Connecticut College

The arts are big at Connecticut College. Every student must take at least one liberal arts class before graduation, as well as two semesters of foreign language instruction in addition to other requirements. The school has about 1,900 undergrads, and they get to pursue nearly 60 majors, minor, and certificates. In keeping with its emphasis on career readiness, Connecticut College offers every student the chance to receive a $3,000 stipend for housing and food during a summer internship. (About three-quarters of the class of 2017 took on an internship through this program.) The school is home to the Connecticut College Arboretum and its botanical gardens, where many students go to do research, study, and relax among azaleas, rhododendron and evergreens. Nearly all undergraduates live on campus. While there is no Greek life here, students can join about 80 clubs and organizations and participate in annual events such as Camelympics, a competition between dormitories. With more than two dozen varsity sports teams, Connecticut College is a member of the Division III New England Small College Athletic Conference. The school's location, near the Thames River and Long Island Sound, is a 15-minute drive from the Mystic Seaport maritime museum, an hour from Providence, R.I., and three hours from New York City.