Yeshiva University

Yeshiva University is a small, private school that combines Jewish studies with liberal arts and science courses. It operates four campuses in New York, and through the S. Daniel Abraham Israel Program (SDA), students can spend a year in Israel. As part of the program, Yeshiva partners with 40 yeshivot and seminaries in Israel, so students get in-depth, immersive learning while working toward their degrees.

Yeshiva University is a score-optional school, meaning students can apply without submitting SAT or ACT scores. Strong standardized test scores can help your chances of getting in or securing a scholarship, but if your scores aren't as strong as you'd like, you can apply without them.

Yeshiva University has a high sticker price — its New York City location means the cost of living is rather expensive — and even after factoring in financial aid, its net price is among the more expensive in Money’s list of Best Colleges.

The majority of the school's 2,500 undergraduate students live on campus, with separate housing options for men and women. Yeshiva's campus also has one of the nation's only fully kosher campus cafeterias, which serves everything from sushi to lasagna to shlishkes (potato dumplings.) That's not to mention all the diverse cuisine of New York at students' fingertips.