Best Colleges: High School Counselor Rankings of Liberal Arts Colleges
We asked guidance counselors from America's Best High Schools in 2008 to tell us which liberal arts colleges they think offer the best education to their students. They rated the colleges on a scale of 1 to 5 (with 5 being the top score) or marked "don't know" if they were unfamiliar with that particular school.
| Rank | College Counselor Score (out of 5): | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| United States Naval Academy Annapolis, MD | 1 | 4.8 | |
| Williams College Williamstown, MA | 1 | 4.8 | |
| Harvey Mudd College Claremont, CA | 3 | 4.7 | |
| United States Military Academy West Point, NY | 3 | 4.7 | |
| Wellesley College Wellesley, MA | 3 | 4.7 | |
| Amherst College Amherst, MA | 6 | 4.6 | |
| Barnard College New York, NY | 6 | 4.6 | |
| Bowdoin College Brunswick, ME | 6 | 4.6 | |
| Claremont McKenna College Claremont, CA | 6 | 4.6 | |
| Middlebury College Middlebury, VT | 6 | 4.6 | |
| Pomona College Claremont, CA | 6 | 4.6 | |
| Reed College Portland, OR | 6 | 4.6 | |
| Swarthmore College Swarthmore, PA | 6 | 4.6 | |
| Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY | 6 | 4.6 | |
| Bates College Lewiston, ME | 15 | 4.5 | |
| Colby College Waterville, ME | 15 | 4.5 | |
| Colgate University Hamilton, NY | 15 | 4.5 | |
| Macalester College St. Paul, MN | 15 | 4.5 | |
| Smith College Northampton, MA | 15 | 4.5 | |
| Wesleyan University Middletown, CT | 15 | 4.5 | |
| Carleton College Northfield, MN | 21 | 4.4 | |
| Kenyon College Gambier, OH | 21 | 4.4 | |
| Oberlin College Oberlin, OH | 21 | 4.4 | |
| Scripps College Claremont, CA | 21 | 4.4 | |
| Bard College Annandale on Hudson, NY | 25 | 4.3 | |
| Bryn Mawr College Bryn Mawr, PA | 25 | 4.3 | |
| Bucknell University Lewisburg, PA | 25 | 4.3 | |
| Davidson College Davidson, NC | 25 | 4.3 | |
| Grinnell College Grinnell, IA | 25 | 4.3 | |
| Hamilton College Clinton, NY | 25 | 4.3 | |
| Haverford College Haverford, PA | 25 | 4.3 | |
| Mount Holyoke College South Hadley, MA | 25 | 4.3 | |
| Occidental College Los Angeles, CA | 25 | 4.3 | |
| Pitzer College Claremont, CA | 25 | 4.3 | |
| Sarah Lawrence College Bronxville, NY | 25 | 4.3 | |
| Washington and Lee University Lexington, VA | 25 | 4.3 | |
| College of the Holy Cross Worcester, MA | 37 | 4.2 | |
| St. John's College Santa Fe, NM | 37 | 4.2 | |
| Trinity College Hartford, CT | 37 | 4.2 | |
| University of Richmond Univ. of Richmond, VA | 37 | 4.2 | |
| Wheaton College Norton, MA | 37 | 4.2 | |
| Centre College Danville, KY | 42 | 4.1 | |
| Colorado College Colorado Springs, CO | 42 | 4.1 | |
| Connecticut College New London, CT | 42 | 4.1 | |
| DePauw University Greencastle, IN | 42 | 4.0 | |
| Furman University Greenville, SC | 42 | 4.1 | |
| Lafayette College Easton, PA | 42 | 4.1 | |
| Lawrence University Appleton, WI | 42 | 4.1 | |
| New College of Florida Sarasota, FL | 42 | 4.1 | |
| Sewanee--University of the South Sewanee, TN | 42 | 4.1 | |
| Skidmore College Saratoga Springs, NY | 42 | 4.1 | |
| Spelman College Atlanta, GA | 42 | 4.1 | |
| St. John's College Annapolis, MD | 42 | 4.1 | |
| St. Olaf College Northfield, MN | 42 | 4.1 | |
| Union College Schenectady, NY | 42 | 4.1 | |
| Whitman College Walla Walla, WA | 42 | 4.1 | |
| Bennington College Bennington, VT | 57 | 4.0 | |
| Berea College Berea, KY | 57 | 4.0 | |
| Denison University Granville, OH | 57 | 4.0 | |
| Dickinson College Carlisle, PA | 57 | 4.0 | |
| Hampshire College Amherst, MA | 57 | 4.0 | |
| Lewis & Clark College Portland, OR | 57 | 4.0 | |
| St. Lawrence University Canton, NY | 57 | 4.0 | |
| Virginia Military Institute Lexington, VA | 57 | 4.0 | |
| Wesleyan College Macon, GA | 57 | 4.0 | |
| Wheaton College Wheaton, IL | 57 | 4.0 | |
| Willamette University Salem, OR | 57 | 4.0 | |
| Agnes Scott College Decatur, GA | 68 | 3.9 | |
| Beloit College Beloit, WI | 68 | 3.9 | |
| College of Wooster Wooster, OH | 68 | 3.9 | |
| Cornell College Mount Vernon, IA | 68 | 3.9 | |
| Drew University Madison, NJ | 68 | 3.9 | |
| Earlham College Richmond, IN | 68 | 3.9 | |
| Franklin and Marshall College Lancaster, PA | 68 | 3.9 | |
| Gustavus Adolphus College St. Peter, MN | 68 | 3.9 | |
| Hillsdale College Hillsdale, MI | 68 | 3.9 | |
| Hobart and William Smith Colleges Geneva, NY | 68 | 3.9 | |
| Knox College Galesburg, IL | 68 | 3.9 | |
| Lake Forest College Lake Forest, IL | 68 | 3.9 | |
| Maryville College Maryville, TN | 68 | 3.9 | |
| Millsaps College Jackson, MS | 68 | 3.9 | |
| Morehouse College Atlanta, GA | 68 | 3.9 | |
| Ohio Wesleyan University Delaware, OH | 68 | 3.9 | |
| Rhodes College Memphis, TN | 68 | 3.9 | |
| St. Mary's College Notre Dame, IN | 68 | 3.9 | |
| University of Puget Sound Tacoma, WA | 68 | 3.9 | |
| Baker University Baldwin City, KS | 87 | 3.8 | |
| Berry College Mount Berry, GA | 87 | 3.8 | |
| Birmingham-Southern College Birmingham, AL | 87 | 3.8 | |
| Gettysburg College Gettysburg, PA | 87 | 3.8 | |
| Goucher College Baltimore, MD | 87 | 3.8 | |
| Hanover College Hanover, IN | 87 | 3.8 | |
| Hope College Holland, MI | 87 | 3.8 | |
| Illinois Wesleyan University Bloomington, IL | 87 | 3.8 | |
| Linfield College McMinnville, OR | 87 | 3.8 | |
| Muhlenberg College Allentown, PA | 87 | 3.8 | |
| St. Anselm College Manchester, NH | 87 | 3.8 | |
| St. John's University Collegeville, MN | 87 | 3.8 | |
| St. Norbert College De Pere, WI | 87 | 3.8 | |
| University of Virginia--Wise Wise, VA | 87 | 3.8 | |
| Washington College Chestertown, MD | 87 | 3.8 | |
| Wells College Aurora, NY | 87 | 3.8 | |
| Wittenberg University Springfield, OH | 87 | 3.8 | |
| Allegheny College Meadville, PA | 104 | 3.7 | |
| Asbury College Wilmore, KY | 104 | 3.7 | |
| Austin College Sherman, TX | 104 | 3.7 | |
| Calvin College Grand Rapids, MI | 104 | 3.7 | |
| Carson-Newman College Jefferson City, TN | 104 | 3.7 | |
| College of St. Benedict St. Joseph, MN | 104 | 3.7 | |
| Concordia College--Moorhead Moorhead, MN | 104 | 3.7 | |
| Eckerd College St. Petersburg, FL | 104 | 3.7 | |
| Goshen College Goshen, IN | 104 | 3.7 | |
| Hendrix College Conway, AR | 104 | 3.7 | |
| Kalamazoo College Kalamazoo, MI | 104 | 3.7 | |
| Luther College Decorah, IA | 104 | 3.7 | |
| Millikin University Decatur, IL | 104 | 3.7 | |
| Ripon College Ripon, WI | 104 | 3.7 | |
| Stonehill College Easton, MA | 104 | 3.7 | |
| University of Wisconsin--Green Bay Green Bay, WI | 104 | 3.7 | |
| Wabash College Crawfordsville, IN | 104 | 3.7 | |
| Westminster College New Wilmington, PA | 104 | 3.7 | |
| Wofford College Spartanburg, SC | 104 | 3.7 | |
| Albion College Albion, MI | 123 | 3.6 | |
| Augustana College Rock Island, IL | 123 | 3.6 | |
| Burlington College Burlington, VT | 123 | 3.6 | |
| Central College Pella, IA | 123 | 3.6 | |
| Coe College Cedar Rapids, IA | 123 | 3.6 | |
| College of the Atlantic Bar Harbor, ME | 123 | 3.6 | |
| Concordia College Bronxville, NY | 123 | 3.6 | |
| Emory and Henry College Emory, VA | 123 | 3.6 | |
| Evangel University Springfield, MO | 123 | 3.6 | |
| Fisk University Nashville, TN | 123 | 3.6 | |
| Georgetown College Georgetown, KY | 123 | 3.6 | |
| Hollins University Roanoke, VA | 123 | 3.6 | |
| Lambuth University Jackson, TN | 123 | 3.6 | |
| Martin University Indianapolis, IN | 123 | 3.6 | |
| Oglethorpe University Atlanta, GA | 123 | 3.5 | |
| Purchase College--SUNY Purchase, NY | 123 | 3.6 | |
| Randolph-Macon College Ashland, VA | 123 | 3.6 | |
| Southwestern University Georgetown, TX | 123 | 3.6 | |
| St. Mary's College of Maryland St. Mary's City, MD | 123 | 3.6 | |
| St. Michael's College Colchester, VT | 123 | 3.6 | |
| Sweet Briar College Sweet Briar, VA | 123 | 3.6 | |
| Texas Lutheran University Seguin, TX | 123 | 3.6 | |
| Thomas More College of Liberal Arts Merrimack, NH | 123 | 3.6 | |
| Transylvania University Lexington, KY | 123 | 3.6 | |
| University of North Carolina--Asheville Asheville, NC | 123 | 3.6 | |
| Warren Wilson College Asheville, NC | 123 | 3.6 | |
| Washington and Jefferson College Washington, PA | 123 | 3.6 | |
| Westminster College Fulton, MO | 123 | 3.6 | |
| Wisconsin Lutheran College Milwaukee, WI | 123 | 3.6 | |
| Alma College Alma, MI | 153 | 3.5 | |
| Bethel College North Newton, KS | 153 | 3.5 | |
| Centenary College of Louisiana Shreveport, LA | 153 | 3.5 | |
| Clarke College Dubuque, IA | 153 | 3.5 | |
| Gordon College Wenham, MA | 153 | 3.5 | |
| Grove City College Grove City, PA | 153 | 3.5 | |
| Hartwick College Oneonta, NY | 153 | 3.5 | |
| McPherson College McPherson, KS | 153 | 3.5 | |
| Merrimack College North Andover, MA | 153 | 3.5 | |
| Mount Union College Alliance, OH | 153 | 3.5 | |
| Presbyterian College Clinton, SC | 153 | 3.5 | |
| Roanoke College Salem, VA | 153 | 3.5 | |
| Stephens College Columbia, MO | 153 | 3.5 | |
| Sterling College Sterling, KS | 153 | 3.5 | |
| University of Minnesota--Morris Morris, MN | 153 | 3.5 | |
| University of Wisconsin--Parkside Kenosha, WI | 153 | 3.5 | |
| Ursinus College Collegeville, PA | 153 | 3.5 | |
| Virginia Wesleyan College Norfolk, VA | 153 | 3.5 | |
| Wartburg College Waverly, IA | 153 | 3.5 | |
| Whittier College Whittier, CA | 153 | 3.5 | |
| William Jewell College Liberty, MO | 153 | 3.5 | |
| Albertus Magnus College New Haven, CT | 174 | 3.4 | |
| Albright College Reading, PA | 174 | 3.4 | |
| American Jewish University Bel Air, CA | 174 | 3.4 | |
| Brevard College Brevard, NC | 174 | 3.4 | |
| Brigham Young University--Hawaii Laie Oahu, HI | 174 | 3.4 | |
| College of St. Thomas More Fort Worth, TX | 174 | 3.4 | |
| Fort Lewis College Durango, CO | 174 | 3.4 | |
| Hampden-Sydney College Hampden-Sydney, VA | 174 | 3.4 | |
| Hiram College Hiram, OH | 174 | 3.4 | |
| Marlboro College Marlboro, VT | 174 | 3.4 | |
| Meredith College Raleigh, NC | 174 | 3.4 | |
| Monmouth College Monmouth, IL | 174 | 3.4 | |
| Northland College Ashland, WI | 174 | 3.4 | |
| Olivet College Olivet, MI | 174 | 3.4 | |
| Siena College Loudonville, NY | 174 | 3.4 | |
| Susquehanna University Selinsgrove, PA | 174 | 3.4 | |
| Thomas Aquinas College Santa Paula, CA | 174 | 3.4 | |
| West Virginia Wesleyan College Buckhannon, WV | 174 | 3.4 | |
| Allen University Columbia, SC | 192 | 3.2 | |
| Cedar Crest College Allentown, PA | 192 | 3.3 | |
| Christopher Newport University Newport News, VA | 192 | 3.2 | |
| Dillard University New Orleans, LA | 192 | 3.3 | |
| Eastern Mennonite University Harrisonburg, VA | 192 | 3.3 | |
| Guilford College Greensboro, NC | 192 | 3.3 | |
| Houghton College Houghton, NY | 192 | 3.3 | |
| Juniata College Huntingdon, PA | 192 | 3.3 | |
| Marymount Manhattan College New York, NY | 192 | 3.3 | |
| Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts North Adams, MA | 192 | 3.3 | |
| North Greenville University Tigerville, SC | 192 | 3.2 | |
| Paine College Augusta, GA | 192 | 3.3 | |
| Randolph College Lynchburg, VA | 192 | 3.3 | |
| Russell Sage College Troy, NY | 192 | 3.3 | |
| Simpson College Indianola, IA | 192 | 3.3 | |
| St. Vincent College Latrobe, PA | 192 | 3.3 | |
| University of Maine--Machias Machias, ME | 192 | 3.3 | |
| Western State College of Colorado Gunnison, CO | 192 | 3.3 | |
| West Virginia State University Institute, WV | 192 | 3.2 | |
| Wingate University Wingate, NC | 192 | 3.3 | |
| Atlantic Union College South Lancaster, MA | 212 | 3.2 | |
| Bridgewater College Bridgewater, VA | 212 | 3.2 | |
| California State University--Monterey Bay Seaside, CA | 212 | 3.2 | |
| Carroll College Helena, MT | 212 | 3.2 | |
| Coastal Carolina University Conway, SC | 212 | 3.2 | |
| Excelsior College Albany, NY | 212 | 3.2 | |
| Franklin Pierce University Rindge, NH | 212 | 3.2 | |
| Hastings College Hastings, NE | 212 | 3.2 | |
| Kentucky Wesleyan College Owensboro, KY | 212 | 3.2 | |
| Lycoming College Williamsport, PA | 212 | 3.2 | |
| Lyon College Batesville, AR | 212 | 3.2 | |
| Moravian College Bethlehem, PA | 212 | 3.2 | |
| Principia College Elsah, IL | 212 | 3.2 | |
| St. Andrews Presbyterian College Laurinburg, NC | 212 | 3.2 | |
| SUNY College--Old Westbury Old Westbury, NY | 212 | 3.2 | |
| University of Hawaii--Hilo Hilo, HI | 212 | 3.2 | |
| Westmont College Santa Barbara, CA | 212 | 3.2 | |
| Baptist Bible College Springfield, MO | 229 | 3.1 | |
| Bethany College Bethany, WV | 229 | 3.1 | |
| Colorado State University--Pueblo Pueblo, CO | 229 | 3.1 | |
| Doane College Crete, NE | 229 | 3.1 | |
| Green Mountain College Poultney, VT | 229 | 3.1 | |
| Illinois College Jacksonville, IL | 229 | 3.1 | |
| Lindsey Wilson College Columbia, KY | 229 | 3.1 | |
| Nebraska Wesleyan University Lincoln, NE | 229 | 3.1 | |
| Thiel College Greenville, PA | 229 | 3.1 | |
| University of Maine--Presque Isle Presque Isle, ME | 229 | 3.1 | |
| Beacon College Leesburg, FL | 239 | 3.0 | |
| Ferrum College Ferrum, VA | 239 | 3.0 | |
| Greensboro College Greensboro, NC | 239 | 3.0 | |
| Huston-Tillotson University Austin, TX | 239 | 3.0 | |
| Judson College Marion, AL | 239 | 3.0 | |
| Mesa State College Grand Junction, CO | 239 | 3.0 | |
| Metropolitan State College of Denver Denver, CO | 239 | 3.0 | |
| Peace College Raleigh, NC | 239 | 3.0 | |
| Pine Manor College Chestnut Hill, MA | 239 | 3.0 | |
| Rust College Holly Springs, MS | 239 | 3.0 | |
| Sierra Nevada College Incline Village, NV | 239 | 3.0 | |
| Talladega College Talladega, AL | 239 | 3.0 | |
| Bennett College Greensboro, NC | 251 | 2.9 | |
| College of Idaho Caldwell, ID | 251 | 2.9 | |
| Granite State College Concord, NH | 251 | 2.9 | |
| Johnson C. Smith University Charlotte, NC | 251 | 2.9 | |
| Salem College Winston-Salem, NC | 251 | 2.9 | |
| Bryn Athyn College of the New Church Bryn Athyn, PA | 256 | 2.8 | |
| Pikeville College Pikeville, KY | 256 | 2.8 | |
| Simpson University Redding, CA | 256 | 2.8 | |
| Thomas Edison State College Trenton, NJ | 256 | 2.8 | |
| Tougaloo College Tougaloo, MS | 256 | 2.8 | |
| Bloomfield College Bloomfield, NJ | 262 | 2.7 | |
| Huntingdon College Montgomery, AL | 262 | 2.7 | |
| Jarvis Christian College Hawkins, TX | 262 | 2.7 | |
| Shimer College Chicago, IL | 262 | 2.7 | |
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