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.
Drury University
- Private 4 Year
- Springfield, MO
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| 0 reviews
- 1,615 total enrollment
Drury is a private university known for undergraduate architecture and business. The urban campus is in Springfield in southwest Missouri.
- SAT Range 1130-1290
- Avg GPA 3.79
- Acceptance Rate 58%
- Net Price $21,903
Spring Arbor University
- Private 4 Year
- Spring Arbor, MI
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3.2 | 4 reviews
- 2,441 total enrollment
Spring Arbor is a private Free Methodist university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and social work. The residential campus sits in the small village of Spring Arbor in south-central Michigan.
- SAT Range 1010-1240
- Avg GPA 3.61
- Acceptance Rate 52%
- Net Price $21,067
Otterbein University
- Private 4 Year
- Westerville, OH
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| 0 reviews
- 2,332 total enrollment
Otterbein is a private university known for undergraduate theatre, musical theatre, and nursing. The historic campus sits in Westerville, a suburb of Columbus.
- SAT Range 1035-1260
- Avg GPA 3.66
- Acceptance Rate 85%
- Net Price $20,457
Southwest Baptist University
- Private 4 Year
- Bolivar, MO
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| 0 reviews
- 2,199 total enrollment
Southwest Baptist is a private Baptist university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and ministry programs. The residential campus sits in the small college town of Bolivar in southwest Missouri.
- SAT Range 810-1210
- Avg GPA 3.55
- Acceptance Rate 68%
- Net Price $21,336
Walsh University
- Private 4 Year
- North Canton, OH
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| 0 reviews
- 2,192 total enrollment
Walsh is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and business. The suburban campus sits in North Canton near Canton, Ohio.
- SAT Range 1040-1280
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.38
- Acceptance Rate 71%
- Net Price $23,933
Mount Vernon Nazarene University
- Private 4 Year
- Mount Vernon, OH
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3.5 | 2 reviews
- 1,671 total enrollment
Mount Vernon Nazarene is a private Christian university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and ministry. Most students live on the residential campus in the small city of Mount Vernon.
- SAT Range 1046-1315
- Avg GPA 3.55
- Acceptance Rate 84%
- Net Price $22,961
North Park University
- Private 4 Year
- Chicago, IL
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4.0 | 1 reviews
- 2,557 total enrollment
North Park is a private Christian university known for undergraduate nursing, music, and business. The compact urban campus sits in Chicago's North Park neighborhood on the city's North Side.
- SAT Range 890-1162
- Avg GPA 3.14
- Acceptance Rate 69%
- Net Price $20,372
Northwood University
- Private 4 Year
- Midland, MI
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| 0 reviews
- 2,409 total enrollment
Northwood is a private university known for undergraduate business, management, and automotive marketing. The Midland campus centers on a specialized free-enterprise business curriculum in central Michigan.
- SAT Range 950-1160
- Avg GPA 3.41
- Acceptance Rate 65%
- Net Price $25,549
Huntington University
- Private 4 Year
- Huntington, IN
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| 0 reviews
- 1,776 total enrollment
Huntington is a private Christian university known for undergraduate education and ministry. Most students live on a residential campus in the small city of Huntington.
- SAT Range 930-1150
- Avg GPA 3.6
- Acceptance Rate 76%
- Net Price $19,767
University of Mount Union
- Private 4 Year
- Alliance, OH
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| 0 reviews
- 2,461 total enrollment
Mount Union is a private university known for undergraduate business, education, and nursing. The residential campus sits in the small city of Alliance in northeastern Ohio.
- SAT Range 910-1240
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.33
- Acceptance Rate 78%
- Net Price $23,616
Benedictine University
- Private 4 Year
- Lisle, IL
-
| 0 reviews
- 2,917 total enrollment
Benedictine is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate business, nursing, and biology. The suburban campus is in Lisle in Chicago's western suburbs.
- SAT Range 1050-1280
- Avg GPA 3.26
- Acceptance Rate 95%
- Net Price $23,139
Central Methodist University College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
- Private 4 Year
- Fayette, MO
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| 0 reviews
- 1,041 total enrollment
Central Methodist is a private Methodist university known for undergraduate education, nursing, and music. The historic campus sits in the small college town of Fayette.
- SAT Range 960-1045
- Avg GPA 3.5
- Acceptance Rate 57%
- Net Price $22,929
Graceland University Lamoni
- Private 4 Year
- Lamoni, IA
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| 0 reviews
- 1,102 total enrollment
Graceland is a private university known for undergraduate nursing and education. Most students live on the residential campus in the small college town of Lamoni.
- SAT Range 880-1120
- Avg GPA 3.22
- Acceptance Rate 81%
- Net Price $19,574
McKendree University
- Private 4 Year
- Lebanon, IL
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| 0 reviews
- 2,392 total enrollment
McKendree is a small private university known for undergraduate nursing, business, and education. The historic campus in Lebanon is Illinois's oldest college and sits near the St. Louis metro area.
- SAT Range 871-1277
- Avg GPA 3.38
- Acceptance Rate 72%
- Net Price $22,444
Hiram College
- Private 4 Year
- Hiram, OH
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| 0 reviews
- 1,061 total enrollment
Hiram is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate sciences and biomedical humanities. Students follow the Hiram Plan of 12-week terms paired with intensive three-week courses.
- SAT Range 890-1100
- Avg GPA 3.28
- Acceptance Rate 94%
- Net Price $21,868
Anderson University
- Private 4 Year
- Anderson, IN
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| 0 reviews
- 1,228 total enrollment
Anderson University is a private Christian university known for undergraduate music, nursing, and business. Most students live on its residential campus in Anderson, northeast of Indianapolis.
- SAT Range 900-1150
- Avg GPA 3.4
- Acceptance Rate 79%
- Net Price $25,332
Northwestern College
- Private 4 Year
- Orange City, IA
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4.0 | 2 reviews
- 1,705 total enrollment
Northwestern College is a private Christian liberal arts college known for undergraduate education and nursing. The campus sits in the small town of Orange City in northwest Iowa.
- SAT Range 940-1240
- Avg GPA 3.57
- Acceptance Rate 80%
- Net Price $26,347
Quincy University
- Private 4 Year
- Quincy, IL
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2.3 | 3 reviews
- 1,210 total enrollment
Quincy is a small private Catholic university in the Franciscan tradition known for undergraduate nursing, business, and education. The residential campus is in the Mississippi River city of Quincy.
- SAT Range 1000-1200
- Avg GPA 3.47
- Acceptance Rate 51%
- Net Price $19,477