The Best Midwestern Small Colleges
These are the top ranked small, public and private, four-year colleges in the Midwest 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 Carleton College. Learn how the Best Small Colleges rankings are calculated on our ranking methodology page.
Albion College
- Private 4 Year
- Albion, MI
-
| 0 reviews
- 1,308 total enrollment
Albion is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate sciences, pre-medical studies, and business. The residential campus sits in a small college town in south-central Michigan.
- SAT Range 930-1160
- Avg GPA 3.48
- Acceptance Rate 81%
- Net Price $16,719
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
- Public 4 Year
- Rapid City, SD
-
5.0 | 3 reviews
- 2,576 total enrollment
South Dakota Mines is a public science and engineering university known for undergraduate mining, geological, and materials engineering. The Rapid City campus lies at the edge of the Black Hills.
- SAT Range 1140-1340
- Avg GPA 3.57
- Acceptance Rate 80%
- Net Price $20,267
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
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
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
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
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
Saint Norbert College
- Private 4 Year
- De Pere, WI
-
| 0 reviews
- 2,032 total enrollment
Saint Norbert is a private Catholic liberal arts college known for undergraduate business, education, and communication. It is the only Norbertine college in the United States, with a residential campus along the Fox River.
- SAT Range 1033-1290
- Avg GPA 3.57
- Acceptance Rate 86%
- Net Price $27,880
Nebraska Wesleyan University
- Private 4 Year
- Lincoln, NE
-
5.0 | 2 reviews
- 1,654 total enrollment
Nebraska Wesleyan is a private liberal arts university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and the sciences. Most students live on the residential campus in Lincoln.
- SAT Range 1020-1290
- Avg GPA 3.7
- Acceptance Rate 80%
- Net Price $21,122
Cornell College
- Private 4 Year
- Mount Vernon, IA
-
| 0 reviews
- 1,094 total enrollment
Cornell College is a private liberal arts college known for its One Course At A Time calendar of intensive undergraduate courses. Most students live on the residential campus in the small town of Mount Vernon.
- SAT Range 1120-1285
- Avg GPA 3.53
- Acceptance Rate 80%
- Net Price $25,220
Mount St. Joseph University
- Private 4 Year
- Cincinnati, OH
-
| 0 reviews
- 2,265 total enrollment
Mount St. Joseph is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate nursing, health sciences, and education. The hilltop campus overlooks the Ohio River on Cincinnati's west side.
- SAT Range 930-1140
- Avg GPA 3.56
- Acceptance Rate 59%
- Net Price $17,094
Marietta College
- Private 4 Year
- Marietta, OH
-
| 0 reviews
- 1,109 total enrollment
Marietta is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate petroleum engineering and environmental science. The campus sits in a historic town along the Ohio River.
- SAT Range 1040-1200
- Avg GPA 3.54
- Acceptance Rate 79%
- Net Price $22,007
Capital University
- Private 4 Year
- Columbus, OH
-
| 0 reviews
- 2,263 total enrollment
Capital is a private university known for undergraduate music through its conservatory, plus nursing and education. The residential campus sits in Bexley, a suburb of Columbus.
- SAT Range 910-1180
- Avg GPA 3.63
- Acceptance Rate 70%
- Net Price $22,395
Millikin University
- Private 4 Year
- Decatur, IL
-
3.7 | 3 reviews
- 1,586 total enrollment
Millikin is a private university known for undergraduate music, theatre, and business. The residential campus is in Decatur in central Illinois.
- SAT Range 860-1130
- Avg GPA 3.4
- Acceptance Rate 67%
- Net Price $22,813
Central College
- Private 4 Year
- Pella, IA
-
| 0 reviews
- 1,084 total enrollment
Central is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate sciences, education, and study abroad. Most undergrads live on a residential campus in the small college town of Pella.
- SAT Range 1056-1120
- Avg GPA 3.52
- Acceptance Rate 86%
- Net Price $23,848
Wartburg College
- Private 4 Year
- Waverly, IA
-
| 0 reviews
- 1,483 total enrollment
Wartburg is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate music, education, and biology. Most students live on the residential campus in the small Iowa town of Waverly, with long ties to the Evangelical Lutheran Church.
- SAT Range 930-1200
- Avg GPA 3.48
- Acceptance Rate 76%
- Net Price $24,031