Best Private Colleges in Connecticut 2023

Published: Mar 25, 2021
Updated: Sep 8, 2023

Private colleges, unlike large public institutions, can be a great option for students wanting a more intimate campus experience, more personal attention from excellent professors, and more immediate access to support services. Here is our list of the best private colleges in Connecticut.

University of New Haven 94%
Quinnipiac University 88%
Albertus Magnus College 82%
University of Hartford 79%
Mitchell College 78%
University of Saint Joseph 78%
University of Bridgeport 73%
Sacred Heart University 66%
Fairfield University 56%
Connecticut College 41%

Post University 23 to 1
University of New Haven 18 to 1
University of Bridgeport 16 to 1
Quinnipiac University 15 to 1
Albertus Magnus College 14 to 1
Mitchell College 14 to 1
Sacred Heart University 14 to 1
Fairfield University 12 to 1
Trinity College 9 to 1
Connecticut College 9 to 1

Wesleyan University $62,049
Trinity College $61,370
Connecticut College $60,795
Yale University $59,950
Fairfield University $52,870
Quinnipiac University $51,270
Sacred Heart University $45,230
University of Hartford $44,885
University of Saint Joseph $43,084
University of New Haven $42,898

Wesleyan University $61,449
Yale University $45,700
Sacred Heart University $34,509
Albertus Magnus College $21,744
Quinnipiac University $19,530
Fairfield University $19,383
University of Bridgeport $19,096
Trinity College $18,780
University of New Haven $17,820
University of Hartford $14,652

Mitchell College
University of Saint Joseph
Albertus Magnus College
Post University
Sacred Heart University
University of New Haven
Quinnipiac University
University of Bridgeport
Fairfield University
University of Hartford

Yale University 5%
Wesleyan University 19%
Trinity College 38%
Connecticut College 41%
Fairfield University 56%
Sacred Heart University 66%
University of Bridgeport 73%
University of Saint Joseph 78%
Mitchell College 78%
University of Hartford 79%

Yale University 4 to 1
University of Saint Joseph 7 to 1
University of Hartford 8 to 1
Wesleyan University 8 to 1
Trinity College 9 to 1
Connecticut College 9 to 1
Fairfield University 12 to 1
Albertus Magnus College 14 to 1
Mitchell College 14 to 1
Sacred Heart University 14 to 1

Post University $16,610
University of Bridgeport $35,760
Mitchell College $35,775
Albertus Magnus College $36,442
University of New Haven $42,898
University of Saint Joseph $43,084
University of Hartford $44,885
Sacred Heart University $45,230
Quinnipiac University $51,270
Fairfield University $52,870

Post University $7,500
University of Saint Joseph $14,328
University of Hartford $14,652
University of New Haven $17,820
Trinity College $18,780
University of Bridgeport $19,096
Fairfield University $19,383
Quinnipiac University $19,530
Albertus Magnus College $21,744
Sacred Heart University $34,509

Table of Contents

Colleges and Universities in Connecticut

Connecticut is home to a variety of top brick-and-mortar schools as well as a wide variety of fully accredited online colleges. Higher education in Connecticut includes both public and private institutions that offer associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees, both in person and through online degree programs.

With 19 public schools and 20 private schools, Connecticut gives both traditional and online students plenty of options to choose from.

Students seeking an affordable option can attend one of the state’s numerous community colleges, which average $4,000 a year for tuition. The in-state cost for tuition in Connecticut’s four year public schools ranges from $8,000 to $16,000. Many of the community and public colleges in Connecticut also offer online degree programs.

Students interested in psychology, economics, and communications can check out the University of Connecticut (UConn), which is home to the premier research institute for ecological psychology. Sacred Heart University, a Roman Catholic university, is known for its religious studies and business programs.

Those looking for a smaller student population and more online courses may want to check out Manchester Community College, which enrolls about 4000 students and offers affordable in-person and online degrees in literature, biology, and social work.

And of course, Connecticut is also home to Yale University, the fourth oldest learning institute in the United States. The venerable Ivy League school enrolls just over 15,000 students at its New Haven campus.

Both traditional and online students in Connecticut can choose from a variety of higher education experiences fitting a full spectrum of budgets and career goals. Learn more and begin earning your degree from one of the top brick-and-mortar or online colleges in Connecticut.

What are Connecticut’s Colleges & Universities?

Connecticut’s Best Overall

What is the difference between public and private colleges?

Public and private colleges and universities operate under different business models. Public colleges and universities are owned by the state and receive both state and federal funding to operate. Private colleges and universities are private companies with private funding. If you’re looking at the pros and cons of private vs. public colleges, consider that many public colleges provide diverse course offerings, influential professors, and an excellent return on your investment.

Public colleges are schools that receive most of their funding from tax revenues. As a result, the cost of a bachelor’s degree at a public university is often lower than the equivalent cost at a private college — especially for students attending a public school in their home state. Attending a college in-state is usually the cheapest option. Private universities and colleges can be very competitive with their funding opportunities, so do not simply believe that private colleges are always going to be more expensive. According to National Center for Educational Statistics, the average annual cost (tuition, fees, room and board for full-time students) at a public university was slightly over $20,000. In contrast, private universities cost, on average, nearly $43,000 annually. But in the end, the cost of college comes down to each student’s academic and financial situation.

How do we determine Connecticut's best private colleges and universities?

Methodology

The people affiliated with a school are ultimately what make it great! 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 in their fields of study.

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

To rank the influence of schools, we first determine the influence of scholars and professionals based on the number of citations and publications they have had over the past 10 years. In addition to publications and citations, we consider the web links to and from these sources, and the page views of those sources. We then match the influential people to their alma maters and institutions of employment, so that their influence is attributed to those schools. Our machine-learning Influence Ranking algorithm produces a numerical score of academic achievements, merits, and citations across Wikipedia, wikidata, Crossref, Semantic Scholar and an ever-growing body of data. If you are interested in exploring how and why we rank by influence, explore our methodology in more depth.

This list is composed entirely of private colleges and universities that offer bachelor’s degrees. We’ve identified 14 private universities in Connecticut. To be included in the list below of the best private universities in Connecticut, schools must be fully accredited, private, non-profit institution, and must offer a broad range of bachelor’s degrees.