Best Small Colleges
The top of MONEY’s rankings is crowded with large campuses, because our analysis favors schools that benefit large numbers of students from disadvantaged backgrounds—something large colleges simply have more seats to do. But for students looking for a more intimate academic experience, these are the highest-ranking colleges with fewer than 2,500 students.
Published on Aug. 12, 2019. Sources: U.S. Department of Education, Peterson's, PayScale.com, MONEY/College Measures calculations.
College Name Overall MONEY Rank | Undergraduate enrollment | Median SAT/ACT score | Est. price 2019-20 with avg. grant | % of students who get any grants | Average student debt | Early career earnings |
|---|
College Name Overall MONEY Rank | Undergraduate enrollment | Median SAT/ACT score | Est. price 2019-20 with avg. grant | % of students who get any grants | Average student debt | Early career earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
16 1 Pasadena, CA | 961 | 1560/35 | $26,100 | 61% | $12,180 | $83,400 |
25 2 Buzzards Bay, MA | 1627 | 1120/23 | $15,500 | 48% | $26,930 | $67,200 |
26 3 Lexington, VA | 1819 | 1420/32 | $26,700 | 57% | $19,920 | $63,200 |
37 4 Swarthmore, PA | 1565 | 1460/33 | $21,800 | 58% | $19,500 | $63,800 |
38 5 Lewiston, ME | 1787 | NA/NA | $24,900 | 46% | $14,120 | $57,500 |
39 6 Williamstown, MA | 2033 | 1480/33 | $20,800 | 54% | $14,490 | $64,000 |
49 7 Lexington, VA | 1722 | 1190/26 | $17,200 | 72% | $23,900 | $63,900 |
58 8 Schenectady, NY | 2167 | NA/NA | $39,600 | 77% | $25,830 | $60,900 |
60 9 Claremont, CA | 1567 | 1450/32 | $18,800 | 60% | $13,400 | $60,500 |
64 10 Amherst, MA | 1835 | 1480/33 | $20,800 | 59% | $13,000 | $62,300 |
66 11 | 854 | 1420/31 | $30,400 | 100% | $14,750 | $65,900 |
71 12 | 1790 | 1230/26 | $19,400 | 76% | $19,200 | $51,800 |
80 13 Chicago, IL | 1758 | NA/NA | $16,400 | 78% | $19,500 | $47,300 |
82 14 Brunswick, ME | 1812 | NA/NA | $26,100 | 50% | $18,650 | $59,700 |
86 15 Brooklyn, NY | 924 | 960/20 | $17,200 | 86% | $20,010 | $45,700 |
87 16 Davidson, NC | 1800 | 1390/32 | $30,300 | 72% | $18,220 | $55,000 |
89 17 Wellesley, MA | 2375 | 1450/32 | $21,600 | 59% | $10,000 | $56,600 |
101 18 Claremont, CA | 1334 | 1430/32 | $30,600 | 46% | $14,500 | $66,800 |
106 19 Canton, NY | 2373 | 1290/28 | $36,500 | 96% | $26,790 | $53,800 |
112 20 Vallejo, CA | 1048 | NA/NA | $15,600 | 52% | $26,000 | $67,500 |
114 21 Huntingdon, PA | 1371 | NA/NA | $27,900 | 100% | $27,000 | $50,100 |
116 22 Saint Joseph, MN | 1937 | 1120/25 | $28,700 | 100% | $27,000 | $47,900 |
123 23 Kansas City, MO | 1623 | 1140/25 | $24,900 | 70% | $21,500 | $54,600 |
124 24 Waterville, ME | 1917 | 1420/32 | $21,700 | 46% | $19,170 | $57,800 |
126 25 Haverford, PA | 1291 | 1460/33 | $25,200 | 49% | $13,000 | $56,100 |
129 26 Boston, MA | 1708 | 1220/27 | $31,700 | 93% | $25,000 | $52,800 |
132 27 Lake Forest, IL | 1483 | NA/NA | $27,400 | 96% | $27,000 | $53,700 |
134 28 Poughkeepsie, NY | 2323 | 1420/32 | $25,400 | 68% | $16,250 | $54,200 |
136 29 Claremont, CA | 844 | 1520/34 | $40,700 | 71% | $23,500 | $85,600 |
146 30 Manchester, NH | 1956 | 1220/26 | $33,600 | 96% | $27,000 | $54,900 |
149 31 Notre Dame, IN | 1489 | 1140/26 | $28,500 | 96% | $27,000 | $49,100 |
151 32 Wellesley, MA | 2342 | 1320/30 | $31,900 | 47% | $26,000 | $69,300 |
154 33 San Antonio, TX | 2393 | 1320/30 | $30,500 | 96% | $26,000 | $53,400 |
157 34 Geneva, NY | 2220 | 1240/28 | $45,100 | 89% | $27,000 | $53,600 |
158 35 Collegeville, MN | 1720 | 1080/25 | $28,000 | 100% | $27,000 | $57,400 |
160 36 Sparkill, NY | 1114 | 1000/20 | $21,900 | 69% | $23,000 | $48,400 |
162 37 Granville, OH | 2321 | 1290/30 | $34,500 | 99% | $27,000 | $52,400 |
163 38 Hartford, CT | 2174 | 1340/30 | $30,500 | 51% | $21,500 | $57,600 |
164 39 Castine, ME | 1018 | 1090/21 | $22,400 | 69% | $27,000 | $66,700 |
166 40 Lancaster, PA | 2269 | NA/NA | $26,100 | 55% | $22,000 | $54,600 |
167 41 Saint Peter, MN | 2170 | NA/NA | $31,900 | 97% | $27,000 | $49,700 |
169 42 St. Mary's City, MD | 1544 | 1180/25 | $22,100 | 74% | $20,500 | $52,300 |
170 43 Crawfordsville, IN | 862 | 1180/26 | $26,300 | 99% | $25,790 | $60,200 |
173 44 Westminster, MD | 1562 | 1150/25 | $24,200 | 96% | $27,000 | $49,500 |
174 45 New London, CT | 1766 | NA/NA | $29,200 | 54% | $23,200 | $55,700 |
175 46 Berea, KY | 1610 | 1090/25 | $1,800 | 98% | $5,300 | $39,600 |
177 47 Clinton, NY | 1885 | 1440/32 | $23,600 | 53% | $17,000 | $61,000 |
182 48 Throggs Neck, NY | 1633 | 1180/24 | $17,400 | 53% | $24,000 | $73,300 |
183 49 Appleton, WI | 1441 | 1340/29 | $30,100 | 97% | $27,000 | $48,500 |
192 50 Wheaton, IL | 2356 | 1320/30 | $32,000 | 80% | $22,440 | $51,500 |
Rank
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
Syracuse, NY
Money rank
71
Median SAT/ACT score
1230/26
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
New York, NY
Money rank
66
Median SAT/ACT score
1420/31
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
Sign Up for Our Newsletters
Sign up to receive the latest updates and smartest advice from the editors of MONEY