There are literally thousands of colleges and universities in the United States that prospective college students can choose from when they’re deciding on where to apply. And these schools come in all types and sizes: From large, public state schools like the University of Michigan or University of Arizona or Penn State; to the famous Ivy League colleges like Harvard, Princeton, or Brown, to name a few; to schools renowned for their specialties like Johns Hopkins or Carnegie Mellon; and everything in between.
There is, however, a substantial list of colleges that are very popular among prospective college students but may not be as well known to the average American. And these prospective college students seem to be particularly interested in the undergraduate acceptance rates at these popular schools.
So, for our BrokeScholar report here, we compiled a list of 100 colleges that are under-the-radar extremely popular with college-searchers, and we included key datapoints like their undergraduate acceptance rates, tuition costs, and more, sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).
100 Popular Colleges’ Acceptance Rates
Below you’ll find the table of the 100 colleges, including their undergraduate acceptance rate, in-state and out-of-state tuition, as well as undergraduate population size and the teacher to student ratio. The colleges are listed in order from the lowest acceptance rate to the highest acceptance rate:
|
College/University |
Acceptance Rate |
Percent Admitted Who Enrolled |
Difference between Accepted vs. Enrolled |
In-state tuition |
Out-of-state tuition |
Undergraduates |
Student-to-faculty ratio (X to 1) |
|
7% |
58% |
51% |
$59,238 |
$59,238 |
1,764 |
7 |
|
|
8% |
45% |
37% |
$59,328 |
$59,328 |
1,651 |
8 |
|
|
9% |
63% |
54% |
$61,528 |
$61,528 |
1,951 |
9 |
|
|
9% |
52% |
43% |
$61,770 |
$61,770 |
2,174 |
6 |
|
|
9% |
47% |
38% |
$63,520 |
$63,520 |
2,262 |
10 |
|
|
9% |
42% |
33% |
$64,100 |
$64,100 |
1,971 |
7 |
|
|
10% |
48% |
38% |
$62,817 |
$62,817 |
905 |
9 |
|
|
11% |
65% |
54% |
$62,525 |
$62,525 |
3,043 |
10 |
|
|
11% |
57% |
46% |
$60,715 |
$60,715 |
1,416 |
8 |
|
|
11% |
43% |
32% |
$61,480 |
$61,480 |
1,748 |
9 |
|
|
13% |
42% |
29% |
$62,460 |
$62,460 |
2,858 |
9 |
|
|
13% |
34% |
21% |
$57,948 |
$57,948 |
7,130 |
9 |
|
|
14% |
40% |
26% |
$65,028 |
$65,028 |
2,241 |
9 |
|
|
14% |
40% |
26% |
$62,670 |
$62,670 |
2,055 |
9 |
|
|
16% |
49% |
33% |
$61,920 |
$61,920 |
2,461 |
8 |
|
|
17% |
44% |
27% |
$61,066 |
$61,066 |
1,821 |
10 |
|
|
18% |
53% |
35% |
$60,578 |
$60,578 |
1,168 |
12 |
|
|
18% |
48% |
30% |
$57,340 |
$57,340 |
1,973 |
10 |
|
|
18% |
43% |
25% |
$63,628 |
$63,628 |
1,420 |
8 |
|
|
18% |
40% |
22% |
$62,634 |
$62,634 |
2,044 |
8 |
|
|
20% |
31% |
11% |
$64,800 |
$64,800 |
2,516 |
8 |
|
|
24% |
56% |
32% |
$30,902 |
$30,902 |
1,515 |
8 |
|
|
25% |
36% |
11% |
$54,944 |
$54,944 |
2,576 |
16 |
|
|
30% |
38% |
8% |
$60,712 |
$60,712 |
1,095 |
10 |
|
|
31% |
21% |
-10% |
$62,500 |
$62,500 |
2,244 |
10 |
|
|
34% |
24% |
-10% |
$62,024 |
$62,024 |
2,942 |
9 |
|
|
37% |
26% |
-11% |
$23,970 |
47,196 |
6,543 |
12 |
|
|
37% |
18% |
-19% |
$66,490 |
$66,490 |
1,875 |
9 |
|
|
38% |
25% |
-13% |
$63,930 |
$63,930 |
2,159 |
9 |
|
|
39% |
59% |
20% |
$17,442 |
$17,442 |
6,445 |
16 |
|
|
41% |
23% |
-18% |
$59,368 |
$59,368 |
2,725 |
10 |
|
|
41% |
16% |
-25% |
$63,005 |
$63,005 |
1,829 |
9 |
|
|
43% |
29% |
-14% |
$58,360 |
$58,360 |
3,029 |
10 |
|
|
43% |
16% |
-27% |
$44,950 |
$44,950 |
1,212 |
11 |
|
|
44% |
16% |
-28% |
$64,760 |
$64,760 |
1,548 |
9 |
|
|
46% |
23% |
-23% |
$7,382 |
15,332 |
18,152 |
15 |
|
|
47% |
25% |
-22% |
$54,650 |
$54,650 |
2,988 |
12 |
|
|
47% |
16% |
-31% |
$63,954 |
$63,954 |
2,096 |
9 |
|
|
48% |
22% |
-26% |
$61,351 |
$61,351 |
2,180 |
9 |
|
|
49% |
13% |
-36% |
$56,110 |
$56,110 |
2,510 |
11 |
|
|
51% |
21% |
-30% |
$7,464 |
15,414 |
15,859 |
20 |
|
|
52% |
29% |
-23% |
$58,498 |
$58,498 |
2,220 |
10 |
|
|
55% |
43% |
-12% |
$48,330 |
$48,330 |
7,177 |
10 |
|
|
56% |
18% |
-38% |
$61,760 |
$61,760 |
2,401 |
10 |
|
|
57% |
20% |
-37% |
$52,310 |
$52,310 |
2,050 |
10 |
|
|
58% |
17% |
-41% |
$61,234 |
$61,234 |
1,529 |
11 |
|
|
58% |
16% |
-42% |
$57,928 |
$57,928 |
4,179 |
11 |
|
|
58% |
14% |
-44% |
$7,410 |
15,360 |
12,375 |
17 |
|
|
59% |
16% |
-43% |
$58,622 |
$58,622 |
1,559 |
9 |
|
|
59% |
16% |
-43% |
$7,007 |
18,887 |
35,600 |
25 |
|
|
60% |
18% |
-42% |
$44,560 |
$44,560 |
5,510 |
16 |
|
|
60% |
15% |
-45% |
$60,622 |
$60,622 |
2,171 |
9 |
|
|
61% |
16% |
-45% |
$7,538 |
15,488 |
15,883 |
16 |
|
|
61% |
15% |
-46% |
$57,500 |
$57,500 |
1,968 |
11 |
|
|
61% |
12% |
-49% |
$40,500 |
$40,500 |
2,811 |
14 |
|
|
62% |
23% |
-39% |
$17,978 |
30,772 |
6,959 |
13 |
|
|
62% |
11% |
-51% |
$44,220 |
$44,220 |
3,217 |
13 |
|
|
65% |
26% |
-39% |
$29,468 |
$29,468 |
2,554 |
12 |
|
|
67% |
22% |
-45% |
$61,448 |
$61,448 |
771 |
10 |
|
|
68% |
16% |
-52% |
$58,205 |
$58,205 |
2,074 |
9 |
|
|
68% |
16% |
-52% |
$43,046 |
$43,046 |
2,404 |
13 |
|
|
69% |
25% |
-44% |
$9,992 |
28,794 |
37,806 |
14 |
|
|
69% |
14% |
-55% |
$47,916 |
$47,916 |
2,338 |
11 |
|
|
70% |
20% |
-50% |
$39,376 |
$39,376 |
2,172 |
12 |
|
|
70% |
17% |
-53% |
$48,900 |
$48,900 |
2,036 |
12 |
|
|
72% |
12% |
-60% |
$52,000 |
$52,000 |
2,423 |
11 |
|
|
74% |
19% |
-55% |
$23,760 |
$23,760 |
2,641 |
15 |
|
|
74% |
10% |
-64% |
$44,908 |
$44,908 |
1,870 |
13 |
|
|
74% |
9% |
-65% |
$43,400 |
$43,400 |
1,206 |
16 |
|
|
75% |
13% |
-62% |
$54,452 |
$54,452 |
472 |
11 |
|
|
75% |
9% |
-66% |
$48,658 |
$48,658 |
3,166 |
11 |
|
|
76% |
16% |
-60% |
$12,978 |
35,798 |
9,967 |
16 |
|
|
76% |
12% |
-64% |
$34,500 |
$34,500 |
2,635 |
13 |
|
|
76% |
11% |
-65% |
$40,352 |
$40,352 |
1,166 |
8 |
|
|
77% |
23% |
-54% |
$41,694 |
$41,694 |
2,059 |
11 |
|
|
77% |
21% |
-56% |
$37,776 |
$37,776 |
2,977 |
13 |
|
|
77% |
9% |
-68% |
$38,718 |
$38,718 |
1,770 |
9 |
|
|
78% |
11% |
-67% |
$48,276 |
$48,276 |
4,818 |
10 |
|
|
79% |
15% |
-64% |
$59,684 |
$59,684 |
2,116 |
12 |
|
|
80% |
12% |
-68% |
$44,920 |
$44,920 |
2,050 |
12 |
|
|
80% |
12% |
-68% |
$49,196 |
$49,196 |
4,120 |
15 |
|
|
81% |
16% |
-65% |
$49,158 |
$49,158 |
1,046 |
12 |
|
|
82% |
12% |
-70% |
$49,220 |
$49,220 |
1,057 |
8 |
|
|
83% |
19% |
-64% |
$49,930 |
$49,930 |
1,402 |
9 |
|
|
83% |
15% |
-68% |
$41,980 |
$41,980 |
3,496 |
12 |
|
|
86% |
32% |
-54% |
$42,240 |
$42,240 |
2,341 |
11 |
|
|
86% |
15% |
-71% |
$21,358 |
$21,358 |
6,505 |
15 |
|
|
87% |
13% |
-74% |
$46,800 |
$46,800 |
1,757 |
13 |
|
|
92% |
21% |
-71% |
$38,370 |
$38,370 |
3,132 |
11 |
|
|
93% |
11% |
-82% |
$44,328 |
$44,328 |
2,994 |
15 |
|
|
96% |
11% |
-85% |
$51,309 |
$51,309 |
1,163 |
12 |
|
|
100% |
4% |
-96% |
$41,518 |
$41,518 |
1,311 |
9 |
|
|
100% |
0% |
-100% |
$28,600 |
$28,600 |
1,981 |
20 |
|
|
100% |
0% |
-100% |
$1,330 |
8,890 |
20,435 |
23 |
|
|
100% |
0% |
-100% |
$5,143 |
7,227 |
3,549 |
14 |
|
|
100% |
0% |
-100% |
$2,563 |
9,189 |
12,830 |
20 |
|
|
100% |
0% |
-100% |
$2,474 |
9,383 |
43,599 |
19 |
|
|
100% |
0% |
-100% |
$26,175 |
$26,175 |
493 |
14 |
|
|
100% |
0% |
-100% |
$3,106 |
11,994 |
11,613 |
17 |
|
|
100% |
0% |
-100% |
$2,838 |
9,661 |
44,002 |
18 |
1. Pomona College
Pomona College acceptance rate: 7%
Pomona College is a private liberal arts college located in Claremont, California. Founded in 1887, it is part of the Claremont Colleges Consortium, which includes five undergraduate colleges and two graduate institutions. Pomona College is known for its small class sizes and strong emphasis on undergraduate research. With a student teacher ratio of 7:1, students have ample opportunity to work closely with their professors and engage in meaningful research projects. The college offers 48 majors and has a strong focus on interdisciplinary studies. Students are encouraged to explore a variety of academic fields and to design their own courses of study. In addition to academic pursuits, Pomona College has an energetic student life with over 200 student organizations, including a strong emphasis on sustainability and social justice. Pomona College also boasts a graduation rate of 93%.
2. Swarthmore College
Swarthmore College acceptance rate: 8%
Swarthmore College is a private liberal arts college located in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1864, it has a long history of academic excellence and social activism. The college is known for its rigorous academic program, with a strong focus on the humanities and social sciences. Swarthmore College has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8:1 and a small average class size of 12 students. The college has a strong commitment to undergraduate research, with opportunities for students to work with faculty members on research projects both on and off campus. Besides academic pursuits, Swarthmore College has a vibrant student life, with over 100 student organizations, including a strong focus on sustainability and social justice. It doesn’t hurt that Swarthmore’s graduation rate is an incredible 94%. It's also one of the hardest colleges to get into in the US.
3. Bowdoin College
Bowdoin College acceptance rate: 9%
Bowdoin College is a private liberal arts college located in Brunswick, Maine. Founded in 1794, it has a long history of academic excellence and social responsibility. The college is known for its rigorous academic program, with a strong focus on the humanities and social sciences. Bowdoin College has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9:1 and a small average class size of 15 students. The college has a strong commitment to undergraduate research, with opportunities for students to work with faculty members on research projects both on and off campus. Bowdoin College has an active campus life, with over 100 student organizations, including a strong emphasis on sustainability and social justice. Like Swarthmore, Bowdoin College also sports a fantastic 94% graduation rate.
4. Williams College
Williams College acceptance rate: 9%
Williams College is a private liberal arts college located in Williamstown, Massachusetts. Founded in 1793, it has a long history of academic excellence and social responsibility. The college is known for its rigorous academic program, with a strong focus on the humanities and social sciences. Williams College has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6:1 and a small average class size of 12 students. The college has a strong commitment to undergraduate research, with opportunities for students to work with faculty members on research projects both on and off campus. As with the previous two entries, the graduation rate at Williams College is 94%. Williams College is also easily one of the hardest colleges to get into in Massachusetts.
5. Colby College
Colby College acceptance rate: 9%
Colby College is a private liberal arts college located in Waterville, Maine. Founded in 1813, it has a long history of academic excellence and social responsibility. The college is known for its rigorous academic program, with a strong focus on the humanities and social sciences. Colby College has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10:1 and a small average class size of 16 students. The college has a strong commitment to undergraduate research, with opportunities for students to work with faculty members on research projects both on and off campus. In addition to academic pursuits, Colby College has a vibrant student life, with over 100 student organizations for undergraduates to participate in. Compared to the other colleges in the top 5, Colby College’s graduation rate is strong but not as high, at 87%.
6. Amherst College
Amherst College acceptance rate: 9%
Amherst College is a private liberal arts college located in Amherst, Massachusetts. Founded in 1821, it is one of the oldest liberal arts colleges in the United States. Amherst College is known for its rigorous academic program, with a strong focus on the humanities and social sciences. The college has a student-to-faculty ratio of 7:1 and a small average class size of 16 students. The college has a strong commitment to undergraduate research, with opportunities for students to work with faculty members on research projects both on and off campus. And to throw into the bargain, Amherst College has a graduation rate of 92%.
7. Harvey Mudd College
Harvey Mudd College acceptance rate: 10%
Harvey Mudd College is a private liberal arts college located in Claremont, California. Founded in 1955, it is part of the Claremont Colleges Consortium, which includes five undergraduate colleges and two graduate institutions. Harvey Mudd College is known for its strong emphasis on science, engineering, and mathematics. The college has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9:1 and a small average class size of 15 students. The college has a strong commitment to undergraduate research, with opportunities for students to work with faculty members on research projects both on and off campus. Beyond educational pursuits, Harvey Mudd College is home to a vibrant student life, with over 80 student organizations. As one of the most competitive schools to get into in California, it’s not surprising that Harvey Mudd’s graduation rate is an excellent 94%.
8. Barnard College
Barnard College acceptance rate: 11%
Barnard College is a private women's liberal arts college located in New York City, New York. Founded in 1889, it is affiliated with Columbia University and is one of the Seven Sisters colleges. Barnard College is known for its strong emphasis on women's education and its rigorous academic program, with a strong focus on the humanities and social sciences. The college has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10:1 and a small average class size of 9 students. The college has a strong commitment to undergraduate research, with opportunities for students to work with faculty members on research projects both on and off campus. Campus life at Barnard College is very active, with the school having over 150 student organizations. Barnard College has one of the highest graduation rates of colleges in New York state, at 93%.
9. Claremont McKenna College
Claremont McKenna College acceptance rate: 11%
Claremont McKenna College is a private liberal arts college located in Claremont, California. Founded in 1946, it is part of the Claremont Colleges Consortium, which includes five undergraduate colleges and two graduate institutions. Claremont McKenna College is known for its strong emphasis on economics, government, and public policy. The college has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8:1 and a small average class size of 15 students. The college has a strong commitment to undergraduate research, with opportunities for students to work with faculty members on research projects both on and off campus. In addition to academic pursuits, Claremont McKenna College has a vibrant student life, with over 100 student organizations. Claremont McKenna also sports a superb 93% graduation rate. Although Claremont McKenna’s undergraduate acceptance rate is equal to Barnard College’s, the latter ranked higher because a higher percentage of applicants admitted proceeded to enroll at Barnard — 65%. This is in contrast to Claremont McKenna College’s corresponding percentage of 57%.
10. Grinnell College
Grinnell College acceptance rate: 11%
Grinnell College is a private liberal arts college located in Grinnell, Iowa. Founded in 1846, it is one of the oldest liberal arts colleges in the Midwest. Grinnell College is known for its strong emphasis on the humanities and social sciences. The college has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9:1 and a small average class size of 14 students. The college has a strong commitment to undergraduate research, with opportunities for students to work with faculty members on research projects both on and off campus. Though geographically very far from Colby College, Grinnell College managed to have the same exact graduation rate of 87%. And, again, though its acceptance rate is 11%, tied with Claremont McKenna, the latter ranked higher because only 43% of those admitted to Grinnell College proceed to enroll compared to Claremont McKenna’s 57%.
11. Middlebury College
Middlebury College acceptance rate: 13%
Middlebury College is a private liberal arts college located in Middlebury, Vermont. Founded in 1800, it is one of the oldest liberal arts colleges in the United States. Middlebury College is known for its strong emphasis on languages and international studies. The college has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9:1 and a small average class size of 15 students. The college has a strong commitment to undergraduate research, with opportunities for students to work with faculty members on research projects both on and off campus. On top of academic pursuits, Middlebury College has a lively student life, with over 150 student organizations for college attendees to join. With an impressive 91% graduation rate, Middlebury College has one of the highest rates in the state of Vermont.
12. Emory College
Emory College acceptance rate: 13%
Emory College is a private liberal arts college located in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1836, it is part of Emory University and is known for its strong emphasis on the humanities and social sciences. Emory College has a student-to-teacher ratio of 9:1 and a small average class size of 19 students. The college has a strong commitment to undergraduate research, with opportunities for students to work with faculty members on research projects both on and off campus. Emory College has a very active campus life, including over 250 student organizations for students to join. Emory College really stands out with its graduation rate of 90%, easily among the highest rates of all Georgia colleges.
13. Colorado College
Colorado College acceptance rate: 14%
Colorado College is a private liberal arts college located in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Founded in 1874, it is known for its innovative Block Plan, where students take one course at a time for three and a half weeks. Colorado College is known for its strong emphasis on the humanities and social sciences. The college has a student-to-teacher ratio of 9:1 and a small average class size of 15 students. The college has a strong commitment to undergraduate research, with opportunities for students to work with faculty members on research projects both on and off campus. In terms of its graduation rate, it is still high, but at 86% it’s not as high as most of the colleges in the top 10 of our list.
14. Hamilton College
Hamilton College acceptance rate: 14%
Hamilton College is a private liberal arts college located in Clinton, New York. Founded in 1793, it has a long history of academic excellence and social responsibility. Hamilton College is known for its strong emphasis on the humanities and social sciences. The college has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9:1 and a small average class size of 16 students. The college has a strong commitment to undergraduate research, with opportunities for students to work with faculty members on research projects both on and off campus. In addition to academic pursuits, Hamilton College has an eventful student life, with over 200 student organizations. Hamilton College also shows off in the department of graduation rates, where it boasts a 92% rate, among the highest in New York state.
15. Wellesley College
Wellesley College acceptance rate: 16%
Wellesley College is a private women's liberal arts college located in Wellesley, Massachusetts. Founded in 1870, it is known for its strong emphasis on women's education and its rigorous academic program, with a strong focus on the humanities and social sciences. Wellesley College has a student-to-instructor ratio of 8:1 and a small average class size of 12 students. The college has a strong commitment to undergraduate research, with opportunities for students to work with faculty members on research projects both on and off campus. Like the other Seven Sisters colleges, Wellesley features an exceptional graduation rate of 92%.
16. Bates College
Bates College acceptance rate: 17%
Bates College is a private liberal arts college located in Lewiston, Maine. Founded in 1855, it has a long history of academic excellence and social responsibility. Bates College is known for its strong emphasis on the humanities, social sciences, and STEM fields. Its top major fields of study include economics, psychology, and biology. The college has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10:1 and a small average class size of 16 students. The college has a strong commitment to undergraduate research, with opportunities for students to work with faculty members on research projects both on and off campus. In addition to academic pursuits, Bates College has a vibrant student life, with over 100 student organizations. With a graduation rate of 92%, Bates College has one of the highest graduation rates in Maine, surpassing Colby College by 5 percentage points.
17. Pitzer College
Pitzer College acceptance rate: 18%
Pitzer College is a private liberal arts college located in Claremont, California. Founded in 1963, it is part of the Claremont Colleges Consortium, which includes five undergraduate colleges and two graduate institutions. Pitzer College is known for its strong emphasis on social justice, environmental sustainability, and intercultural understanding. Its top major fields of study include psychology, sociology, and environmental studies. The college has a student-to-faculty ratio of 12:1 and a small average class size of 15 students. The college has a strong commitment to undergraduate research, with opportunities for students to work with faculty members on research projects both on and off campus. Located in Claremont like Claremont McKenna, Pitzer College, unfortunately, can’t match the former’s graduation rate: 88% for Pitzer versus 93% for Claremont McKenna.
18. Davidson College
Davidson College acceptance rate: 18%
Davidson College is a private liberal arts college located in Davidson, North Carolina. Founded in 1837, it has a long history of academic excellence and social responsibility. Davidson College is known for its strong emphasis on the humanities, social sciences, and STEM fields. Its top major fields of study include economics, biology, and political science. The college has a student-to-teacher ratio of 10:1 and a small average class size of 15 students. The college has a strong commitment to undergraduate research, with opportunities for students to work with faculty members on research projects both on and off campus. Besides its academic programs, Davidson College has a fun campus life, with over 200 student organizations. Besides being one of the hardest colleges to get into in North Carolina, Davidson boasts a remarkable graduation rate of 90%.
19. Haverford College
Haverford College acceptance rate: 18%
Haverford College is a private liberal arts college located in Haverford, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1833, it has a long history of academic excellence and social responsibility. Haverford College is known for its strong emphasis on the humanities, social sciences, and STEM fields. Its top major fields of study include biology, psychology, and economics. The college has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8:1 and a small average class size of 12 students. The college has a strong commitment to undergraduate research, with opportunities for students to work with faculty members on research projects both on and off campus. Also of note is Haverford College's lively student life, with over 145 student organizations. The reason why Davidson College ranked higher than Haverford is because 48% of those admitted to Davidson go on to enroll while only 43% do the same at Haverford College. Still, with a graduation rate of 90%, Haverford College is one the best schools in Pennsylvania.
20. Carleton College
Carleton College acceptance rate: 18%
Carleton College is a private liberal arts college located in Northfield, Minnesota. Founded in 1866, it has a long history of academic excellence and social responsibility. Carleton College is known for its strong emphasis on the humanities, social sciences, and STEM fields. Its top major fields of study include computer science, economics, and biology. The college has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8:1 and a small average class size of 17 students, not to mention a very strong graduation rate of 91%. The college has a strong commitment to undergraduate research, with opportunities for students to work with faculty members on research projects both on and off campus. Whereas at Haverford, 43% of those admitted proceed to enroll in the college, at Carleton that percentage is only 40%, hence Haverford College’s higher ranking.
21. Vassar College
Vassar College acceptance rate: 20%
Vassar College is a private liberal arts college located in Poughkeepsie, New York. Founded in 1861, it has a long history of academic excellence and social responsibility. Vassar College is known for its strong emphasis on the humanities, social sciences, and STEM fields. Its top major fields of study include psychology, biology, and political science. The college has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8:1 and a small average class size of 17 students. The small ratio of students to teachers may help explain Vassar’s terrific graduation rate of 93%. The college has a strong commitment to undergraduate research, with opportunities for students to work with faculty members on research projects both on and off campus. In addition to academic pursuits, Vassar College has a vivacious student life, with over 200 student organizations.
22. Hillsdale College
Hillsdale College acceptance rate: 24%
Hillsdale College is a private liberal arts college located in Hillsdale, Michigan. Founded in 1844, it is known for its strong emphasis on conservative values and classical education. Its top major fields of study include economics, history, and English. The college has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8:1 and a small average class size of 15 students. The college has a strong commitment to undergraduate research, with opportunities for students to work with faculty members on research projects both on and off campus. In addition to academic excellence, Hillsdale College has a vibrant student life, with over 100 student organizations. Hillsdale College also manages to maintain one of the highest graduation rates in the state, at 88%, and ranks among the best colleges in Michigan for political science.
23. Babson College
Babson College acceptance rate: 25%
Babson College is a private business school located in Babson Park, Massachusetts. Founded in 1919, it is known for its strong emphasis on entrepreneurship and business education. Its top major fields of study include business administration, finance, and marketing. The college has a student-to-teacher ratio of 16:1 and a small average class size of 23 students. The college has a strong commitment to experiential learning, with opportunities for students to gain hands-on experience through internships, consulting projects, and entrepreneurship initiatives. Considering its competitive 25% admission rate, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Babson’s graduation rate is a superb 94%.
24. Scripps College
Scripps College acceptance rate: 30%
Scripps College is a private women's liberal arts college located in Claremont, California. Founded in 1926, it is part of the Claremont Colleges Consortium, which includes five undergraduate colleges and two graduate institutions. Scripps College is known for its strong emphasis on the humanities, social sciences, and STEM fields. Its top major fields of study include psychology, biology, and political science. The college has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10:1 and a small average class size of 15 students. The college has a strong commitment to undergraduate research, with opportunities for students to work with faculty members on research projects both on and off campus. One thing to note is that, while 30% of applicants are accepted, an even higher proportion of applicants — 38% — proceed to then enroll in Scripps College. It also doesn’t hurt that Scripps College’s graduation rate is a solid 82%.
25. Macalester College
Macalester College acceptance rate: 31%
Macalester College is a private liberal arts college located in St. Paul, Minnesota. Founded in 1874, it has a long history of academic excellence and social responsibility. Macalester College is known for its strong emphasis on the humanities, social sciences, and STEM fields. Its top major fields of study include economics, computer science, and international studies. The college has a student-to-teacher ratio of 10:1 and a small average class size of 16 students. The college has a strong commitment to undergraduate research, with opportunities for students to work with faculty members on research projects both on and off campus. Sporting a graduation rate of 90%, Macalester College has one of the highest rates in the state of Minnesota.
26. Oberlin College
Oberlin College acceptance rate: 34%
Oberlin College is a private liberal arts college located in Oberlin, Ohio. Founded in 1833, it has a long history of academic excellence and social responsibility. Oberlin College is known for its strong emphasis on the humanities, social sciences, and STEM fields. Its top major fields of study include biology, economics, and neuroscience. The college has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9:1 and a small average class size of 15 students. The college has a strong commitment to undergraduate research, with opportunities for students to work with faculty members on research projects both on and off campus. Oberlin College also has a vibrant student life, with over 175 student organizations. Interestingly, though only 34% of applicants get admitted, an even lower percentage — 24% — of those admitted go on to enroll at Oberlin.
27. College of William & Mary
College of William & Mary acceptance rate: 37%
The College of William & Mary is a public research university located in Williamsburg, Virginia. Founded in 1693, it is the second-oldest institution of higher education in the United States. The College of William & Mary is known for its strong emphasis on the humanities, social sciences, and STEM fields. Its top major fields of study include biology, psychology, and government. The university has a student-to-faculty ratio of 12:1 and a small average class size of 19 students. The university has a strong commitment to undergraduate research, with opportunities for students to work with faculty members on research projects both on and off campus. Since its founding in colonial times, William & Mary has maintained a strong record of academic rigor and boasts a graduation rate of 91%. It easily ranks as one of the best colleges in Virginia.
28. Kenyon College
Kenyon College acceptance rate: 37%
Kenyon College is a private liberal arts college located in Gambier, Ohio. Founded in 1824, it has a long history of academic excellence and social responsibility. Indeed, Kenyon ranked among the hardest colleges to get into in Ohio in a separate BrokeScholar study. Kenyon College is known for its strong emphasis on the humanities, social sciences, and STEM fields. Its top major fields of study include English, political science, and biology. The college has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9:1 and a small average class size of 15 students. The college has a strong commitment to undergraduate research, with opportunities for students to work with faculty members on research projects both on and off campus. In addition to academic pursuits, Kenyon College has a vibrant student life, with over 150 student organizations. William & Mary ranked higher than Kenyon College because, though both have undergraduate acceptance rates of 37%, a smaller proportion of those admitted to Kenyon — 18% — actually go on to enroll there, compared to 26% of those admitted to William & Mary proceeding to enroll.
29. Trinity College
Trinity College acceptance rate: 38%
Trinity College is a private liberal arts college located in Hartford, Connecticut. Founded in 1823, it has a long history of academic excellence and social responsibility. Trinity College is known for its strong emphasis on the humanities, social sciences, and STEM fields. Its top major fields of study include economics, political science, and psychology. The college has a student-to-teacher ratio of 9:1 and a small average class size of 15 students. The college has a strong commitment to undergraduate research, with opportunities for students to work with faculty members on research projects both on and off campus. Academically, Trinity College has a solid track record, maintaining the third highest graduation rate — 85% — out of all four-year colleges in Connecticut.
30. Monroe College
Monroe College acceptance rate: 39%
Monroe College is a private for-profit college located in New Rochelle, New York. Founded in 1933, it is known for its strong emphasis on business and hospitality management education. Its top major fields of study include business administration, culinary arts, and criminal justice. The college has a student-to-faculty ratio of 16:1 and a small average class size of 22 students. The college has a strong commitment to experiential learning, with opportunities for students to gain hands-on experience through internships and practical training. In addition to academic pursuits, Monroe College has a lively student life, with over 40 student organizations. However, with a graduation rate of 57%, Monroe College’s rate is slightly below-average when compared to the majority of colleges in New York state.
31. Lafayette College
Lafayette College acceptance rate: 41%
Lafayette College is a private liberal arts college located in Easton, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1826, it has a long history of academic excellence and social responsibility. Lafayette College is known for its strong emphasis on the humanities, social sciences, and STEM fields. Its top major fields of study include engineering, economics, and psychology. The college has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10:1 and a small average class size of 18 students. The college has a strong commitment to undergraduate research, with opportunities for students to work with faculty members on research projects both on and off campus. In addition to academic pursuits, Lafayette College boasts more than 250 student organizations and, with its graduation rate of 88%, the college ranks among the 10 colleges with the highest graduation rates in Pennsylvania.
32. Connecticut College
Connecticut College acceptance rate: 41%
Very different from the University of Connecticut (UConn), Connecticut College is a private liberal arts college located in New London, Connecticut. Founded in 1911, it has a long history of academic excellence and social responsibility. Connecticut College is known for its strong emphasis on the humanities, social sciences, and STEM fields. Its top major fields of study include psychology, economics, and biology. The college has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9:1 and a small average class size of 17 students. The college has a strong commitment to undergraduate research, with opportunities for students to work with faculty members on research projects both on and off campus. In addition to academic pursuits, Connecticut College has an active campus life, with over 150 student organizations. Although tied with Lafayette with an undergraduate acceptance rate of 41%, Connecticut College ranks lower both due to its lower graduation rate — 81% — and the fact that only 16% of those admitted to Connecticut College proceed to enroll; for Lafayette College, the respective figure is 23% of those admitted go on to enroll.
33. College of the Holy Cross
College of the Holy Cross acceptance rate: 43%
The College of the Holy Cross is a private liberal arts college located in Worcester, Massachusetts. Founded in 1843, it has a long history of academic excellence and social responsibility. The College of the Holy Cross is known for its strong emphasis on the humanities, social sciences, and STEM fields. Its top major fields of study include economics, biology, and political science. The college has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10:1 and a fairly small average class size of 18 students. The college has a strong commitment to undergraduate research, with opportunities for students to work with faculty members on research projects both on and off campus.
According to NCES data, the major that garnered the most bachelor’s degrees in the last academic year was Psychology, General, with 122 degrees conferred, followed closely by Economics, General, which earned 116 degrees. While many Massachusetts schools have above-average graduation rates, the graduation rate at the College of the Holy Cross — 93% — places it among the top 10 colleges with the highest graduation rates.
34. Austin College
Austin College acceptance rate: 43%
Austin College is a private liberal arts college located in Sherman, Texas. Founded in 1849, it has a long history of academic excellence and social responsibility. Austin College is known for its strong emphasis on the humanities, social sciences, and STEM fields. Its top major fields of study include biology, psychology, and business. The college has a student-to-faculty ratio of 11:1 and a small average class size of 19 students.
The college has a strong commitment to undergraduate research, with opportunities for students to work with faculty members on research projects both on and off campus. Austin College’s graduation rate of 68% is better than the Texas state average for all its colleges. However, it ranks lower than the College of the Holy Cross because, out of the 43% of applicants accepted to Austin College, only 16% of them decide to enroll and attend the school. For the College of the Holy Cross, out of the 43% applicants admitted, 29% of them proceed to enroll at the college.
35. Reed College
Reed College acceptance rate: 44%
Reed College is a private liberal arts college located in Portland, Oregon. Founded in 1908, it has a long history of academic excellence and social responsibility. It hosts a little over 1,500 undergraduate students, making for a student-to-faculty ratio of 9:1 and an average class size of 15 students, which bodes well for students having more one-on-one time with their teachers.
The college has a strong commitment to undergraduate research, with opportunities for students to work with faculty members on research projects both on and off campus. Reed College offers degrees on two levels: Either a bachelor’s or a master’s degree. The top major from the last academic year, according to NCES data, was Political Science and Government, General, with 25 bachelor’s degrees awarded; Experimental Psychology came in second with 20 bachelor’s degrees; and Mathematics, General, and English Language and Literature, General, tying for third with 18 bachelor’s degrees. With a graduation rate of 73%, Reed College ranks among the top schools in Oregon in terms of graduation rates.
36. Hunter College
Hunter College acceptance rate: 46%
Hunter College is a public university located in New York, New York. Founded in 1870, it is part of the City University of New York system. Hunter College is known for its strong emphasis on the humanities, social sciences, and STEM fields. According to NCES data, Hunter College’s top major fields of study include Psychology, General, which earned 659 bachelor’s degrees in the last academic year; Human Biology, which earned 438 bachelor’s degrees; and Computer Science, with 270 bachelor’s degrees awarded.
The college has a student-to-faculty ratio of 15:1 and a small average class size of 23 students. The college has a strong commitment to undergraduate research, with opportunities for students to work with faculty members on research projects both on and off campus. Overall, the graduation rate at Hunter College is 58%, which is quite good for a school in the CUNY system.
37. St Olaf College
St Olaf College acceptance rate: 47%
St Olaf College is a private liberal arts college located in Northfield, Minnesota. Founded in 1874, it has a long history of academic excellence and social responsibility. Less than half of applicants are accepted by St Olaf College, although only a quarter of those admitted proceed to enroll at the college.
As is common with many other private liberal arts colleges, St Olaf College is known for placing a strong emphasis on the humanities, social sciences, and STEM fields. Thus, its most popular majors, according to NCES data, Biology/Biological Sciences, General, which had 82 bachelor’s degrees awarded in the last academic year; Research and Experimental Psychology, Other, which earned 62 bachelor’s degrees; and Mathematics, General, which earned 50 bachelor’s degrees.
St Olaf College has a student-to-teacher ratio of 12:1, producing a fairly small average class size of 15 students. The college has a strong commitment to undergraduate research, with opportunities for students to work with faculty members on research projects both on and off campus. St Olaf College notably stands out for its high graduation rate of 85%, better than the majority of colleges in Minnesota.
38. Union College
Union College acceptance rate: 47%
Union College is a private liberal arts college located in Schenectady, New York. Founded in 1795, it is one of the oldest institutions of higher education in the US. Union College has an excellent student-to-teacher ratio of 9:1, which makes for an average class size of 16 students. The fewer number of students per teacher may contribute to the college’s very solid graduation rate of 85%. The retention rate at Union College is also excellent, with 91% of first-time students returning to continue their studies the following fall after enrolling. The college’s top major fields of study include engineering, economics, and biology. Indeed, according to NCES data, majors in Economics, General, earned 82 bachelor’s degrees in the last academic year; followed by Biology/Biological Sciences, General, which earned 46 degrees; and in third, Political Science and Government, General, and Mechanical Engineering, both earned 40 bachelor’s degrees. The college has a strong commitment to undergraduate research, with opportunities for students to work with faculty members on research projects both on and off campus. On top of academic programs, Union College has a very active student life, with over 100 student organizations.
39. Dickinson College
Dickinson College acceptance rate: 48%
Dickinson College is a private liberal arts college located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Founded back in colonial times — 1773 — it is one of the oldest institutions of higher education in America. The college has a student-to-teacher ratio of 9:1, making for a modest average class size of 16 students. With an undergraduate acceptance rate of 48%, Dickinson College is more competitive than most colleges, but only 22% of those admitted go on to enroll.
Dickinson’s top major fields of study include environmental studies, political science, and international studies. The latter particularly stands out as, according to NCES data, the most popular major in the last academic year was International Business/Trade/Commerce, which earned 59 bachelor’s degrees; followed by Psychology, General, with 34 bachelor’s degrees; and in third, Economics, General, with 32 bachelor’s degrees. The college has a strong commitment to undergraduate research, with opportunities for students to work with faculty members on research projects both on and off campus. Out of all the colleges in Pennsylvania, Dickinson College ranks highly in terms of its graduation rate of 82%.
40. Rollins College
Rollins College acceptance rate: 49%
Rollins College is a private liberal arts college located in Winter Park, Florida. Founded in 1885, it has a long history of academic excellence and social responsibility. Rollins College has a little over 2,500 undergraduate students and just over 3,000 students total. Rollins offers degrees on the bachelor’s level through the doctoral. In terms of bachelor’s degrees awarded in the last academic year, the most popular majors at Rollins College are Business Administration and Management, General, which earned 120 degrees; Communication, General, which earned 63 degrees; and International Business/Trade/Commerce, which earned 56 degrees.
Rollins College has a student-to-faculty ratio of 11:1, which is a good ratio and suggests ample one-on-one time between students and instructors. The college has a strong commitment to undergraduate research, with opportunities for students to work with faculty members on research projects both on and off campus. Environment studies is a big off-campus area of research and that major earned 23 bachelor’s degrees last academic year. Besides academics, Rollins College maintains a lively student life, with over 100 student organizations. Lastly, with a graduation rate of 71%, Rollins College beats out the majority of other colleges in Florida’s graduation rates.
41. Baruch College
Baruch College acceptance rate: 51%
Baruch College is a public university located in New York, New York. Founded in 1919, it is also part of the City University of New York (CUNY) system, a handful of which made this list. Baruch College is known for its strong emphasis on business and public affairs education, which makes sense because it is named after Bernard Baruch, an American statesman and financier. Baruch College is notably more affordable than many colleges on our list, with an in-state cost of tuition averaging about $7,464 per academic year, and $15,414 for out-of-state students. Baruch College is a fairly large school, hosting just under 16,000 undergraduate students.
Baruch College’s top major fields of study include finance, accounting, and marketing. In fact, the number of bachelor’s degrees awarded in Finance, General, was an astounding 986 in the last academic year, according to NCES data; this was followed by Accounting, which earned 608 bachelor’s degrees; and Sales, Distribution, and Marketing Operations, General, which earned 507 bachelor’s degrees. The college has a student-to-faculty ratio of 16:1 and a small average class size of 28 students. The college has a strong commitment to experiential learning, with opportunities for students to gain hands-on experience through internships, consulting projects, and entrepreneurship initiatives. Finally, Baruch College boasts a higher-than-average graduation rate of 74%.
42. Mount Holyoke College
Mount Holyoke College acceptance rate: 52%
Mount Holyoke College is a private women's liberal arts college located in South Hadley, Massachusetts. Established back in 1837, Mount Holyoke has a long history of academic excellence and social responsibility. Though it’s solely a female college, Mount Holyoke has an impressively large student population, with roughly 2,220 undergraduates and over 2,300 students in total. Its top major fields of study include biology, psychology, and computer science. According to NCES data, the most popular majors in the last academic year include Experimental Psychology, which earned 61 bachelor’s degrees; Econometrics and Quantitative Economics, which earned 44 bachelor’s degrees; and Biology/Biological Sciences, General, which earned 43 bachelor’s degrees.
Mount Holyoke College has a student-to-instructor ratio of 10:1, which translates to an average class size of 17 students. The college has a deep commitment to undergraduate research, with opportunities for students to work with faculty members on research projects both on and off campus. Mount Holyoke sports a very strong graduation rate of 85% and an excellent retention rate of 91%.
43. Berklee College of Music
Berklee College of Music acceptance rate: 55%
Berklee College of Music is a private music college located in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1945, it is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world and is recognized as one of the best globally. Not surprisingly, the Berklee College of Music is known for its strong emphasis on music education and performance. According to NCES data, the most popular majors in the last academic year were Computer Software and Media Applications, Other, with 335 bachelor’s degrees conferred; Music, Other, with 226 degrees conferred; and in third, Music Performance, General, and Music Theory and Composition, were tied with 174 bachelor’s degrees awarded. In terms of master’s degrees, the most popular field of study was Music Management, which earned 106 degrees last academic year.
The college has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10:1, which makes for a cozy average class size of 12 students. The college has a strong commitment to experiential learning, with opportunities for students to gain hands-on experience through performances, recordings, and collaborations with professional musicians. In terms of graduation rates, Berklee College’s 67% is slightly below average for colleges in Massachusetts.
44. Gettysburg College
Gettysburg College acceptance rate: 56%
Gettysburg College is a private liberal arts college located in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Consisting solely of undergraduates, Gettysburg College was founded in 1832, and it has a long history of academic excellence and social responsibility. Although 56% of applicants are admitted, only 18% of those admitted go on to enroll at Gettysburg. The college has a student-to-teacher ratio of 10:1 and an average class size of 18 students.
As a college consisting of only undergraduate students, the only level of degrees awarded at Gettysburg are bachelor’s degrees. Its top major fields of study include political science, biology, and psychology. According to NCES data, the most popular majors in the last academic year include Econometrics and Quantitative Economics, which earned 71 bachelor’s degrees; Political Science and Government, General, Business Administration and Management, General, and Exercise Physiology and Kinesiology, all earned 66 bachelor’s degrees; and in third, Experimental Psychology, which earned 46 bachelor’s degrees. Gettysburg College is home to a fun student life, with over 120 student organizations, and sports a graduation rate of 82%, which is tied with Dickinson College and Muhlenberg College.
45. Rhodes College
Rhodes College acceptance rate: 57%
Rhodes College is a private liberal arts college located in Memphis, Tennessee. Founded in 1848, it has a long history of academic excellence and social responsibility. Rhodes College offers degrees on levels running from postgraduate certificates to master’s degrees. With an undergraduate student body of approximately 2,050 students, Rhodes College maintains a student-to-faculty ratio of 10:1, which allows for good one-on-one time between teachers and students.
The top major fields of study at Rhodes College include biology, business, and psychology. According to NCES data, the most popular majors in the last academic year were Business Administration and Management, General, which earned 65 bachelor’s degrees; Biology/Biological Sciences, General, which earned 46 degrees; and Neuroscience, which earned 37 degrees. The college has a strong commitment to undergraduate research, with opportunities for students to work with faculty members on research projects both on and off campus. Rhodes College has a superb retention rate of 94% as well as an excellent graduation rate of 85%, which is superior to most colleges in Tennessee.
46. Sarah Lawrence College
Sarah Lawrence College acceptance rate: 58%
Sarah Lawrence College is a private liberal arts college located in Bronxville, New York. Founded in 1926, it has a long history of academic excellence and social responsibility, as well as being overwhelmingly female, with 78% of those enrolled being women. Sarah Lawrence College is known for its strong emphasis on the humanities, social sciences, and creative arts. Sarah Lawrence College offers degrees on the bachelor’s level and master’s level. The top major in terms of bachelor’s degrees awarded, according to NCES data, was Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies, with 318 degrees conferred last academic year. In terms of master’s degrees, the most popular program was Creative Writing, which garnered 41 master’s degrees last academic year.
Sarah Lawrence College has a student-to-instructor ratio of 11:1 and a markedly small average class size of 12 students. The college has a strong commitment to undergraduate research, with opportunities for students to work with faculty members on research projects both on and off campus. Although 58% of applicants are accepted, only 17% of those admitted proceed to enroll at Sarah Lawrence. Lastly, the college’s graduation rate is a better-than-average 76%.
47. Providence College
Providence College acceptance rate: 58%
Providence College is a private Catholic liberal arts college located in Providence, Rhode Island. Home to more than 4,100 undergraduate students, Providence College is slightly on the larger side of private liberal arts colleges that make up our list. Founded in 1917, it has a long history of academic excellence and social responsibility. Providence College boasts an excellent retention rate of 92% for first-time, full-time students. Providence College also offers degrees on levels ranging from undergraduate certificates to the master’s level.
The top major fields of study at Providence College include biology, psychology, and business. According to NCES data, in terms of bachelor’s degrees awarded in the last academic year, the most popular majors were Finance, General, with 187 degrees; Business Administration and Management, General, with 90 degrees; and Marketing/Marketing Management, General, with 87 degrees awarded. The college has a student-to-faculty ratio of 11:1, which is fairly low, but an average class size of 20 students. The college, however, manages to maintain one of the best graduation rates in Rhode Island, at 89%.
48. Lehman College
Lehman College acceptance rate: 58%
Lehman College is a public college located in the Bronx, New York. Founded in 1968, Lehman College is another school in the City University of New York (CUNY) system. This college is also quite large, having over 12,300 undergraduate students and nearly 14,400 students in total. Though its undergraduate acceptance rate of 58% is the same as Providence College’s, Lehman ranked lower because only 14% of those admitted proceed to then enroll at the college.
Its top major fields of study include nursing, accounting, and psychology. According to NCES data, the most popular majors in the last academic year included Psychology, General, with 319 bachelor’s degrees conferred; Business Administration and Management, General, with 297 bachelor’s degrees; and Hospital and Health Care Facilities Administration/Management, with 217 bachelor’s degrees. The college has a student-to-teacher ratio of 17:1, which is definitely on the higher side. Lehman College’s graduation rate of 53% is a bit below average for colleges in New York state.
49. Whitman College
Whitman College acceptance rate: 59%
Whitman College is a private liberal arts college located in Walla Walla, Washington. With a student population of under 1,600 students, all of which are undergraduates, Whitman College was established in 1859. As a college solely composed of undergraduates, Whitman College only awards bachelor’s degrees. Its top major fields of study include biology, economics, and psychology. Indeed, according to NCES data, the most popular majors in terms of bachelor’s degrees awarded include Biology/Biological Sciences, General, which earned 33 degrees in the last academic year; Research and Experimental Psychology, Other, earned 26 degrees; and in third place was English Language and Literature, General, which earned 20 bachelor’s degrees.
Whitman College has a student-to-teacher ratio of 9:1, which is a very good sign for students who want more one-on-one attention from instructors. The college has a strong commitment to undergraduate research, with opportunities for students to work with faculty members on research projects both on and off campus. In terms of graduation rates, Whitman College has one of the highest rates, at 89%, in the state of Washington.
50. Fullerton College
Fullerton College acceptance rate: 59%
Fullerton College is a public community college located in Fullerton, California. It’s usually referred to as Cal State Fullerton, because it is part of the California State University system. Originally founded in 1913, Cal State Fullerton is a very large school, hosting roughly 35,600 undergraduate students and more than 40,700 students in total. Considering the size of the student body, it’s not surprising that the college's student-to-teacher ratio is 25:1, making for a larger-than-average class size of 31 students. Its top major fields of study include business administration, nursing, and psychology. According to NCES data, the most popular majors in the last academic year were Business Administration and Management, General, with 2,164 bachelor’s degrees conferred; Psychology, General, with 883 bachelor’s degrees conferred; and Speech Communication and Rhetoric, with 639 bachelor’s degrees conferred. Lastly, its graduation rate of 71% is comparatively high for a Cal State University system school.
51. Marist College
Marist College acceptance rate: 60%
Marist College is a private college located in Poughkeepsie, New York. Founded in 1905, it is fairly big for a private not-for-profit college, having over 5,500 undergraduate students and nearly 6,400 students in total. As a result, the college has a student-to-teacher ratio of 16:1, which is slightly on the higher end of the spectrum, as is its average class size of 23 students. Marist College offers degrees ranging from the undergraduate certificate level to the doctoral level.
Its top major fields of study include business administration, communication, and fashion. According to NCES data, the most popular majors include Business Administration and Management, General, with 263 bachelor’s degrees awarded last academic year; followed by Communication, General, with 148 bachelor’s degrees awarded; and in third place, Fashion Merchandising, with 96 bachelor’s degrees awarded. Beyond academics, Marist College has a vibrant student life, including over 150 student organizations for undergraduates to join. Marist College has a graduation rate of 82%, which is higher than the statewide average for colleges in New York state.
52. Bard College
Bard College acceptance rate: 60%
Bard College is a private liberal arts college located in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York. Founded in 1860, it is known for its strong emphasis on the humanities, social sciences, and creative arts. In terms of enrollment, Bard College’s gender breakdown is 56% female to 44% male undergraduates. Bard College has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9:1, which bodes well for students who want more one-on-one time with their teachers, and translates to an average class size of 15 students.
Bard College’s top major fields of study include literature, social studies, and film. According to NCES data, the most popular majors in the last academic year were Fine/Studio Arts, General, which earned 135 bachelor’s degrees; Social Sciences, General, which earned 125 bachelor’s degrees; and Biological and Physical Sciences, which earned 77 bachelor’s degrees. The college has a strong commitment to undergraduate research, with opportunities for students to work with faculty members on research projects both on and off campus. In terms of retention rate, Bard College’s 87% is very good, while its 71% graduation rate is just above the statewide average for New York colleges.
53. Queens College
Queens College acceptance rate: 61%
Queens College is a public college located in Queens, New York. Founded in 1937, Queens College is yet another school that falls within the City University of New York (CUNY) system. Like other CUNY schools, Queens College is rather large, being home to nearly 15,900 undergraduate students and over 18,700 students in total. Thus, Queens College has a student-to-instructor ratio of 16:1 and an average class size of 25 students.
Queens College offers degrees ranging from undergraduate certificates to master’s degrees. Some of Queens College’s top major fields of study include accounting, computer science, and psychology. According to NCES data, the most popular majors include Psychology, General, which earned 631 bachelor’s degrees in the last academic year; followed by Accounting, with 337 bachelor’s degrees awarded; and Economics, General, with 318 bachelor’s degrees awarded. The college has a graduation rate of 55%, which is right around the average for CUNY schools.
54. College of Wooster
College of Wooster acceptance rate: 61%
The College of Wooster is a private liberal arts college located in Wooster, Ohio. Founded just after the end of the Civil War in 1866, the College of Wooster has just under 2,000 students, all of them undergraduates. The college has an undergraduate admission rate of 61%, but only 15% of those admitted proceed to enroll at Wooster. The college has a student-to-faculty ratio of 11:1 and a typical class size of 18 students.
Its top major fields of study include biology, psychology, and business economics. As a college solely composed of undergraduates, the only level of degrees awarded are bachelor’s degrees. According to NCES data, the most popular majors in terms of bachelor’s degrees conferred in the last academic year include Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and Biology/Biological Sciences, General, both with 31 bachelor’s degrees. The college has a strong commitment to undergraduate research, with opportunities for students to work with faculty members on research projects both on and off campus. With a graduation rate of 77%, the College of Wooster ranks among the top 10 colleges in Ohio with the highest graduation rates.
55. Florida Southern College
Florida Southern College acceptance rate: 61%
Florida Southern College is a private college located in Lakeland, Florida. Founded in 1883, Florida Southern has more than 2,800 undergraduate students and over 3,300 students in total. Florida Southern College offers degrees ranging from the postgraduate certificate level to the doctoral level. Its student-to-teacher ratio is right around average, at 14:1, and an average class size of 18 students. Its top major fields of study include nursing, business administration, and biology. The most popular majors, according to NCES data, include Business Administration and Management, General, which earned 109 bachelor’s degrees last academic year; Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse, which earned 50 bachelor’s degrees; and Biology/Biological Sciences, General, which earned 47 bachelor’s degrees. The college’s graduation rate of 68% is also better than the statewide average for colleges in Florida.
56. The College of New Jersey
The College of New Jersey acceptance rate: 62%
The College of New Jersey, or frequently referred to as TCNJ, is a public college located in Ewing, New Jersey. Founded in 1855, it is known for being one of New Jersey’s best public colleges. TCNJ has nearly 7,000 undergraduate students and just under 7,600 students in total. The college has a student-to-faculty ratio of 13:1 and a modest average class size of 23 students. With a retention rate of 92%, TCNJ is a school that first-time students very much want to return to come the next fall semester.
TCNJ’s top major fields of study include business administration, nursing, and psychology. According to NCES data, in terms of bachelor’s degrees awarded in the last academic year, the most popular majors were Business Administration and Management, General, with 261 degrees; Biology/Biological Sciences, General, with 118 degrees; and Psychology, General, with 117 bachelor’s degrees. Besides academic pursuits, The College of New Jersey has a very active student life, with over 200 student organizations. Equally important, TCNJ has one of the highest graduation rates in New Jersey, at 87%.
57. Champlain College
Champlain College acceptance rate: 62%
Champlain College is a private college located in Burlington, Vermont. Founded in 1878, Champlain College is comparatively large for a private not-for-profit college, having more than 3,200 undergraduate students and over 3,800 students in total. Although Champlain College has the same undergraduate acceptance rate of 62% as TCNJ, Champlain ranks lower because only 11% of those admitted proceed to enroll at the college.
Champlain College’s top major fields of study include computer science, game design, and business administration. The college awards degrees ranging from undergraduate certificates to master’s degrees. In terms of bachelor’s degrees awarded in the last academic year, according to NCES data, the most popular majors were Computer and Information Systems Security/Auditing/Information Assurance, with 119 degrees conferred; Business Administration and Management, General, with 101 degrees conferred; and Cyber/Computer Forensics and Counterterrorism, with 70 bachelor’s degrees conferred. With a graduation rate of 68%, Champlain College’s rate is just above the average for all colleges in Vermont.
58. Morehouse College
Morehouse College acceptance rate: 65%
Morehouse College is a private college located in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1867, it is known for its strong emphasis on the humanities, social sciences, and STEM fields, as well as being one of the best HBCU colleges in Georgia. Its top major fields of study include biology, business administration, and psychology. The college has a student-to-faculty ratio of 12:1 and a small average class size of 15 students.
The college has a strong commitment to experiential learning, with opportunities for students to gain hands-on experience through internships, cooperative education, and research projects. In addition to academic pursuits, Morehouse College has a vibrant student life, with over 100 student organizations. Morehouse College’s graduation rate of 47% is just above the average graduation rate for all colleges in Georgia. According to NCES data, the top three most popular majors in the last academic year were: Business Administration and Management, General, with 117 bachelor’s degrees conferred; Biology/Biological Sciences, General, with 52 degrees conferred; and Political Science and Government, General, and Sociology, General, are tied with 35 degrees conferred.
59. Bennington College
Bennington College acceptance rate: 67%
Bennington College is a private liberal arts college located in Bennington, Vermont. Founded in 1932, it is known for its strong emphasis on the humanities, social sciences, and creative arts. Its top major fields of study include literature, social sciences, and visual and performing arts. Indeed, according to NCES data, the most popular major was Visual and Performing Arts, General, with 22 bachelor’s degrees being awarded in the last academic year.
The college has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10:1 and a markedly small average class size of 13 students. Despite the small size of classes and, therefore, greater opportunity to work closely with instructors, Bennington’s graduation rate of 68% is only three percentage points higher than the Vermont average. The college has a strong commitment to undergraduate research, with opportunities for students to work with faculty members on research projects both on and off campus. In terms of campus life, Bennington College has over 50 student organizations and a fun student life.
60. Muhlenberg College
Muhlenberg College acceptance rate: 68%
Muhlenberg College is a private liberal arts college located in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1848, it is known for its strong emphasis on the humanities, social sciences, and STEM fields. Its top major fields of study include the arts, business administration, and psychology. In fact, according to NCES data, Drama and Dramatics/Theatre Arts, General, was the most popular major in the last academic year, with 61 bachelor’s degrees being awarded in the field.
Muhlenberg College has a student-to-teacher ratio of 9:1 and a typical class size of 17 students. The college has a deep commitment to undergraduate research, with opportunities for students to work with faculty members on research projects both on and off campus. Muhlenberg’s graduation rate of 82% is quite solid and well above the average graduation rate for all Pennsylvania colleges and universities combined. In addition to academic pursuits, Muhlenberg College has a vibrant student life, with over 150 student organizations.
61. North Central College
North Central College acceptance rate: 68%
North Central College is a private college located in Naperville, Illinois. Founded in 1861, it is known for its strong emphasis on the humanities, social sciences, and STEM fields. Its top major fields of study include business administration, psychology, and exercise science. The college has a student-to-faculty ratio of 13:1 and a small average class size of 22 students. The college has a strong commitment to experiential learning, with opportunities for students to gain hands-on experience through internships, cooperative education, and research projects. What makes North Central College rank behind Muhlenberg is that the former’s graduation rate is only 64% versus 82% for the latter.
62. Purdue College
Purdue College acceptance rate: 69%
Purdue College is actually a misnomer for Purdue University, a public college located in West Lafayette, Indiana. Founded in 1869, it is known for its strong emphasis on the humanities, social sciences, and STEM fields. Its top major fields of study include engineering, computer science, and business administration. The college has a student-to-faculty ratio of 14:1 and a small average class size of 28 students. The college has a strong commitment to experiential learning, with opportunities for students to gain hands-on experience through internships, cooperative education, and research projects, the latter being especially important because Purdue is so heavy on the engineering department. According to NCES data, majoring in Mechanical Engineering was the most popular field of study, earning 430 bachelor’s degrees in the last academic year, followed by Computer Science, with 419 degrees awarded. Purdue ranks among the top 10 colleges in Indiana with the highest graduation rates, boasting a graduation rate of 83%.
63. Augustana College
Augustana College acceptance rate: 69%
Augustana College is a private liberal arts college located in Rock Island, Illinois. Founded in 1860, it is known for its strong emphasis on the humanities, social sciences, and STEM fields. Its top major fields of study include biology, business administration, and psychology. In fact, Biology/Biological Sciences, General, was the top major in the last academic year, with 64 bachelor’s degrees awarded in the field; Psychology, General, came in second with 41 bachelor’s degrees awarded the same year, according to NCES data.
Augustana has a student-to-faculty ratio of 11:1 and a comparatively small average class size of 16 students. The school has an undergraduate population of over 2,300 students. The college has a strong commitment to undergraduate research, with opportunities for students to work with faculty members on research projects both on and off campus. Augustana’s graduation rate of 79% is 20 percentage points higher than the average for Illinois colleges as a whole. However, Augustana ranks below Purdue because, whereas Purdue sees 25% of those admitted go on to enroll in the college, at Augustana College, only 14% of those admitted do the same.
64. Berry College
Berry College acceptance rate: 70%
Berry College is a private liberal arts college located in Mount Berry, Georgia. Founded in 1902, it has just under 2,200 undergraduate students and a total student body of over 2,300. Berry College offers degrees on either the bachelor’s or master’s level. Its top major fields of study include biology, business administration, and psychology. According to NCES data, the most popular majors last academic year were Zoology/Animal Biology, with 35 bachelor’s degrees awarded; Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse and Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs, Other, both had 32 bachelor’s degrees conferred; and in third place were Exercise Science and Kinesiology and Psychology, General, tied with 26 bachelor’s degrees awarded.
Berry College features a student-to-teacher ratio of 12:1, which translates to a typical class size of 17 students. The college has a strong commitment to experiential learning, with opportunities for students to gain hands-on experience through internships, research projects, and service learning. On top of academic pursuits, Berry College is home to a very lively student life, with over 100 student organizations. Though tied with Eckerd College with an undergraduate admission rate of 70%, Berry College ranks higher because 20% of applicants admitted proceed to enroll, compared to Eckerd’s corresponding rate of 17% enrolling.
65. Eckerd College
Eckerd College acceptance rate: 70%
Eckerd College is a private liberal arts college located in St. Petersburg, Florida. Founded relatively recently in 1958, it has a total student population of a little over 2,000, all of which are undergraduates. Eckerd College is well-known for its strong emphasis on the humanities, social sciences, and environmental studies. Its top major fields of study include marine science, psychology, and environmental studies. Indeed, in a separate BrokeScholar study, Eckerd College ranked as one of the best colleges for marine biology in the US.
The college has a student-to-faculty ratio of 12:1 and an average class size of 18 students. The college has a strong commitment to experiential learning, with opportunities for students to gain hands-on experience through internships, research projects, and study abroad programs, especially in the nearby Gulf of Mexico. With a graduation rate of 68%, Eckerd College beats the average graduation rate for all colleges in Florida.
66. Stonehill College
Stonehill College acceptance rate: 72%
Stonehill College is a private college located in Easton, Massachusetts. Founded in 1948, it has just over 2,400 undergraduate students and not many graduate students. In terms of enrollment, the gender breakdown at Stonehill is 56% female and 44% male. The college’s very high retention rate of 89% means that first-time students like it a lot.
Stonehill College offers a wide range of fields of study. The most popular majors in the last academic year, according to NCES data, include Criminology, which earned 54 bachelor’s degrees; Marketing/Marketing Management, General, which earned 49 degrees; and Finance, General, and Psychology, General, tied with 45 bachelor’s degrees awarded. The college has a student-to-teacher ratio of 11:1, which translates to a fairly close one-on-one experience between students and instructors. The college has a strong commitment to undergraduate research, with opportunities for students to work with faculty members on research projects both on and off campus. What’s more, Stonehill College features an exceptional graduation rate of 85%.
67. Flagler College
Flagler College acceptance rate: 74%
Flagler College is a private college located in St. Augustine, Florida. It’s one of the relatively younger colleges, having been founded in 1968, and named for Henry Flagler, John D. Rockefeller’s business partner. Flagler College has an undergraduate population of over 2,600, with more than 2,650 students total. Compared to many other private not-for-profit colleges on our list, the cost of tuition at Flagler is comparatively affordable, at an estimated $23,760 per academic year.
Its top major fields of study include business administration, psychology, and communication. According to NCES data, the most popular majors based on the numbers of bachelor’s degrees award last academic year include: Business Administration and Management, General, with 81 bachelor’s degrees conferred; Psychology, General, with 77 bachelor’s degrees conferred; and Graphic Design, with 39 bachelor’s degrees conferred. Flagler College has a graduation rate of 58%, which is just above the statewide average for all Florida colleges.
68. Emmanuel College
Emmanuel College acceptance rate: 74%
Emmanuel College is a private college located in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1919, it hosts around 1,870 undergraduate students and roughly 1,950 students in total. Emmanuel College is overwhelmingly composed of women students, with the gender breakdown of the undergraduate student body being 77% female to 23% male.
Some of its top major fields of study include biology, business administration, and psychology. The college has a student-to-faculty ratio of 13:1 and a small average class size of 18 students. The college has a strong commitment to experiential learning, with opportunities for students to gain hands-on experience through internships, research projects, and service learning. Emmanuel College ranks behind Flagler because, while tied with an acceptance rate of 74%, only 10% of those admitted go on to enroll at Emmanuel compared to Flagler’s 19%.
69. Dean College
Dean College acceptance rate: 74%
Dean College is a private college located in Franklin, Massachusetts. Established back in 1865, it is known for its strong emphasis on the humanities, social sciences, and business. Dean College is home to just over 1,200 students, all of which are undergraduates. The gender breakdown of the student body is very even, with 49% female to 51% male.
Its top major fields of study include business administration, theater, and sport management. Indeed, according to NCES data, the most popular majors last academic year were Sport and Fitness Administration/Management, which earned 43 bachelor’s degrees; Dance, General, which earned 30 bachelor’s degrees; and Business Administration and Management, General, which earned 24 bachelor’s degrees. One of the drawbacks of Dean College is its lower-than-average graduation rate of 49%.
70. Hampshire College
Hampshire College acceptance rate: 75%
Hampshire College is a private liberal arts college located in Amherst, Massachusetts. Founded comparatively recently in 1965, it is known for its unique educational approach that emphasizes student-driven learning and interdisciplinary studies. Hampshire College only has about 472 students, all of them being undergraduates. As a result, the college has a student-to-teacher ratio of 10:1 and a small typical class size of 13 students.
Since it consists solely of undergraduates, the only degrees conferred by Hampshire College are bachelor’s degrees. The top major fields of study, according to NCES data, include Creative Writing, which earned 24 bachelor’s degrees last academic year; Art/Art Studies, General, which earned 19 bachelor’s degrees; and Film/Video and Photographic Arts, Other, which earned 16 bachelor’s degrees. The college has a strong commitment to experiential learning, with opportunities for students to design their own course of study and pursue independent research projects. Hampshire College’s graduation rate of 62% is solid but about 10 percentage points below the average graduation rate for all Massachusetts colleges.
71. Manhattan College
Manhattan College acceptance rate: 75%
Manhattan College is a private college located in Riverdale, New York. Founded in 1853, Manhattan College has over 3,100 undergraduate students and nearly 3,700 students total. In terms of enrollment, Manhattan College is one of few colleges in which male students (57%) outnumber female students (43%). Its top major fields of study include engineering, business administration, and communication. The most popular majors, according to NCES data, include Civil Engineering, General, which earned 99 bachelor’s degrees last academic year; followed by Mechanical Engineering, with 59 bachelor’s degrees awarded; and then Marketing/Marketing Management, General, with 46 bachelor’s degrees conferred.
Manhattan College has a student-to-teacher ratio of 11:1, translating to an average class size of 20 students. The college is deeply committed to experiential learning, with opportunities for students to gain hands-on experience through internships, cooperative education, and research projects. With a graduation rate of 77%, Manhattan College is about 13 percentage points better than the statewide average graduation rate for colleges in New York.
72. College of Charleston
College of Charleston acceptance rate: 76%
The College of Charleston is a public college located in Charleston, South Carolina. Founded back in colonial times, in 1770, it is known for its strong emphasis on the humanities, social sciences, and business. College of Charleston is home to just under 10,000 undergraduate students and over 10,900 students in total. In terms of enrollment, roughly two-thirds of undergraduates are female (66%) versus roughly one-third being male (34%). The undergraduate acceptance rate at the College of Charleston is 76%, which is tied with Carthage College’s rate. However, the College of Charleston ranks higher than Carthage because 16% of those admitted to Charleston proceed to enroll, whereas only 12% of those admitted to Carthage enroll at the college.
Its top major fields of study include business administration, psychology, and communication. According to NCES data, the most popular majors in terms of bachelor’s degrees awarded include Speech Communication and Rhetoric, with 168 bachelor’s degrees conferred last academic year; followed by Psychology, General, with 166 bachelor’s degrees conferred; and in third was Biology/Biological Sciences, General, with 158 bachelor’s degrees conferred. The college has a student-to-faculty ratio of 16:1, which is on the bigger end of the spectrum yet small considering the College of Charleston is a sizable public school. Lastly, the graduation rate at the College of Charleston is 67%, which enables the school to rank among the top 10 South Carolina colleges with the highest graduation rates.
73. Carthage College
Carthage College acceptance rate: 76%
Carthage College is a private liberal arts college located in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Founded in 1847, it is known for its strong emphasis on the humanities, social sciences, and STEM fields. Its top major fields of study include nursing, business administration, and psychology. According to NCES data, the most popular field of study was Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse, with 59 bachelor’s degrees awarded in the last academic year, followed closely by Marketing/Marketing Management, General, which earned 51 bachelor’s degrees.
The college has a student-to-faculty ratio of 13:1 and a modest average class size of 17 students. The college has a strong commitment to undergraduate research, with opportunities for students to work with faculty members on research projects both on and off campus. Beyond the academic realm, Carthage College features a vivacious student life, with over 100 student organizations. Posting a graduation rate of 68%, Carthage College’s rate is almost 10 percentage points higher than the Wisconsin average for all colleges in the state.
74. Westminster College
Westminster College acceptance rate: 76%
Westminster College is a private college located in Salt Lake City, Utah. Being home to roughly 1,166 undergraduate students and over 1,500 students total, Westminster College has one of the best student teacher ratios out of all the colleges on our list: 8:1, eight students to every one instructor. As is common among many US colleges, the majority of the undergraduate student body is composed of women, with 64% being female versus only 36% being male. The college has a strong commitment to experiential learning, with opportunities for students to gain hands-on experience through internships, research projects, and service learning. Westminster College’s graduation rate of 63% is 10 percentage points higher than the state average and among the 10 best in the state of Utah.
75. Springfield College
Springfield College acceptance rate: 77%
Appropriately located in Springfield, Massachusetts, Springfield College is a private college, originally established in 1885. The school is home to over 2,000 undergraduates and nearly 3,000 students in total. The gender breakdown of its undergraduate population is one of the most even of all the colleges on our list, with 51% being female versus 49% being male. Springfield College offers programs ranging from postgraduate certifications to doctoral degrees.
Springfield College is known for its strong emphasis on health sciences, sports studies, and social sciences. Its top major fields of study, according to NCES data, include Sport and Fitness Administration/Management, which earned 48 bachelor’s degrees in the last academic year; Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General, which earned 45 bachelor’s degrees; and in third place, Physical Therapy/Therapist, which earned 38 bachelor’s degrees. The college has a student-to-faculty ratio of 11:1, which is a good concentration of teachers to students. Finally, Springfield College has a graduation rate of 73%, which is equal to the statewide average for all colleges in Massachusetts.
76. Endicott College
Endicott College acceptance rate: 77%
Endicott College is a private college located in Beverly, Massachusetts. Founded historically-speaking fairly recently, in 1939, it is known for its strong emphasis on business, communication, and health sciences. Endicott College has nearly 3,000 undergraduate students and just under 4,000 students in total. As such, the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 14:1 and a modest average class size of 20 students. Endicott College has the same undergraduate acceptance rate, 77%, as Marymount Manhattan College, but ranks above the latter because a higher percentage of those admitted — 21% — proceed to enroll at Endicott, whereas only 9% of those admitted to Marymount Manhattan go on to enroll. Endicott College has a respectable graduation rate of 78%, which is five percentage points higher than the Massachusetts’ statewide average.
77. Marymount Manhattan College
Marymount Manhattan College acceptance rate: 77%
Marymount Manhattan College is a private college located in New York City. Founded historically recently, in 1936, it is known for its strong emphasis on the humanities, social sciences, and performing arts. Marymount Manhattan has a student population of approximately 1,770, all of them undergraduate students. As such, Marymount Manhattan only offers degrees on the associate’s and bachelor’s levels. In terms of enrollment, Marymount Manhattan is overwhelmingly dominated by women, with 81% of the student body being female versus just 19% being male.
Its top major fields of study include communication, psychology, and theater. According to NCES data, the most popular majors include Acting, which earned 36 bachelor’s degrees last academic year; Musical Theatre, which earned 31 bachelor’s degrees; and Mass Communication/Media Studies, which earned 23 bachelor’s degrees. The college has an intimate student-to-faculty ratio of 9:1. The college has a strong commitment to experiential learning, with opportunities for students to gain hands-on experience through internships, cooperative education, and research projects. Lastly, the graduation rate at Marymount Manhattan College is 59%, which is slightly below New York state’s average.
78. Ithaca College
Ithaca College acceptance rate: 78%
Ithaca College is a private college located in Ithaca, New York, a city that is home to more than one college. Founded in 1892, it is known for being featured in the 2000 film Road Trip. As a private not-for-profit college, it has a pretty sizable student population, with over 4,800 undergraduates and more than 5,200 students total. In terms of the gender breakdown of its undergraduate student body, it is 55% female to 45% male.
Ithaca College offers degree programs ranging from undergraduate certificates to doctoral degrees. Its top major fields of study include communication, business administration, and music. In terms of the number of bachelor’s degrees awarded in the last academic year, the most popular majors, according to NCES data, include Business Administration and Management, General, with 120 degrees conferred; Radio and Television, with 98 degrees conferred; and Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication, with 79 bachelor’s degrees conferred. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10:1, Ithaca College allows for greater amounts of one-on-one time between students and instructors. Ithaca College’s graduation rate is 77%, which is about 13 percentage points higher than the statewide average for New York colleges.
79. Lewis and Clark College
Lewis and Clark College acceptance rate: 79%
Lewis and Clark College, named for that pair of intrepid explorers who set out to discover the full extent of the Louisiana Purchase under President Thomas Jefferson, is a private liberal arts college located in Portland, Oregon. Founded in 1867, the college is home to over 2,100 undergraduate students and about 3,500 students in total. Lewis and Clark has a student-to-teacher ratio of 12:1 and a typical class size of 17 students. Although the school admitted 79% of applicants, only 15% of those admitted ended up enrolling at Lewis and Clark College.
The college’s top major fields of study include psychology, biology, and international affairs. According to NCES data, the most popular majors in terms of bachelor’s degrees conferred in the last academic year include Psychology, General, with 64 awarded; Biology/Biological Sciences, General, with 40 awarded; and International Relations and Affairs, with 36 bachelor’s degrees awarded. With over 100 student organizations that students can join, Lewis and Clark has a lively campus life and a very solid graduation rate of 74%.
80. Merrimack College
Merrimack College acceptance rate: 80%
Merrimack College is a private Catholic liberal arts college located in North Andover, Massachusetts. Historically speaking, the college is comparatively young, having been founded in 1947. For a private liberal arts college, Merrimack has a sizable student population, including over 4,100 undergraduates and more than 5,400 students in total. In terms of undergraduate enrollment, Merrimack College’s gender breakdown is relatively even, with 53% female to 47% male students.
Merrimack College awards degrees ranging from undergraduate certificates to master’s degrees. Its top major fields of study include business, engineering, and education. The most popular majors last academic year, according to NCES data, were Human Development and Family Studies, General, which earned 83 bachelor’s degrees; Marketing/Marketing Management, General, which earned 77 bachelor’s degrees; and Business Administration and Management, General, which earned 76 degrees. In addition to academic pursuits, Merrimack College features a spirited student life, with over 70 student organizations. Thanks to its graduation rate of 69%, Merrimack just beats out Curry College for the No. 80 spot.
81. Curry College
Curry College acceptance rate: 80%
Curry College is a private liberal arts college located in Milton, Massachusetts. Originally established in 1879, it is known for its strong emphasis on communication and business education. Curry College has about 2,050 undergraduate students and over 2,200 students in total. In terms of undergraduate enrollment, Curry College has a majority of female students, 60%, compared to only 40% being male. Although tied with Merrimack College with an undergraduate acceptance rate of 80% as well as 12% of those admitted proceeding to enroll, Curry College ranks lower because of its lower graduation rate of 55%, compared to Merrimack’s 69%.
Top major fields of study at Curry College, according to NCES data, include Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse, which earned 233 bachelor’s degrees last academic year; Criminal Justice/Safety Studies, which earned 69 bachelor’s degrees; and in third was , Business Administration and Management, General, which earned 52 bachelor’s degrees. The college has a student-to-faculty ratio of 12:1, equating to an average class size of 18 students. With a graduation rate of 55%, Curry College’s rate is below the average graduation rate for all colleges in Massachusetts.
82. Cornell College
Cornell College acceptance rate: 81%
Not to be confused with Cornell University, Cornell College is a private liberal arts college located in Mount Vernon, Iowa. Founded in 1853, it is known for its unique One Course At A Time academic schedule, where students take one class at a time for three and a half weeks. Cornell College is on the smaller side, having around 1,040 undergraduates and 1,055 students in total. The school has a student-to-teacher ratio of 12:1, with a comparatively small average class size of 16 students. Its top major fields of study include economics, psychology, and biology. According to NCES data, the most popular majors in the last academic year were Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Exercise Science and Kinesiology, and Engineering, General, which all earned 17 bachelor’s degrees. Lastly, Cornell College’s graduation rate of 64% is exactly the average for all colleges in Iowa.
83. Goucher College
Goucher College acceptance rate: 82%
Goucher College is a private liberal arts college located in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1885, it is fairly small, with around 1,050 undergraduates and over 1,900 students total. Goucher College is known for its strong emphasis on the humanities, social sciences, and creative arts, with its top major fields of study include psychology, biology, and communications. According to NCES data, the most popular majors in the last academic year include Psychology, General, which earned 43 bachelor’s degrees; Business Administration and Management, General, with 24 bachelor’s degrees; and Speech Communication and Rhetoric, with 16 bachelor’s degrees. The college has a student-to-faculty ratio of 8:1 and a correspondingly small average class size of 13 students, which bodes well for students who want more one-on-one time with their teachers. The college’s graduation rate of 59% is just below the statewide average for colleges in Maryland.
84. Saint Mary's College
Saint Mary’s College acceptance rate: 83%
Saint Mary's College is a private Catholic liberal arts college located in Notre Dame, Indiana. Founded in 1844, it is an all-women’s college, having a gender breakdown of 100% female, in terms of enrollment. Saint Mary’s College has about 1,400 undergraduate students and a little over 1,500 students in total. In terms of the level of degrees offered, Saint Mary’s has programs that award postgraduate certificates all the way up to the doctoral level. Its top major fields of study include nursing, business, and psychology. According to NCES data, the most popular majors at Saint Mary’s include Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse, which earned 44 bachelor’s degrees last academic year; Business Administration and Management, General, which earned 29 degrees; and Psychology, General, which earned 22 degrees.
With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9:1, Saint Mary’s College provides students with a lot of facetime with their instructors. The school holds a deep commitment to undergraduate research, with opportunities for students to work with faculty members on research projects both on and off campus. What’s more, Saint Mary’s graduation rate of 77% is among the highest rates of colleges in Indiana.
85. Siena College
Siena College acceptance rate: 83%
Siena College is a private Catholic liberal arts college located in Loudonville, New York. Founded in 1937, for a private not-for-profit school, its student body is sizable, with about 3,500 undergraduates and over 3,600 students in total. Siena College features a student-to-faculty ratio of 12:1, which equates to an average class size of 21 students. The college has a strong commitment to experiential learning, with opportunities for students to gain hands-on experience through internships, research projects, and service learning. Siena offers degree programs ranging from undergraduate certificates to master's degrees. The most popular majors, according to NCES data, include Marketing/Marketing Management, General, with 87 bachelor’s degrees awarded in the last academic year; Psychology, General, with 67 bachelor’s degrees awarded; and Biology/Biological Sciences, General, with 57 bachelor’s degrees conferred. Lastly, Siena College has a graduation rate of 77%, which is over 10 percentage points better than the state average.
86. Wheaton College
Wheaton College acceptance rate: 86%
Wheaton College is a private Christian liberal arts college located in Wheaton, Illinois. Founded in 1860, it is home to over 2,300 undergraduate students and more than 3,000 students in total. Its top major fields of study include psychology, biology, and business. The college has a student-to-faculty ratio of 11:1 and a small average class size of 15 students. The college has a strong commitment to undergraduate research, with opportunities for students to collaborate with instructors on research projects both on and off campus. Wheaton College has a fairly active student life, with over 100 student organizations and sports leagues to partake in. Equally important, the graduation rate at Wheaton College is 88%, which is the third best graduation rate of all colleges in Illinois.
87. Mercy College
Mercy College acceptance rate: 86%
Mercy College is a private liberal arts college located in Dobbs Ferry, New York. It’s a fairly new, historically-speaking, college having been founded in 1950. Mercy College is known for its strong emphasis on business, healthcare, and education. Despite being a private liberal arts college, Mercy College has a sizable student body, consisting of over 6,500 undergraduate students and more than 8,700 students total. The undergraduate student body is overwhelmingly made up of women, with the gender breakdown being 70% female to 30% male.
Although both Wheaton College and Mercy College have undergraduate acceptance rates of 86%, the latter ranked lower because only 15% of those admitted to Mercy end up enrolling; the corresponding figure for Wheaton is 32%. The college features a student-to-teacher ratio of 15:1 and a typical class size of 23 students. What’s great is that Mercy College offers a wide range of academic programs, ranging from undergraduate certification to doctoral degrees. The most popular majors, according to NCES data, for the last academic year were Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse, with 330 bachelor’s degrees conferred; Business Administration and Management, General, with 174 bachelor’s degrees; and Psychology, General, with 144 bachelor’s degrees conferred. Lastly, though, Mercy College’s graduation rate of 50% is below the statewide average for all New York colleges.
88. McDaniel College
McDaniel College acceptance rate: 87%
McDaniel College is a private liberal arts college located in Westminster, Maryland. Founded during the historical period of Reconstruction, in 1867, McDaniel College is home to over 1,700 undergraduate students and more than 3,000 students total. In terms of enrollment, its undergraduate student gender breakdown is 57% to 43% male. Although a substantial percentage of applicants get accepted to McDaniel, only 13% of those admitted actually enroll.
McDaniel College awards degrees on levels ranging from postgraduate certificates to master’s degrees. The college’s top major fields of study, according to NCES data, include Business Administration and Management, General, which earned 38 bachelor’s degrees last academic year; Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness, General, which earned 36 bachelor’s degrees; and in third place, Psychology, General, which earned 21 bachelor’s degrees. The college has a student-to-faculty ratio of 13:1. The college has a strong commitment to undergraduate research, with opportunities for students to work with faculty members on research projects both on and off campus. In terms of academic achievement, McDaniel College has a graduation rate of 65%, which is just higher than the statewide average for Maryland colleges.
89. Hope College
Hope College acceptance rate: 92%
Hope College is a private Christian liberal arts college located in Holland, Michigan. Founded a year after the American Civil War ended, in 1866, Hope College is home to over 3,100 students, all of them undergraduates. In terms of enrollment, its gender breakdown is 62% female to 38% male. Since Hope College only has undergraduate students, it only awards bachelor’s degrees. According to NCES data, the most popular majors last academic year were Business Administration and Management, General, with 108 bachelor’s degrees conferred; Psychology, General, with 72 bachelor’s degrees conferred; and Engineering, General, with 50 bachelor’s degrees awarded.
Hope College has a student-to-faculty ratio of 11:1, which translates to a relatively small class size of 19 students. The college has a strong commitment to undergraduate research, with opportunities for students to work with faculty members on research projects, be it on or off campus. Both Hope College’s retention rate — 87% — and graduation rate — 81% — are better-than-average for all colleges in Michigan.
90. Iona College
Iona College acceptance rate: 93%
Iona College is a private Catholic liberal arts college located in New Rochelle, New York. Founded comparatively recently in 1940, Iona College offers programs that award degrees ranging from the bachelor’s level to post-master’s certificates. Iona has an undergraduate population of nearly 3,000 and a total student body of over 3,600. It is known for its strong emphasis on business, education, and criminal justice. According to NCES data, the top major fields of study include Psychology, General, which earned 73 bachelor’s degrees in the last academic year; Marketing/Marketing Management, General, which earned 62 degrees; and Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse and Business Administration and Management, General, both earned 57 bachelor’s degrees . The college has a student-to-faculty ratio of 15:1, translating to a typical class size of 21 students. The college has a strong commitment to experiential learning, with opportunities for students to gain hands-on experience through internships, service learning, and research projects. The graduation rate at Iona College is 62%, which is just below the New York state average of all colleges.
91. Hartwick College
Hartwick College acceptance rate: 96%
Hartwick College is a private liberal arts college located in Oneonta, New York. Hartwick is under-the-radar old, being founded back in 1797. In terms of student body size, it’s on the smaller side, having a little over 1,100 undergraduate students. In terms of enrollment, the gender breakdown at Hartwick College is 58% female and 42% male. Hartwick College awards degrees on either the bachelor’s level or the master’s level. The top major fields of study include biology, business administration, and psychology. In fact, according to NCES data, the most popular majors in the last academic year were Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse, which earned 42 bachelor’s degrees; Business Administration and Management, General, which earned 26 bachelor’s degrees; and lastly, Public Health, General, which earned 22 bachelor’s degrees. The college features a student-to-teacher ratio of 12:1 and a relatively small average class size of 16 students. Hartwick College’s graduation rate of 57% is about seven percentage points below the New York state average.
92. New England College
New England College acceptance rate: 100%
New England College is a private liberal arts college located in Henniker, New Hampshire. Historically recent in its establishment, it was founded in 1946, it is known for its strong emphasis on the humanities, social sciences, and creative arts. New England College has just over 1,300 undergraduate students and more than 3,800 students total. Its top major fields of study include business administration, psychology, and communications. And New England College awards degrees ranging from postgraduate certificates to doctoral degrees. The most popular majors, according to NCES data, include Criminal Justice/Police Science, which earned 36 bachelor’s degrees last academic year; Psychology, General, which earned 30 bachelor’s degrees; and Business Administration and Management, General, with 23 bachelor’s degrees awarded.
The college has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9:1, which is a great sign for those who want more time one-on-one with their teachers. The college has a strong commitment to experiential learning, with opportunities for students to gain hands-on experience through internships, research projects, and service learning. On the downside, however, is New England College’s graduation rate of 21%, which is among the lowest in New Hampshire.
93. Berkeley College
Berkeley College acceptance rate: 100%
Berkeley College is a private college with multiple campuses located in New York and New Jersey. Founded in 1931, it is known for its strong emphasis on business education and has a small student body of under 2,000 undergraduate students. The college’s student-to-teacher ratio is on the higher side, being 20 students to every one faculty member. Berkeley College has no on-campus housing and offers degrees on either the associate’s level or bachelor’s level. Its top major fields of study include business administration, fashion, and graphic design. According to NCES data, the most popular majors at Berkeley College include Business Administration and Management, General, which earned 113 bachelor’s degrees last academic year; followed by Health/Health Care Administration/Management, with 80 bachelor’s degrees; and Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration, with 78 bachelor’s degrees awarded. The college has a strong commitment to experiential learning, with opportunities for students to gain hands-on experience through internships, cooperative education, and community service. Unfortunately, the graduation rate at Berkeley College is only 33%.
94. Fresno City College
Fresno City College acceptance rate: 100%
Fresno City College is a public community college located in Fresno, California. Founded in 1910, it only awards degrees up to the associate’s level. It has a large undergraduate population of over 20,000 students. Its top major fields of study include business administration, nursing, and psychology. Indeed, according to NCES data, the most popular majors in terms of associate’s degrees awarded last academic year, include Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General, with 294 degrees awarded; Business Administration and Management, General, with 229 degrees awarded; and Biology/Biological Sciences, General, with 222 degrees awarded.
Being a large community college, it’s not surprising that Fresno City College has a student-to-teacher ratio of 23:1. The few numbers of faculty versus the number of students may contribute to the college’s low graduation rate of 24%. That being said, a majority of first-time students return for the following fall semester, with Fresno City College having a retention rate of 62%.
95. Bismarck State College
Bismarck State College acceptance rate: 100%
Bismarck State College, also referred to as North Dakota’s Polytechnic Institution, is a public community college located in Bismarck, North Dakota. Established right as WWII was breaking out in Europe in 1939, Bismarck State is known for its wide range of study fields. Operating on an open admissions policy and offering degrees ranging from undergraduate certificates to bachelor’s degrees, Bismarck State College has a robust business administration program. According to NCES data, the most popular major last academic year was Operations Management and Supervision, which earned 47 bachelor’s degrees. In terms of associate’s degrees, the top major was Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies, which was awarded 266 degrees that year.
Bismarck State College has a student-to-teacher ratio of 14:1 and a typical class size of 20 students. The college has just over 3,500 undergraduate students, of which 48% earned associate’s degrees while just 1% earned a bachelor’s degree. The good news is, for a public community college, Bismarck State sports a very solid graduation rate of 53%.
96. Santa Fe College
Santa Fe College acceptance rate: 100%
Santa Fe College is a public community college located in Gainesville, Florida. Founded in 1966, it offers a range of degree levels, from undergraduate certificates up to bachelor’s degrees. The college’s primary fields of study include nursing, business administration, and criminal justice. With over 12,800 undergraduate students, the college has a student-to-faculty ratio of 20:1, which is definitely higher than average, equating to an average class size of 25 students. The good thing about Santa Fe College is that it is cheap, costing a little over $2,500 a year for in-state students and just under $9,200 a year for out-of-state students. It also features an active student life, with over 100 student organizations. For a college with an open-admission policy, Sante Fe’s graduation rate of 56% is better-than-average, especially for a Florida school.
97. Valencia College
Valencia College acceptance rate: 100%
Valencia College is a public community college located in Orlando, Florida. Featuring an open admission policy, the school was founded in 1967. Although considered a community college, you can get a four-year education and bachelor’s degree here. Valencia College’s top major fields of study include business administration, nursing, and computer and information sciences. According to NCES data, Business Administration and Management, General, was the main major last academic year, with 490 bachelor’s degrees being conferred in that field; this was followed by Registered Nursing/Registered Nurse with 137 bachelor’s degrees; and in third was Information Technology with 46 bachelor’s degrees.
Valencia College has a student-to-teacher ratio of 19:1, which is on the higher side, while the average class size is roughly 26 students. Perhaps, with a smaller student-to-teacher ratio, students could get more aid in their studies and thus help improve on the college’s 46% graduation rate. However, this is made difficult by the fact that there are approximately 43,600 undergraduate students at Valencia College.
98. Columbia College Hollywood
Columbia College Hollywood acceptance rate: 100%
Columbia College Hollywood is a private college located in Los Angeles, California. With its foundation going back to 1952, it is known for its strong emphasis on film and television production. Its top major fields of study include film production, screenwriting, and acting. Indeed, according to NCES data, the most popular major in the last academic year was Cinematography and Film/Video Production, which earned 89 bachelor’s degrees, followed by Film/Cinema/Media Studies in a distant second with 36 bachelor’s degrees conferred.
With only 493 undergraduate students, the college has a student-to-faculty ratio of 14:1 and a smaller than average class size of 16 students. Experiential learning is particularly important at Columbia College Hollywood, which makes sense considering it’s heavily focused on film production. The school offers opportunities for students to gain hands-on experience in the film industry through internships, cooperative education, and production projects. One negative spot is that the college’s graduation rate could be better, at 46%.
99. Daytona State College
Daytona State College acceptance rate: 100%
Daytona State College is a public community college located in Daytona Beach, Florida. Founded back in 1957, it is primarily designed for associate’s degrees, but offers degrees up to the bachelor’s level. Daytona State’s top major fields of study include nursing, business administration, and engineering. The college has a student-to-instructor ratio of 17:1, which translates to a fairly small average class size of 25 students.
Daytona State has an enduring commitment to experiential learning, providing opportunities for students to gain hands-on experience through internships, cooperative education, and research projects. According to NCES data, the main major at Daytona State was Business Administration, Management and Operations, Other, which earned 235 bachelor’s degrees in the last academic year, with Registered Nursing coming in second with 138 degrees awarded. Daytona State College could, however, improve its graduation rate, which sits at a below-average 39%.
100. Miami Dade College
Miami Dade College acceptance rate: 100%
Miami Dade College is a public community college located in Miami, Florida. Established in 1959, it offers a range of degree levels, from undergraduate certificates up to bachelor’s degrees. Its top major fields of study include nursing, business administration, and criminal justice. The college has a student-to-teacher ratio of 18:1 and an average class size of 25 students, which is relatively small. The college has a notably high percentage of Hispanic/Latino students, with them making up 72% of the student body. Though it’s considered a community college, Miami Dade College does offer degrees up to the bachelor’s level. The most popular major, according to NCES data, was Business Administration, Management and Operations, Other, which earned 519 bachelor’s degrees in the last academic year. Unfortunately, Miami Dade College only posts a graduation rate of 35%.
