University Campus
 

  • Private 4 Year
  • New Concord, OH
  • | 0 reviews
  • 1,751 total enrollment

Muskingum is a private liberal arts university known for undergraduate education and the sciences. Most students live on a residential campus in the small town of New Concord.

#30 Best Private Colleges in Ohio 4/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 910-1105
  • Avg GPA 3.42
  • Acceptance Rate 82%
  • Net Price $19,695
Details Calculate my Chances
The University of Tennessee Southern Campus

credit : source / license

  • Private 4 Year
  • Pulaski, TN
  • | 0 reviews
  • 1,046 total enrollment

UT Southern is a small public university with undergraduate programs in nursing, education, and business. The campus sits in the small town of Pulaski in southern Tennessee.

#17 Best Private Colleges in Tennessee
  • SAT Range 905-1110
  • Predicted Avg GPA 3.17
  • Acceptance Rate 87%
  • Net Price $14,546
Details Calculate my Chances
Hope International University Campus

credit : source / license

  • Private 4 Year
  • Fullerton, CA
  • | 0 reviews
  • 1,025 total enrollment

Hope International is a private Christian university known for undergraduate ministry, biblical studies, and education. The suburban campus sits in Fullerton in Orange County.

#31 Best Private Colleges in California 4/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 840-1220
  • Avg GPA 3.26
  • Acceptance Rate 33%
  • Net Price $29,896
Details Calculate my Chances
West Virginia Wesleyan College Campus
 

  • Private 4 Year
  • Buckhannon, WV
  • | 0 reviews
  • 1,055 total enrollment

West Virginia Wesleyan is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate nursing and education. Most students live on a residential campus in the college town of Buckhannon.

#2 Best Private Colleges in West Virginia 4/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 892-1160
  • Avg GPA 3.52
  • Acceptance Rate 93%
  • Net Price $19,218
Details Calculate my Chances