Best Liberal Arts Colleges

Liberal arts colleges focus on undergraduate education in the arts, humanities, natural sciences and social sciences. They offer small classes and the freedom to explore different academic interests. These are the 50 top-scoring liberal arts colleges in Money's analysis.

Published on Aug. 8, 2022. Sources: U.S. Department of Education, Peterson's, Money/Witlytic calculations.

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College Name	Overall Score	Acceptance rate	Est. full price 2022-23	Est. price with average grant	% of students who get any grants	Graduation rate	Early career earnings
Rank College Name Overall Score
1 Williams College Williamstown, MA 89.71	89.71	13%	$68,400	$23,600	57%	95%	$71,610
2 Bowdoin College Brunswick, ME 82.65	82.65	9%	$73,900	$27,100	52%	95%	$66,860
3 Wellesley College Wellesley, MA 80.54	80.54	22%	$80,500	$22,800	60%	93%	$66,530
4 Hamilton College Clinton, NY 78.35	78.35	16%	$76,800	$25,300	56%	93%	$74,340
5 College of the Holy Cross Worcester, MA 78.07	78.07	34%	$74,300	$33,900	64%	92%	$84,650
6 St. Olaf College Northfield, MN 78.03	78.03	48%	$66,800	$29,400	96%	86%	$60,240
7 Bates College Lewiston, ME 77.58	77.58	12%	$77,800	$27,900	44%	89%	$64,710
8 Swarthmore College Swarthmore, PA 80.24	80.24	9%	$75,800	$21,500	60%	94%	$72,640
9 Amherst College Amherst, MA 76.24	76.24	11%	$81,800	$19,900	60%	93%	$71,570
10 Trinity College Hartford, CT 76.00	76.00	33%	$79,000	$27,700	51%	85%	$68,320
11 Wesleyan University Middletown, CT 75.98	75.98	16%	$80,900	$24,100	42%	89%	$68,100
12 Centre College Danville, KY 74.82	74.82	76%	$60,400	$24,000	98%	81%	$57,980
13 Colby College Waterville, ME 74.05	74.05	10%	$78,600	$19,600	48%	91%	$71,130
14 Davidson College Davidson, NC 74.62	74.62	18%	$75,200	$30,200	73%	89%	$71,670
15 Pomona College Claremont, CA 84.71	84.71	7%	$77,200	$32,100	69%	94%	$69,150
16 St. Mary's College of Maryland St. Mary's City, MD 72.60	72.60	84%	$32,100	$21,400	85%	79%	$55,340
17 Wabash College Crawfordsville, IN 71.04	71.04	64%	$61,300	$25,800	100%	71%	$63,430
18 Beloit College Beloit, WI 70.99	70.99	62%	$67,300	$25,800	92%	79%	$50,500
19 Kalamazoo College Kalamazoo, MI 70.15	70.15	76%	$68,100	$29,100	99%	78%	$55,290
20 Macalester College Saint Paul, MN 69.23	69.23	32%	$75,800	$37,600	82%	90%	$57,130
21 Claremont McKenna College Claremont, CA 79.64	79.64	10%	$78,600	$23,200	47%	93%	$86,570
22 Bryn Mawr College Bryn Mawr, PA 68.32	68.32	33%	$75,600	$39,100	70%	87%	$65,770
23 Grinnell College Grinnell, IA 67.33	67.33	23%	$75,700	$33,900	86%	84%	$59,490
24 Gettysburg College Gettysburg, PA 75.65	75.65	48%	$76,500	$36,800	96%	82%	$65,930
25 Carleton College Northfield, MN 73.54	73.54	19%	$79,300	$32,600	61%	93%	$67,130
26 Haverford College Haverford, PA 67.09	67.09	16%	$81,100	$26,600	46%	91%	$69,190
27 Dickinson College Carlisle, PA 76.15	76.15	40%	$76,500	$39,400	80%	85%	$69,560
28 Lafayette College Easton, PA 76.92	76.92	31%	$76,100	$30,300	55%	87%	$84,940
29 Colgate University Hamilton, NY 69.62	69.62	23%	$79,800	$27,400	46%	89%	$76,270
30 Smith College Northampton, MA 71.84	71.84	32%	$78,000	$30,000	71%	89%	$56,420
31 Connecticut College New London, CT 64.49	64.49	37%	$79,500	$42,700	94%	81%	$71,240
32 Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY 69.53	69.53	24%	$80,400	$27,500	62%	92%	$62,330
33 Middlebury College Middlebury, VT 69.25	69.25	15%	$79,100	$25,900	43%	91%	$65,930
34 Barnard College New York, NY 70.82	70.82	12%	$80,000	$32,300	42%	92%	$71,680
35 Virginia Military Institute Lexington, VA 85.14	85.14	60%	$33,300	$20,000	85%	78%	$71,910
36 Kenyon College Gambier, OH 62.16	62.16	34%	$73,500	$43,200	66%	89%	$62,000
37 Occidental College Los Angeles, CA 65.77	65.77	37%	$78,000	$43,400	72%	86%	$67,390
38 Lawrence University Appleton, WI 60.92	60.92	62%	$66,100	$28,100	98%	81%	$48,850
39 Washington and Lee University Lexington, VA 82.39	82.39	19%	$79,800	$28,700	61%	95%	$86,020
40 Wheaton College Norton, MA 62.37	62.37	74%	$74,800	$30,100	98%	78%	$58,730
41 University of Minnesota-Morris Morris, MN 69.37	69.37	57%	$25,600	$11,800	84%	66%	$47,370
42 St. Lawrence University Canton, NY 65.93	65.93	42%	$77,700	$33,300	97%	81%	$58,200
43 Whitman College Walla Walla, WA 65.77	65.77	56%	$68,300	$41,200	81%	88%	$59,340
44 The University of the South Sewanee, TN 59.94	59.94	67%	$66,400	$38,300	94%	84%	$56,400
45 Mount Holyoke College South Hadley, MA 58.14	58.14	38%	$76,700	$32,900	76%	82%	$52,740
46 Hobart William Smith Colleges Geneva, NY 62.34	62.34	66%	$78,700	$40,400	97%	78%	$62,980
47 Knox College Galesburg, IL 66.76	66.76	68%	$63,800	$24,600	96%	73%	$49,010
48 Skidmore College Saratoga Springs, NY 66.19	66.19	30%	$78,800	$28,500	52%	86%	$63,730
49 Ripon College Ripon, WI 67.34	67.34	70%	$59,800	$22,800	98%	67%	$49,100
50 Washington College Chestertown, MD 62.43	62.43	92%	$67,000	$31,200	95%	68%	$64,850

Best Liberal Arts Colleges

Williams College

Williamstown, MA

Bowdoin College

Brunswick, ME

Wellesley College

Wellesley, MA

Hamilton College

Clinton, NY

College of the Holy Cross

Worcester, MA

St. Olaf College

Northfield, MN

Bates College

Lewiston, ME

Swarthmore College

Swarthmore, PA

Amherst College

Amherst, MA

Trinity College

Hartford, CT

Wesleyan University

Middletown, CT

Centre College

Danville, KY

Colby College

Waterville, ME

Davidson College

Davidson, NC

Pomona College

Claremont, CA

St. Mary's College of Maryland

St. Mary's City, MD

Wabash College

Crawfordsville, IN

Beloit College

Beloit, WI

Kalamazoo College

Kalamazoo, MI

Macalester College

Saint Paul, MN

Claremont McKenna College

Claremont, CA

Bryn Mawr College

Bryn Mawr, PA

Grinnell College

Grinnell, IA

Gettysburg College

Gettysburg, PA

Carleton College

Northfield, MN

Haverford College

Haverford, PA

Dickinson College

Carlisle, PA

Lafayette College

Easton, PA

Colgate University

Hamilton, NY

Smith College

Northampton, MA

Connecticut College

New London, CT

Vassar College

Poughkeepsie, NY

Middlebury College

Middlebury, VT

Barnard College

New York, NY

Virginia Military Institute

Lexington, VA

Kenyon College

Gambier, OH

Occidental College

Los Angeles, CA

Lawrence University

Appleton, WI

Washington and Lee University

Lexington, VA

Wheaton College