1
Williams College
MA · Acceptance Rate: 10%
Tuition: $63,290
Enrollment: 2,100
SAT Range: 1460–1560
Acceptance Rate: 10%
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Top 20 Small Liberal Arts Colleges
The best small liberal arts colleges in America, ranked by academic reputation and selectivity.
How we ranked these schools
Schools are curated from the most widely recognized and prestigious liberal arts colleges in America, ranked by academic reputation, selectivity, and SAT midpoint. Data sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (the federal government's education data authority), Princeton Review, Niche, and My School List's own school database. All figures reflect the most recently available data and are updated periodically. Rankings are for informational purposes only.
2
Amherst College
MA · Acceptance Rate: 9%
Tuition: $66,080
Enrollment: 1,900
SAT Range: 1470–1560
Acceptance Rate: 9%
3
Swarthmore College
PA · Acceptance Rate: 7%
Tuition: $60,078
Enrollment: 1,600
SAT Range: 1460–1560
Acceptance Rate: 7%
4
Pomona College
CA · Acceptance Rate: 7%
Tuition: $58,720
Enrollment: 1,600
SAT Range: 1460–1550
Acceptance Rate: 7%
5
Bowdoin College
ME · Acceptance Rate: 9%
Tuition: $62,346
Enrollment: 1,900
SAT Range: 1410–1530
Acceptance Rate: 9%
6
Middlebury College
VT · Acceptance Rate: 16%
Tuition: $63,388
Enrollment: 2,800
SAT Range: 1380–1520
Acceptance Rate: 16%
7
Colby College
ME · Acceptance Rate: 7%
Tuition: $64,100
Enrollment: 1,950
SAT Range: 1390–1520
Acceptance Rate: 7%
8
Vassar College
NY · Acceptance Rate: 20%
Tuition: $64,970
Enrollment: 2,500
SAT Range: 1400–1520
Acceptance Rate: 20%
9
Hamilton College
NY · Acceptance Rate: 12%
Tuition: $63,750
Enrollment: 2,000
SAT Range: 1420–1530
Acceptance Rate: 12%
10
Colgate University
NY · Acceptance Rate: 13%
Tuition: $63,930
Enrollment: 3,200
SAT Range: 1370–1510
Acceptance Rate: 13%
11
Davidson College
NC · Acceptance Rate: 17%
Tuition: $58,010
Enrollment: 1,900
SAT Range: 1370–1500
Acceptance Rate: 17%
12
Oberlin College
OH · Acceptance Rate: 30%
Tuition: $62,194
Enrollment: 1,900
SAT Range: 1320–1490
Acceptance Rate: 30%
13
Kenyon College
OH · Acceptance Rate: 36%
Tuition: $67,490
Enrollment: 1,700
SAT Range: 1310–1460
Acceptance Rate: 36%
14
Trinity College
CT · Acceptance Rate: 33%
Tuition: $63,140
Enrollment: 2,200
SAT Range: 1270–1430
Acceptance Rate: 33%
15
Bates College
ME · Acceptance Rate: 14%
Tuition: $62,720
Enrollment: 1,800
SAT Range: 1350–1500
Acceptance Rate: 14%
16
College of the Holy Cross
MA · Acceptance Rate: 32%
Tuition: $57,684
Enrollment: 3,100
SAT Range: 1300–1440
Acceptance Rate: 32%
17
Dickinson College
PA · Acceptance Rate: 39%
Tuition: $60,960
Enrollment: 1,900
SAT Range: 1250–1400
Acceptance Rate: 39%
18
Franklin & Marshall College
PA · Acceptance Rate: 30%
Tuition: $62,850
Enrollment: 2,300
SAT Range: 1280–1430
Acceptance Rate: 30%
19
Lafayette College
PA · Acceptance Rate: 38%
Tuition: $60,200
Enrollment: 2,700
SAT Range: 1280–1430
Acceptance Rate: 38%
20
Bucknell University
PA · Acceptance Rate: 32%
Tuition: $62,384
Enrollment: 3,800
SAT Range: 1280–1430
Acceptance Rate: 32%
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