50 Best Liberal Arts Colleges and Universities Ranked for Students

Badge for BEST IN THE-US LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGES &-UNIVERSITIES

Key Takeaways

  • The best liberal arts colleges offer a great education that will result in a well-rounded, educated person.
  • The best liberal arts colleges offer smaller class sizes and more opportunities for interaction with professors.
  • The smaller, intimate environment present in the best liberal arts colleges help students to mature and go into their careers confident in the skills they’ve acquired.

2025 Ranking Update

Our Influence Ranking Engine™ leverages machine learning to track the real-world influence of colleges and universities over time. Below you’ll see which schools gained or lost ground for the 2025 school year.

The top 10 best liberal arts colleges shuffled significantly between 2024 and 2025. The standout performers were Brooklyn College and Smith College. Smith was the biggest mover, climbing 7 positions to the number 7 spot, while Brooklyn College climbed 4 spots, moving from the 6th spot up to the number 2 position.

Brooklyn College has expanded their online and hybrid learning options, helping the school to gain steam in our ranking this year. They have also added new academic majors in high-demand fields like data science, healthcare administration, and digital media, providing students with more career-oriented opportunities.

Smith College has made several key improvements for the 2025 school year that are likely to appeal to students. One significant change is the college’s elimination of loans from financial aid packages, replacing them with grants. This initiative helps ensure that students graduate with minimal debt, making education more accessible regardless of family financial background. Additionally, Smith offers startup grants to low-income students to assist with early expenses like dorm furnishings and personal needs, further enhancing student support.

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What is a liberal arts college?

A liberal arts college is a school that puts a premium on undergraduate studies and offers a broad range of subjects for students to study. Top liberal arts colleges typically require students to select a major while simultaneously completing a wide array of courses in both the humanities and the sciences. The point of a liberal arts education is not just to learn deeply about some specialized area, but to emerge as a well rounded, broadly educated person with a fuller appreciation of life and the world.

A liberal arts college typically provides smaller class sizes, more direct engagement with professors, and, most importantly, the opportunity to sample a wide range of subject areas on the way to a bachelor’s degree. Liberal arts colleges are often referred to as “teaching colleges”, because of their focus on the students’ needs.

The value of liberal arts colleges is difficult to describe. Smaller campuses, smaller student bodies, more personal attention from professors, and more tightly knit cohorts are a few of the commonly mentioned benefits of liberal arts colleges. What is hard to articulate is that liberal arts students feel known by their professors and school administrators. This “being known” feeling is what keeps alumni feeling a part of their school decades after graduating, and for many alumni, the relationships formed with professors means they could comfortably call a former professor years after graduating.

Liberal arts colleges are not smaller colleges because they’ve been less successful at growing into large universities. Liberal arts colleges do not have second-rate professors who couldn’t get jobs at larger schools. The intentions of liberal arts colleges are to hire faculty who care for students over their own research, and to create an environment that allows them to continue investing in students, helping them mature and go confidently into the workforce.

The following list of the best arts liberal colleges and universities is composed entirely of four-year undergraduate schools. We’ve identified 1,240 liberal arts colleges in the US. In order to be included in this list of the best liberal arts colleges and universities, a school must be fully accredited non-profit institution.

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50 Best Liberal Arts Colleges and Universities in the US

  1. #1

    Wesleyan University

    Middletown , CT
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $64K

    Acceptance

    14%

    Graduation

    93%

    Student body

    4K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1415/32

    Career Outlook for degree at Wesleyan University

    Cost of Degree: $67,016
    Expenses: $21,704
    Starting Salary: $63,400
    Cost Recoup Time: 19 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
  2. #2

    Brooklyn College

    Brooklyn , NY

    Tuition + fees

    $7K

    Acceptance

    55%

    Graduation

    55%

    Student body

    19K

    Career Outlook for degree at Brooklyn College

    Cost of Degree: $7,452
    Starting Salary: $48,800
  3. #3

    Amherst College

    Amherst , MA
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $64K

    Acceptance

    7%

    Graduation

    92%

    Student body

    2K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1485/33

    Career Outlook for degree at Amherst College

    Cost of Degree: $67,280
    Expenses: $20,360
    Starting Salary: $83,300
    Cost Recoup Time: 17 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
  4. #4

    Swarthmore College

    Swarthmore , PA
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $59K

    Acceptance

    7%

    Graduation

    94%

    Student body

    2K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1500/33

    Career Outlook for degree at Swarthmore College

    Cost of Degree: $62,412
    Expenses: $21,691
    Starting Salary: $70,000
    Cost Recoup Time: 18 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
  5. #6

    Williams College

    Williamstown , MA
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $62K

    Acceptance

    8%

    Graduation

    95%

    Student body

    2K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1525/34

    Career Outlook for degree at Williams College

    Cost of Degree: $64,860
    Expenses: $20,000
    Starting Salary: $89,800
    Cost Recoup Time: 16 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
  6. #7

    Smith College

    Northampton , MA
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $59K

    Acceptance

    23%

    Graduation

    89%

    Student body

    3K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1445/32

    Career Outlook for degree at Smith College

    Cost of Degree: $61,568
    Expenses: $24,462
    Starting Salary: $51,100
    Cost Recoup Time: 22 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
  7. #8

    Oberlin College

    Oberlin , OH
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $62K

    Acceptance

    35%

    Graduation

    83%

    Student body

    3K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1445/31

    Career Outlook for degree at Oberlin College

    Cost of Degree: $64,646
    Expenses: $22,758
    Starting Salary: $45,500
    Cost Recoup Time: 23 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
  8. #9

    Wellesley College

    Wellesley , MA
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $62K

    Acceptance

    14%

    Graduation

    90%

    Student body

    3K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1490/34

    Career Outlook for degree at Wellesley College

    Cost of Degree: $64,320
    Expenses: $21,970
    Starting Salary: $71,800
    Cost Recoup Time: 18 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
  9. #10

    Barnard College

    New York , NY
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $63K

    Acceptance

    9%

    Graduation

    92%

    Student body

    3K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1495/33

    Career Outlook for degree at Barnard College

    Cost of Degree: $66,246
    Expenses: $23,562
    Starting Salary: $69,700
    Cost Recoup Time: 19 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
  10. #11

    Hunter College

    New York , NY
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $7K

    Acceptance

    48%

    Graduation

    56%

    Student body

    29K

    Career Outlook for degree at Hunter College

    Cost of Degree: $7,382
    Expenses: $16,658
    Starting Salary: $51,800
    Cost Recoup Time: 10 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
  11. #13

    Vassar College

    Poughkeepsie , NY
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $65K

    Acceptance

    19%

    Graduation

    92%

    Student body

    3K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1482/33

    Career Outlook for degree at Vassar College

    Cost of Degree: $67,805
    Expenses: $19,665
    Starting Salary: $61,500
    Cost Recoup Time: 20 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
  12. #14

    Bard College

    Annandale-On-Hudson , NY

    Tuition + fees

    $61K

    Acceptance

    46%

    Graduation

    72%

    Student body

    3K

    Career Outlook for degree at Bard College

    Cost of Degree: $63,612
    Expenses: $21,240
    Starting Salary: $43,700
    Cost Recoup Time: 23 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
  13. #15

    Bryn Mawr College

    Bryn Mawr , PA
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $59K

    Acceptance

    31%

    Graduation

    83%

    Student body

    2K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1387/31

    Career Outlook for degree at Bryn Mawr College

    Cost of Degree: $62,560
    Expenses: $20,690
    Starting Salary: $61,000
    Cost Recoup Time: 19 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
  14. #16

    San Francisco State University

    San Francisco , CA
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $8K

    Acceptance

    94%

    Graduation

    55%

    Student body

    30K

    Career Outlook for degree at San Francisco State University

    Cost of Degree: $7,424
    Expenses: $23,032
    Starting Salary: $54,700
    Cost Recoup Time: 11 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
  15. #17

    Reed College

    Portland , OR
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $65K

    Acceptance

    31%

    Graduation

    80%

    Student body

    2K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1410/31

    Career Outlook for degree at Reed College

    Cost of Degree: $67,020
    Expenses: $19,520
    Starting Salary: $52,700
    Cost Recoup Time: 21 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
  16. #18

    Mount Holyoke College

    South Hadley , MA
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $58K

    Acceptance

    40%

    Graduation

    83%

    Student body

    3K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1445/32

    Career Outlook for degree at Mount Holyoke College

    Cost of Degree: $64,142
    Expenses: $20,838
    Starting Salary: $53,900
    Cost Recoup Time: 21 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
  17. #19

    Haverford College

    Haverford , PA
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $64K

    Acceptance

    14%

    Graduation

    91%

    Student body

    1K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1485/34

    Career Outlook for degree at Haverford College

    Cost of Degree: $68,020
    Expenses: $22,082
    Starting Salary: $75,100
    Cost Recoup Time: 18 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
  18. #20

    Pomona College

    Claremont , CA
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $59K

    Acceptance

    7%

    Graduation

    95%

    Student body

    2K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1520/34

    Career Outlook for degree at Pomona College

    Cost of Degree: $62,326
    Expenses: $22,974
    Starting Salary: $77,300
    Cost Recoup Time: 17 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
  19. #21

    Baruch College

    New York , NY

    Tuition + fees

    $7K

    Acceptance

    50%

    Graduation

    74%

    Student body

    24K

    Career Outlook for degree at Baruch College

    Cost of Degree: $7,464
    Expenses: $24,018
    Starting Salary: $63,600
    Cost Recoup Time: 10 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
  20. Tuition + fees

    $8K

    Acceptance

    69%

    Graduation

    56%

    Student body

    22K

    Career Outlook for degree at Queens College, City University of New York

    Cost of Degree: $7,538
    Expenses: $21,798
    Starting Salary: $52,900
    Cost Recoup Time: 11 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
    What is Queens College, City University of New York known for?

    Queens College, City University of New York’s faculty and alumni have been influential in:

    Most Influential Alumni

  21. #27

    Bowdoin College

    Brunswick , ME
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $62K

    Acceptance

    9%

    Graduation

    94%

    Student body

    2K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1510/34

    Career Outlook for degree at Bowdoin College

    Cost of Degree: $64,910
    Expenses: $20,190
    Starting Salary: $83,300
    Cost Recoup Time: 16 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
  22. #28

    Middlebury College

    Middlebury , VT
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $62K

    Acceptance

    13%

    Graduation

    94%

    Student body

    5K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1482/34

    Career Outlook for degree at Middlebury College

    Cost of Degree: $65,280
    Expenses: $20,600
    Starting Salary: $71,900
    Cost Recoup Time: 18 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
  23. #29

    Union College, New York

    Schenectady , NY

    Tuition + fees

    $64K

    Acceptance

    47%

    Graduation

    85%

    Student body

    2K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1400/31

    Career Outlook for degree at Union College, New York

    Cost of Degree: $66,456
    Expenses: $18,414
    Starting Salary: $80,200
    Cost Recoup Time: 17 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
  24. #30

    Colgate University

    Hamilton , NY
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $64K

    Acceptance

    12%

    Graduation

    91%

    Student body

    3K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1470/33

    Career Outlook for degree at Colgate University

    Cost of Degree: $67,024
    Expenses: $20,046
    Starting Salary: $81,100
    Cost Recoup Time: 17 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
  25. #32

    Carleton College

    Northfield , MN
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $63K

    Acceptance

    17%

    Graduation

    91%

    Student body

    2K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1490/33

    Career Outlook for degree at Carleton College

    Cost of Degree: $65,457
    Expenses: $19,436
    Starting Salary: $67,900
    Cost Recoup Time: 18 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
  26. Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $7K

    Acceptance

    91%

    Graduation

    56%

    Student body

    43K

    Career Outlook for degree at California State University, Northridge

    Cost of Degree: $7,095
    Expenses: $17,176
    Starting Salary: $49,700
    Cost Recoup Time: 10 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary

    California State University, Northridge’s Online Degrees

    BA in Liberal Studies
    • Required Credits: 60
    • Completion Time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    BA in Public Sector Management
    • Required Credits: 60
    • Completion Time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
  27. #34

    Hampshire College

    Amherst , MA

    Tuition + fees

    $54K

    Acceptance

    69%

    Graduation

    60%

    Student body

    <1K

    Career Outlook for degree at Hampshire College

    Cost of Degree: $56,630
    Expenses: $17,644
    Starting Salary: $39,900
    Cost Recoup Time: 23 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
  28. #35

    University of Richmond

    University of Richmond , VA
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $60K

    Acceptance

    24%

    Graduation

    88%

    Student body

    4K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1464/33

    Career Outlook for degree at University of Richmond

    Cost of Degree: $62,600
    Expenses: $18,720
    Starting Salary: $78,900
    Cost Recoup Time: 16 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
  29. #36

    Occidental College

    Los Angeles , CA

    Tuition + fees

    $61K

    Acceptance

    39%

    Graduation

    83%

    Student body

    2K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1440/32

    Career Outlook for degree at Occidental College

    Cost of Degree: $63,446
    Expenses: $21,354
    Starting Salary: $59,400
    Cost Recoup Time: 20 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
  30. #37

    Kenyon College

    Gambier , OH
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $66K

    Acceptance

    34%

    Graduation

    87%

    Student body

    2K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1432/32

    Career Outlook for degree at Kenyon College

    Cost of Degree: $69,330
    Expenses: $18,260
    Starting Salary: $54,500
    Cost Recoup Time: 21 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
  31. #38

    Colorado College

    Colorado Springs , CO
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $65K

    Acceptance

    16%

    Graduation

    86%

    Student body

    2K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1370/31

    Career Outlook for degree at Colorado College

    Cost of Degree: $67,932
    Expenses: $19,196
    Starting Salary: $49,900
    Cost Recoup Time: 22 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
  32. Tuition + fees

    $7K

    Acceptance

    87%

    Graduation

    51%

    Student body

    30K

    Career Outlook for degree at California State University, Los Angeles

    Cost of Degree: $6,818
    Expenses: $26,527
    Starting Salary: $49,900
    Cost Recoup Time: 12 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
  33. Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $7K

    Acceptance

    67%

    Graduation

    69%

    Student body

    46K

    Career Outlook for degree at California State University, Fullerton

    Cost of Degree: $7,073
    Expenses: $23,567
    Starting Salary: $51,800
    Cost Recoup Time: 11 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary

    California State University, Fullerton’s Online Degrees

    BA in Business Administration
    • Required Credits: 54
    • Completion Time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    BA in Humanities and Social Sciences
    • Required Credits: 51
    • Completion Time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
    BA in Sociology
    • Required Credits: 51
    • Completion Time: None Reported
    • Format: Online
  34. #43

    Dickinson College

    Carlisle , PA

    Tuition + fees

    $61K

    Acceptance

    35%

    Graduation

    84%

    Student body

    2K

    Career Outlook for degree at Dickinson College

    Cost of Degree: $63,450
    Expenses: $19,752
    Starting Salary: $64,100
    Cost Recoup Time: 19 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
  35. #44

    Denison University

    Granville , OH

    Tuition + fees

    $60K

    Acceptance

    22%

    Graduation

    85%

    Student body

    2K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1365/30

    Career Outlook for degree at Denison University

    Cost of Degree: $64,000
    Expenses: $17,900
    Starting Salary: $57,600
    Cost Recoup Time: 20 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
  36. #45

    Claremont McKenna College

    Claremont , CA
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $61K

    Acceptance

    10%

    Graduation

    91%

    Student body

    1K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1495/34

    Career Outlook for degree at Claremont McKenna College

    Cost of Degree: $64,150
    Expenses: $22,350
    Starting Salary: $93,200
    Cost Recoup Time: 15 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
  37. #47

    Macalester College

    Saint Paul , MN
    Other Rankings

    Tuition + fees

    $63K

    Acceptance

    28%

    Graduation

    88%

    Student body

    2K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1420/32

    Career Outlook for degree at Macalester College

    Cost of Degree: $64,908
    Expenses: $18,083
    Starting Salary: $55,800
    Cost Recoup Time: 20 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
  38. #48

    Suffolk University

    Boston , MA

    Tuition + fees

    $43K

    Acceptance

    87%

    Graduation

    60%

    Student body

    7K

    Median SAT/ACT

    1190/27

    Career Outlook for degree at Suffolk University

    Cost of Degree: $45,380
    Expenses: $22,860
    Starting Salary: $59,900
    Cost Recoup Time: 17 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary
  39. Tuition + fees

    $45K

    Acceptance

    81%

    Graduation

    76%

    Student body

    2K

    Career Outlook for degree at Willamette University

    Cost of Degree: $48,268
    Expenses: $19,233
    Starting Salary: $57,900
    Cost Recoup Time: 18 years
    Paid back at 15% of annual salary

Find the Best Liberal Arts Colleges and Universities in Your Area of Interest

The best liberal arts colleges by discipline

Earn a Degree from a Liberal Arts College That is Close to Home

The best liberal arts colleges offer an intimate, but supportive learning environment. Upon graduation, successful students will go into their careers confident in the well-rounded education they’ve received.

If attending a liberal arts school that is close to home is also important to you, check out our Complete List of Colleges and Universities by State.

Photo Credit: Swarthmore College, by Ugen64 at English Wikipedia - Transferred from en.wikipedia to Wikimedia Commons. Public Domain.

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