50 Best Small Colleges and Universities of 2021

Small colleges are a great option for students interested in a more intimate campus experience, more personal attention from excellent professors, and more immediate access to support services. Whether the focus is on the technical (as at Caltech) or on the liberal arts (as at Sarah Lawrence), small colleges give you the chance to pursue a well-rounded education while working closely with classmates and professors in a dynamic community atmosphere.

By AI Staff

When comparing a big college campus to a small college campus, consider that the latter offers more individualized experiences, including opportunities for illuminating classroom discussions, independent research, and one-on-one relationships with your instructors.

The following list of the best small colleges and universities is composed mainly of four-year undergraduate schools (though a handful also offer graduate programs). We’ve identified a total of 1,069 small colleges in the US. In order to be included in this list of best private colleges and universities, a school needs to satisfy the following three conditions:

It must be a non-profit institution.
It must be fully accredited.
Its student body must consist of 5,000 or fewer students.

How do we determine small schools are the best?

The people affiliated with a school are ultimately what make it great. This is why, at the undergraduate level, we rank the best colleges and universities based on what we call Concentrated Influence. Concentrated Influence takes the combined influence score of a college or university’s top academic influencers (including faculty and alums) and divides it by the school’s total number of undergraduates.

Using concentrated influence gives small and mid-sized schools an opportunity to shine by taking away the size advantage of larger universities. A small school with proportionately more influential faculty than a large school, whose influence in absolute terms may be bigger, will nonetheless score higher in a concentrated influence ranking. Our approach highlights undergraduate schools that truly rank for excellence, regardless of size.

If you are serious about finding the best colleges and universities for a bachelor’s degree, you should be asking where the most influential professors are teaching and whether their graduates are themselves advancing the school’s reputation for academic excellence.

Most ranking sites rely on an opaque combination of reputation surveys and arbitrary performance metrics. Concentrated Influence provides a ranking that is free from bias, insulated from manipulation, and reflective of real-world educational outcomes.

Find out more about our ranking methodology here.

The best small colleges and universities in the US!– @AcademicInflux
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The Best Small Colleges and Universities in the US

#1
California Institute of Technology
#27 institution's overall influence
#9 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$52K
Acceptance
7%
Graduation
94%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1555/35
Pasadena, CA
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What is California Institute of Technology known for?
California Institute of Technology is most influential in:
Chemistry
Physics
Earth Sciences
Engineering
Biology
Computer Science
Mathematics
Economics
History
Philosophy
#2
Swarthmore College
#128 institution's overall influence
#22 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$53K
Acceptance
9%
Graduation
94%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1465/32
Swarthmore, PA
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What is Swarthmore College known for?
Swarthmore College is most influential in:
Economics
Political Science
Philosophy
Mathematics
Computer Science
Anthropology
Psychology
Physics
Sociology
Biology
#3
Amherst College
#89 institution's overall influence
#26 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$56K
Acceptance
13%
Graduation
93%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1430/32
Amherst, MA
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What is Amherst College known for?
Amherst College is most influential in:
Sociology
Economics
Law
Literature
Earth Sciences
Political Science
History
Philosophy
Biology
Mathematics
#4
Sarah Lawrence College
#239 institution's overall influence
#1422 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$56K
Acceptance
56%
Graduation
82%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1330/29
Bronxville, NY
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What is Sarah Lawrence College known for?
Sarah Lawrence College is most influential in:
Social Work
Education
Sociology
Medical
#5
Reed College
#250 institution's overall influence
#79 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$56K
Acceptance
35%
Graduation
78%
Student body
1K
Median SAT/ACT
1415/31
Portland, OR
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What is Reed College known for?
Reed College is most influential in:
Anthropology
Philosophy
Computer Science
Psychology
Religious Studies
Economics
Mathematics
Sociology
Physics
Literature
#6
Barnard College
#125 institution's overall influence
#65 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$55K
Acceptance
14%
Graduation
91%
Student body
3K
Median SAT/ACT
1415/31
New York, NY
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What is Barnard College known for?
Barnard College is most influential in:
Anthropology
Literature
Sociology
Economics
Political Science
Religious Studies
History
Mathematics
Physics
Psychology
#7
Bates College
#317 institution's overall influence
#74 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$54K
Acceptance
18%
Graduation
88%
Student body
<1K
Lewiston, ME
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What is Bates College known for?
Bates College is most influential in:
Literature
Religious Studies
Economics
Chemistry
Mathematics
Engineering
Biology
Physics
Political Science
Psychology
#8
Wesleyan University
#96 institution's overall influence
#34 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$55K
Acceptance
17%
Graduation
91%
Student body
3K
Middletown, CT
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What is Wesleyan University known for?
Wesleyan University is most influential in:
Philosophy
Literature
Psychology
Sociology
Religious Studies
History
Mathematics
Political Science
Biology
Anthropology
#9
Vassar College
#139 institution's overall influence
#88 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$57K
Acceptance
25%
Graduation
91%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1440/32
Poughkeepsie, NY
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What is Vassar College known for?
Vassar College is most influential in:
Anthropology
Literature
Psychology
Education
Earth Sciences
Computer Science
History
Philosophy
Sociology
Chemistry
#10
Hampshire College
#432 institution's overall influence
#955 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$52K
Acceptance
63%
Graduation
65%
Student body
1K
Amherst, MA
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What is Hampshire College known for?
Hampshire College is most influential in:
Physics
Literature
Mathematics
Sociology
History
Anthropology
Education
Biology
Philosophy
Psychology
#11
Wellesley College
#133 institution's overall influence
#33 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$54K
Acceptance
20%
Graduation
91%
Student body
3K
Median SAT/ACT
1425/32
Wellesley, MA
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What is Wellesley College known for?
Wellesley College is most influential in:
Literature
Philosophy
Political Science
Mathematics
Earth Sciences
Sociology
Psychology
Economics
Physics
Computer Science
#12
Williams College
#151 institution's overall influence
#27 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$55K
Acceptance
13%
Graduation
94%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1480/33
Williamstown, MA
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What is Williams College known for?
Williams College is most influential in:
Psychology
Literature
Economics
History
Political Science
Philosophy
Chemistry
Anthropology
Mathematics
Biology
#13
Cooper Union
#312 institution's overall influence
#62 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$47K
Acceptance
16%
Graduation
90%
Student body
1K
Median SAT/ACT
1396/32
New York, NY
View profile
What is Cooper Union known for?
Cooper Union is most influential in:
Engineering
#14
Pomona College
#279 institution's overall influence
#13 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$53K
Acceptance
8%
Graduation
97%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1470/32
Claremont, CA
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What is Pomona College known for?
Pomona College is most influential in:
Earth Sciences
Literature
Chemistry
Biology
Physics
Mathematics
Religious Studies
Computer Science
Philosophy
Economics
#15
Oberlin College
#119 institution's overall influence
#114 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$55K
Acceptance
36%
Graduation
85%
Student body
3K
Median SAT/ACT
1385/30
Oberlin, OH
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What is Oberlin College known for?
Oberlin College is most influential in:
Sociology
Philosophy
Psychology
Education
Political Science
Literature
Earth Sciences
History
Mathematics
Anthropology
#16
Bryn Mawr College
#181 institution's overall influence
#119 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$52K
Acceptance
34%
Graduation
83%
Student body
2K
Bryn Mawr, PA
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What is Bryn Mawr College known for?
Bryn Mawr College is most influential in:
Mathematics
Social Work
Anthropology
Literature
Philosophy
Chemistry
Biology
Physics
Earth Sciences
Psychology
#17
Bennington College
#453 institution's overall influence
#1445 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$54K
Acceptance
57%
Graduation
70%
Student body
<1K
Bennington, VT
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What is Bennington College known for?
Bennington College is most influential in:
Literature
Anthropology
Philosophy
Education
History
Biology
Political Science
Psychology
Sociology
Medical
#18
Yeshiva University
#212 institution's overall influence
#136 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$44K
Acceptance
60%
Graduation
82%
Student body
4K
Median SAT/ACT
1270/26
New York, NY
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What is Yeshiva University known for?
Yeshiva University is most influential in:
Medical
Religious Studies
Social Work
Law
Physics
Biology
Philosophy
Mathematics
Psychology
Education
#19
Bard College
#300 institution's overall influence
#998 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$55K
Acceptance
65%
Graduation
78%
Student body
2K
Annandale-On-Hudson, NY
View profile
What is Bard College known for?
Bard College is most influential in:
Literature
History
Economics
Education
Sociology
Biology
#20
Haverford College
#319 institution's overall influence
#73 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$55K
Acceptance
19%
Graduation
90%
Student body
1K
Median SAT/ACT
1450/33
Haverford, PA
View profile
What is Haverford College known for?
Haverford College is most influential in:
Religious Studies
Philosophy
Chemistry
Psychology
Anthropology
Physics
Political Science
Mathematics
Biology
Economics
#21
Harvey Mudd College
#645 institution's overall influence
#28 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$57K
Acceptance
14%
Graduation
93%
Student body
<1K
Median SAT/ACT
1525/34
Claremont, CA
View profile
What is Harvey Mudd College known for?
Harvey Mudd College is most influential in:
Mathematics
Computer Science
Physics
Engineering
Biology
Economics
Chemistry
Sociology
Religious Studies
Political Science
#22
Smith College
#157 institution's overall influence
#111 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$52K
Acceptance
31%
Graduation
89%
Student body
3K
Northampton, MA
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What is Smith College known for?
Smith College is most influential in:
Social Work
Psychology
Literature
Education
Mathematics
History
Anthropology
Political Science
Sociology
Economics
#23
Claremont McKenna College
#562 institution's overall influence
#18 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$54K
Acceptance
9%
Graduation
93%
Student body
1K
Median SAT/ACT
1425/32
Claremont, CA
View profile
What is Claremont McKenna College known for?
Claremont McKenna College is most influential in:
Economics
Religious Studies
Political Science
Philosophy
Literature
Business
Law
Psychology
Communications
Computer Science
#24
Catholic University of America
#206 institution's overall influence
#261 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$46K
Acceptance
84%
Graduation
70%
Student body
5K
Washington, DC
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What is Catholic University of America known for?
Catholic University of America is most influential in:
Religious Studies
Nursing
Law
Physics
Social Work
Chemistry
Philosophy
Education
Communications
History
#25
Morehouse College
#331 institution's overall influence
#1436 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$28K
Acceptance
58%
Graduation
50%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1110/22
Atlanta, GA
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What is Morehouse College known for?
Morehouse College is most influential in:
Education
Religious Studies
Political Science
Philosophy
Sociology
History
Psychology
Mathematics
Economics
Chemistry
#26
Kenyon College
#309 institution's overall influence
#50 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$56K
Acceptance
36%
Graduation
90%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1375/31
Gambier, OH
View profile
What is Kenyon College known for?
Kenyon College is most influential in:
Literature
History
Religious Studies
Chemistry
Political Science
Mathematics
Biology
Philosophy
Economics
Psychology
#27
Naropa University
#530 institution's overall influence
#1139 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$32K
Acceptance
98%
Graduation
37%
Student body
<1K
Boulder, CO
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What is Naropa University known for?
Naropa University is most influential in:
Religious Studies
Literature
Psychology
Medical
Education
Political Science
#28
Bowdoin College
#218 institution's overall influence
#17 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$54K
Acceptance
10%
Graduation
94%
Student body
2K
Brunswick, ME
View profile
What is Bowdoin College known for?
Bowdoin College is most influential in:
Literature
History
Education
Psychology
Mathematics
Political Science
Biology
Philosophy
Sociology
Economics
#29
Mount Holyoke College
#226 institution's overall influence
#228 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$50K
Acceptance
51%
Graduation
84%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1395/30
South Hadley, MA
View profile
What is Mount Holyoke College known for?
Mount Holyoke College is most influential in:
Literature
Mathematics
Education
Philosophy
Chemistry
Political Science
Physics
Earth Sciences
Psychology
History
#30
Carleton College
#337 institution's overall influence
#78 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$55K
Acceptance
20%
Graduation
92%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1440/32
Northfield, MN
View profile
What is Carleton College known for?
Carleton College is most influential in:
Economics
Sociology
Political Science
Earth Sciences
Philosophy
Chemistry
Mathematics
Physics
Psychology
Biology
#31
Fisk University
#341 institution's overall influence
#843 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$21K
Acceptance
71%
Graduation
44%
Student body
<1K
Median SAT/ACT
1005/20
Nashville, TN
View profile
What is Fisk University known for?
Fisk University is most influential in:
Sociology
Education
Literature
History
Mathematics
Physics
Psychology
Chemistry
Political Science
Business
#32
Spelman College
#441 institution's overall influence
#1205 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$29K
Acceptance
39%
Graduation
77%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1150/24
Atlanta, GA
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What is Spelman College known for?
Spelman College is most influential in:
Social Work
Mathematics
Literature
Sociology
Education
Computer Science
History
Political Science
Psychology
Economics
#33
Clark University
#198 institution's overall influence
#469 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$46K
Acceptance
59%
Graduation
75%
Student body
3K
Worcester, MA
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What is Clark University known for?
Clark University is most influential in:
Psychology
Sociology
Physics
Mathematics
Philosophy
Biology
Education
Chemistry
Political Science
History
#34
Colgate University
#278 institution's overall influence
#42 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$56K
Acceptance
25%
Graduation
90%
Student body
3K
Median SAT/ACT
1415/32
Hamilton, NY
View profile
What is Colgate University known for?
Colgate University is most influential in:
Literature
Philosophy
Religious Studies
Biology
Physics
Political Science
Anthropology
Computer Science
Education
History
#35
Washington and Lee University
#288 institution's overall influence
#80 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$52K
Acceptance
21%
Graduation
92%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1419/32
Lexington, VA
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What is Washington and Lee University known for?
Washington and Lee University is most influential in:
Law
Communications
History
Literature
Engineering
Economics
Political Science
Mathematics
Anthropology
Psychology
#36
Occidental College
#490 institution's overall influence
#1144 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$55K
Acceptance
37%
Graduation
81%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1360/30
Los Angeles, CA
View profile
What is Occidental College known for?
Occidental College is most influential in:
Earth Sciences
Political Science
Economics
Physics
Literature
Chemistry
Mathematics
Biology
Religious Studies
Sociology
#37
Connecticut College
#539 institution's overall influence
#212 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$55K
Acceptance
38%
Graduation
84%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1360/31
New London, CT
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What is Connecticut College known for?
Connecticut College is most influential in:
Religious Studies
Computer Science
Mathematics
Literature
Economics
Sociology
Psychology
Philosophy
Biology
Anthropology
#38
Pitzer College
#1013 institution's overall influence
#63 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$54K
Acceptance
13%
Graduation
88%
Student body
1K
Claremont, CA
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What is Pitzer College known for?
Pitzer College is most influential in:
Sociology
Anthropology
Economics
Physics
Psychology
Biology
Earth Sciences
Literature
Chemistry
Computer Science
#39
New College of Florida
#883 institution's overall influence
#846 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$7K
Acceptance
77%
Graduation
63%
Student body
<1K
Median SAT/ACT
1320/28
Sarasota, FL
View profile
What is New College of Florida known for?
New College of Florida is most influential in:
Biology
#40
Wheaton College
#396 institution's overall influence
#1019 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$36K
Acceptance
83%
Graduation
91%
Student body
3K
Median SAT/ACT
1315/29
Wheaton, IL
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What is Wheaton College known for?
Wheaton College is most influential in:
Religious Studies
Anthropology
Philosophy
Earth Sciences
Biology
History
Literature
Communications
Education
Social Work
#41
Grinnell College
#501 institution's overall influence
#101 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$52K
Acceptance
24%
Graduation
86%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1450/32
Grinnell, IA
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What is Grinnell College known for?
Grinnell College is most influential in:
Chemistry
Physics
Political Science
Religious Studies
Biology
Anthropology
Philosophy
Computer Science
Economics
History
#42
Middlebury College
#383 institution's overall influence
#32 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$54K
Acceptance
17%
Graduation
93%
Student body
3K
Median SAT/ACT
1415/32
Middlebury, VT
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What is Middlebury College known for?
Middlebury College is most influential in:
Literature
Political Science
Earth Sciences
Education
Economics
Religious Studies
Chemistry
Physics
History
Mathematics
#43
DePauw University
#290 institution's overall influence
#716 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$50K
Acceptance
63%
Graduation
85%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1230/26
Greencastle, IN
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What is DePauw University known for?
DePauw University is most influential in:
Anthropology
Political Science
Biology
Sociology
Economics
History
Education
Psychology
Philosophy
Physics
#44
Hamilton College
#324 institution's overall influence
#85 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$55K
Acceptance
21%
Graduation
92%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1430/32
Clinton, NY
View profile
What is Hamilton College known for?
Hamilton College is most influential in:
Literature
Psychology
Philosophy
Mathematics
Economics
History
Anthropology
Biology
Political Science
Sociology
#45
Trinity College
#481 institution's overall influence
#148 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$57K
Acceptance
34%
Graduation
85%
Student body
2K
Median SAT/ACT
1380/30
Hartford, CT
View profile
What is Trinity College known for?
Trinity College is most influential in:
Economics
Philosophy
Political Science
Religious Studies
Literature
Mathematics
History
Education
Sociology
Biology
#46
Goddard College
#830 institution's overall influence
Tuition + fees
$17K
Acceptance
100%
Graduation
57%
Student body
<1K
Plainfield, VT
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What is Goddard College known for?
Goddard College is most influential in:
Education
Psychology
#47
College of the Atlantic
#1583 institution's overall influence
#1229 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$44K
Acceptance
67%
Graduation
65%
Student body
<1K
Bar Harbor, ME
View profile
What is College of the Atlantic known for?
College of the Atlantic is most influential in:
#48
Clarke University
#1158 institution's overall influence
#462 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$33K
Acceptance
82%
Graduation
61%
Student body
<1K
Median SAT/ACT
1013/21
Dubuque, IA
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What is Clarke University known for?
Clarke University is most influential in:
Literature
Computer Science
Communications
History
Biology
Philosophy
Chemistry
Social Work
Nursing
Education
#49
Scripps College
#1037 institution's overall influence
#99 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$55K
Acceptance
24%
Graduation
84%
Student body
1K
Median SAT/ACT
1390/31
Claremont, CA
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What is Scripps College known for?
Scripps College is most influential in:
Religious Studies
Economics
Biology
Philosophy
Literature
Anthropology
Computer Science
Political Science
Physics
Psychology
#50
Earlham College
#611 institution's overall influence
#963 overall school desirability
Tuition + fees
$46K
Acceptance
65%
Graduation
71%
Student body
1K
Median SAT/ACT
1270/28
Richmond, IN
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What is Earlham College known for?
Earlham College is most influential in:
Chemistry
Earth Sciences
Physics
Anthropology
Biology
Sociology
Philosophy
Literature
Mathematics
Engineering