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.
Alfred University
- Private 4 Year
- Alfred, NY
-
3.5 | 2 reviews
- 2,007 total enrollment
Alfred is a private university known for undergraduate ceramics, ceramic engineering, and art. The rural campus sits in the small college village of Alfred in western New York.
- SAT Range 1095-1310
- Avg GPA 3.4
- Acceptance Rate 74%
- Net Price $26,470
Pacific Lutheran University
- Private 4 Year
- Tacoma, WA
-
3.3 | 3 reviews
- 2,797 total enrollment
Pacific Lutheran is a private university known for undergraduate nursing, music, and education. Most students live on the residential campus in suburban Tacoma with a Lutheran church affiliation.
- SAT Range 1040-1260
- Avg GPA 3.71
- Acceptance Rate 78%
- Net Price $22,299
Wisconsin Lutheran College
- Private 4 Year
- Milwaukee, WI
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- 1,027 total enrollment
Wisconsin Lutheran is a private Lutheran liberal arts college known for undergraduate nursing and education. The residential campus sits on Milwaukee's west side.
- SAT Range 970-1230
- Avg GPA 3.54
- Acceptance Rate 78%
- Net Price $24,095
Transylvania University
- Private 4 Year
- Lexington, KY
-
| 0 reviews
- 1,006 total enrollment
Transylvania is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate pre-medicine and the sciences. The historic campus occupies several blocks in downtown Lexington.
- SAT Range 1120-1380
- Avg GPA 3.77
- Acceptance Rate 87%
- Net Price $25,442
Dordt University
- Private 4 Year
- Sioux Center, IA
-
| 0 reviews
- 1,952 total enrollment
Dordt is a private Christian university known for undergraduate engineering, agriculture, and education. The residential campus sits in the small town of Sioux Center in northwest Iowa.
- SAT Range 1070-1330
- Avg GPA 3.65
- Acceptance Rate 68%
- Net Price $28,486
Wittenberg University
- Private 4 Year
- Springfield, OH
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- 1,285 total enrollment
Wittenberg is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate education, biology, and business. The residential campus in Springfield has longstanding Lutheran ties.
- SAT Range 980-1275
- Avg GPA 3.6
- Acceptance Rate 72%
- Net Price $23,537
Hartwick College
- Private 4 Year
- Oneonta, NY
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- 1,097 total enrollment
Hartwick is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate nursing and the sciences. The hillside campus overlooks the college town of Oneonta in upstate New York.
- SAT Range 1070-1290
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.36
- Acceptance Rate 70%
- Net Price $31,712
Emmanuel College
- Private 4 Year
- Boston, MA
-
| 0 reviews
- 1,983 total enrollment
Emmanuel is a private Catholic college known for undergraduate nursing and the sciences. The Fenway campus shares classes and facilities with neighboring schools through a consortium.
- SAT Range 1170-1340
- Avg GPA 3.6
- Acceptance Rate 76%
- Net Price $31,121
Presbyterian College
- Private 4 Year
- Clinton, SC
-
4.2 | 5 reviews
- 1,095 total enrollment
Presbyterian College is a private liberal arts college affiliated with the Presbyterian Church and known for undergraduate business and the sciences. Most students live on the residential campus in the small town of Clinton.
- SAT Range 980-1200
- Avg GPA 3.6
- Acceptance Rate 68%
- Net Price $20,840
Andrews University
- Private 4 Year
- Berrien Springs, MI
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- 2,940 total enrollment
Andrews is a private Seventh-day Adventist university known for undergraduate theology, architecture, and aviation. The campus sits in the small college town of Berrien Springs in southwest Michigan.
- SAT Range 990-1290
- Avg GPA 3.64
- Acceptance Rate 82%
- Net Price $24,728
Houghton University
- Private 4 Year
- Houghton, NY
-
3.5 | 2 reviews
- 1,200 total enrollment
Houghton is a private Christian liberal arts university known for undergraduate music and the liberal arts. The rural residential campus sits in a small village in western New York.
- SAT Range 1170-1375
- Avg GPA 3.25
- Acceptance Rate 89%
- Net Price $21,274
Simpson College
- Private 4 Year
- Indianola, IA
-
2.0 | 1 reviews
- 1,251 total enrollment
Simpson is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate music, business, and education. The residential campus is in the small college town of Indianola near Des Moines.
- SAT Range 890-1280
- Avg GPA 3.62
- Acceptance Rate 86%
- Net Price $23,282
Caldwell University
- Private 4 Year
- Caldwell, NJ
-
| 0 reviews
- 2,005 total enrollment
Caldwell is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate nursing and education. The suburban campus in northern New Jersey has Dominican roots and a primarily residential feel.
- SAT Range 1130-1370
- Avg GPA 3.3
- Acceptance Rate 71%
- Net Price $21,875
Saint Ambrose University
- Private 4 Year
- Davenport, IA
-
| 0 reviews
- 2,498 total enrollment
Saint Ambrose is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate nursing, business, and education. The residential campus sits in the Quad Cities along the Mississippi River.
- SAT Range 930-1170
- Avg GPA 3.39
- Acceptance Rate 77%
- Net Price $25,345
Viterbo University
- Private 4 Year
- La Crosse, WI
-
| 0 reviews
- 2,094 total enrollment
Viterbo is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate nursing, health sciences, and performing arts. The campus sits in La Crosse along the Mississippi River.
- SAT Range 1040-1380
- Avg GPA 3.5
- Acceptance Rate 72%
- Net Price $21,933
Mount Saint Mary's University
- Private 4 Year
- Los Angeles, CA
-
| 0 reviews
- 2,312 total enrollment
Mount Saint Mary's is a private Catholic women's university known for undergraduate nursing and the health sciences. The hillside Chalon campus overlooks Los Angeles from the Brentwood area.
- SAT Range 900-1110
- Avg GPA 3.59
- Acceptance Rate 73%
- Net Price $27,368
Marywood University
- Private 4 Year
- Scranton, PA
-
| 0 reviews
- 2,530 total enrollment
Marywood is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate architecture, art and design, and social work. The residential campus sits in Scranton in northeastern Pennsylvania.
- SAT Range 1060-1250
- Avg GPA 3.58
- Acceptance Rate 61%
- Net Price $26,217
Carroll College
- Private 4 Year
- Helena, MT
-
2.0 | 1 reviews
- 1,156 total enrollment
Carroll is a private Catholic liberal arts college known for undergraduate nursing and pre-medicine. The campus sits in Montana's capital city of Helena near the Rocky Mountain foothills.
- SAT Range 1050-1300
- Avg GPA 3.64
- Acceptance Rate 71%
- Net Price $25,575