National Liberal Arts College Rankings

National Liberal Arts College Methodology

Among the National Liberal Arts Colleges are schools like Amherst College and Middlebury College, which emphasize undergraduate education and award at least half of their degrees in the liberal arts fields of study.

To see full rankings, SAT/ACT scores, scholarship and grant information, graduation rates, and more, sign up for the U.S. News College Compass!

U.S. News rank	School	Tuition	Total enrollment	Fall 2011 acceptance rate	Average freshman retention rate	6-year graduation rate	Classes with under 20 students	SAT/ACT 25th-75th percentile
#1	Williams College Williamstown, MA	$44,920	2,109	17.3%	97%	95	Locked	Locked
#2	Amherst College Amherst, MA	$44,610	1,791	13.3%	98%	96	Locked	Locked
#3	Swarthmore College Swarthmore, PA	$43,080	1,545	15.1%	97%	95	Locked	Locked
#4	Middlebury College Middlebury, VT	$44,111	2,507	18.3%	96%	90	Locked	Locked
#4	Pomona College Claremont, CA	$41,438	1,586	14.0%	98%	95	Locked	Locked
#6	Bowdoin College Brunswick, ME	$44,118	1,778	16.1%	96%	92	Locked	Locked
#6	Wellesley College Wellesley, MA	$42,082	2,502	31.0%	95%	92	Locked	Locked
#8	Carleton College Northfield, MN	$44,445	2,018	31.0%	97%	93	Locked	Locked
#9	Haverford College Haverford, PA	$43,702	1,198	25.1%	96%	93	Locked	Locked
#10	Claremont McKenna College Claremont, CA	$44,085	1,321	14.1%	96%	91	Locked	Locked
#10	Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY	$46,270	2,386	22.5%	97%	91	Locked	Locked
#12	Davidson College Davidson, NC	$40,809	1,756	28.0%	96%	92	Locked	Locked
#12	Harvey Mudd College Claremont, CA	$44,442	777	22.3%	98%	84	Locked	Locked
#14	United States Naval Academy Annapolis, MD	in-state: $0, out-of-state: $0	4,576	7.5%	97%	90	Locked	Locked
#14	Washington and Lee University Lexington, VA	$43,362	2,193	18.2%	94%	91	Locked	Locked
#16	Hamilton College Clinton, NY	$44,350	1,864	27.4%	95%	89	Locked	Locked
#17	Wesleyan University Middletown, CT	$45,628	3,202	24.2%	96%	92	Locked	Locked
#18	Colby College Waterville, ME	$55,700 (total tuition/fees/room/board)	1,815	29.4%	95%	91	Locked	Locked
#18	Colgate University Hamilton, NY	$44,640	2,964	29.4%	94%	92	Locked	Locked
#18	Smith College Northampton, MA	$41,460	3,162	45.5%	92%	85	Locked	Locked
#18	United States Military Academy West Point, NY	in-state: $0, out-of-state: $0	4,624	10.6%	93%	83	Locked	Locked
#22	Bates College Lewiston, ME	$44,300	1,769	27.0%	94%	92	Locked	Locked
#22	Grinnell College Grinnell, IA	$41,004	1,693	50.9%	94%	88	Locked	Locked
#24	Macalester College St. Paul, MN	$43,693	2,005	35.0%	94%	87	Locked	Locked
#24	Scripps College Claremont, CA	$43,620	983	36.3%	94%	88	Locked	Locked
#26	Bryn Mawr College Bryn Mawr, PA	$42,246	1,785	46.3%	92%	87	Locked	Locked
#26	Oberlin College Oberlin, OH	$44,905	2,983	29.6%	94%	87	Locked	Locked
#28	Barnard College New York, NY	$43,502	2,438	24.9%	94%	92	Locked	Locked
#28	Colorado College Colorado Springs, CO	$41,742	2,043	25.8%	95%	88	Locked	Locked
#28	University of Richmond Univ. of Richmond, VA	$44,210	3,555	32.7%	93%	83	Locked	Locked
#31	United States Air Force Academy USAF Academy, CO	N/A	4,413	10.8%	89%	77	Locked	Locked
#32	Bucknell University Lewisburg, PA	$45,378	3,635	27.6%	94%	91	Locked	Locked
#32	College of the Holy Cross Worcester, MA	$43,400	2,905	33.1%	95%	91	Locked	Locked
#32	Kenyon College Gambier, OH	$44,420	1,657	33.5%	92%	87	Locked	Locked
#32	Mount Holyoke College South Hadley, MA	$41,456	2,362	51.5%	91%	85	Locked	Locked
#36	Bard College Annandale on Hudson, NY	$44,798	2,302	34.6%	87%	77	Locked	Locked
#36	Sewanee–University of the South Sewanee, TN	$32,292	1,557	61.4%	88%	86	Locked	Locked
#38	Trinity College Hartford, CT	$45,730	2,440	30.4%	92%	86	Locked	Locked
#39	Lafayette College Easton, PA	$42,280	2,478	40.3%	95%	88	Locked	Locked
#39	Occidental College Los Angeles, CA	$44,570	2,132	38.0%	92%	83	Locked	Locked
#41	Connecticut College New London, CT	$44,890	1,903	34.4%	90%	84	Locked	Locked
#41	Union College Schenectady, NY	$45,219	2,220	42.7%	93%	86	Locked	Locked
#43	Pitzer College Claremont, CA	$43,402	1,099	24.1%	92%	81	Locked	Locked
#43	Skidmore College Saratoga Springs, NY	$44,020	2,730	42.1%	94%	84	Locked	Locked
#43	Whitman College Walla Walla, WA	$42,106	1,596	53.6%	93%	85	Locked	Locked
#46	Dickinson College Carlisle, PA	$44,551	2,397	41.9%	91%	84	Locked	Locked
#46	Franklin and Marshall College Lancaster, PA	$44,360	2,363	38.5%	93%	85	Locked	Locked
#46	Gettysburg College Gettysburg, PA	$44,210	2,494	39.9%	91%	85	Locked	Locked
#49	Denison University Granville, OH	$42,280	2,272	48.3%	89%	79	Locked	Locked
#49	Furman University Greenville, SC	$41,532	3,028	83.0%	91%	87	Locked	Locked

Save

U.S. News rank

School

Tuition

Total enrollment

Fall 2011 acceptance rate

Average freshman retention rate

6-year graduation rate

Classes with under 20 students

SAT/ACT 25th-75th percentile

Williams College

Williamstown, MA

$44,920

2,109

17.3%

97%

Locked

Amherst College

Amherst, MA

$44,610

1,791

13.3%

98%

Locked

Swarthmore College

Swarthmore, PA

$43,080

1,545

15.1%

97%

Locked

Middlebury College

Middlebury, VT

$44,111

2,507

18.3%

96%

Locked

Pomona College

Claremont, CA

$41,438

1,586

14.0%

98%

Locked

Bowdoin College

Brunswick, ME

$44,118

1,778

16.1%

96%

Locked

Wellesley College

Wellesley, MA

$42,082

2,502

31.0%

95%

Locked

Carleton College

Northfield, MN

$44,445

2,018

31.0%

97%

Locked

Haverford College

Haverford, PA

$43,702

1,198

25.1%

96%

Locked

#10

Claremont McKenna College

Claremont, CA

$44,085

1,321

14.1%

96%

Locked

#10

Vassar College

Poughkeepsie, NY

$46,270

2,386

22.5%

97%

Locked

#12

Davidson College

Davidson, NC

$40,809

1,756

28.0%

96%

Locked

#12

Harvey Mudd College

Claremont, CA

$44,442

777

22.3%

98%

Locked

#14

United States Naval Academy

Annapolis, MD

in-state: $0, out-of-state: $0

4,576

7.5%

97%

Locked

#14

Washington and Lee University

Lexington, VA

$43,362

2,193

18.2%

94%

Locked

#16

Hamilton College

Clinton, NY

$44,350

1,864

27.4%

95%

Locked

#17

Wesleyan University

Middletown, CT

$45,628

3,202

24.2%

96%

Locked

#18

Colby College

Waterville, ME

$55,700 (total tuition/fees/room/board)

1,815

29.4%

95%

Locked

#18

Colgate University

Hamilton, NY

$44,640

2,964

29.4%

94%

Locked

#18

Smith College

Northampton, MA

$41,460

3,162

45.5%

92%

Locked

#18

United States Military Academy

West Point, NY

in-state: $0, out-of-state: $0

4,624

10.6%

93%

Locked

#22

Bates College

Lewiston, ME

$44,300

1,769

27.0%

94%

Locked

#22

Grinnell College

Grinnell, IA

$41,004

1,693

50.9%

94%

Locked

#24

Macalester College

St. Paul, MN

$43,693

2,005

35.0%

94%

Locked

#24

Scripps College

Claremont, CA

$43,620

983

36.3%

94%

Locked

#26

Bryn Mawr College

Bryn Mawr, PA

$42,246

1,785

46.3%

92%

Locked

#26

Oberlin College

Oberlin, OH

$44,905

2,983

29.6%

94%

Locked

#28

Barnard College

New York, NY

$43,502

2,438

24.9%

94%

Locked

#28

Colorado College

Colorado Springs, CO

$41,742

2,043

25.8%

95%

Locked

#28

University of Richmond

Univ. of Richmond, VA

$44,210

3,555

32.7%

93%

Locked

#31

United States Air Force Academy

USAF Academy, CO

N/A

4,413

10.8%

89%

Locked

#32

Bucknell University

Lewisburg, PA

$45,378

3,635

27.6%

94%

Locked

#32

College of the Holy Cross

Worcester, MA

$43,400

2,905

33.1%

95%

Locked

#32

Kenyon College

Gambier, OH

$44,420

1,657

33.5%

92%

Locked

#32

Mount Holyoke College

South Hadley, MA

$41,456

2,362

51.5%

91%

Locked

#36

Bard College

Annandale on Hudson, NY

$44,798

2,302

34.6%

87%

Locked

#36

Sewanee–University of the South

Sewanee, TN

$32,292

1,557

61.4%

88%

Locked

#38

Trinity College

Hartford, CT

$45,730

2,440

30.4%

92%

Locked

#39

Lafayette College

Easton, PA

$42,280

2,478

40.3%

95%

Locked

#39

Occidental College

Los Angeles, CA

$44,570

2,132

38.0%

92%

Locked

#41

Connecticut College

New London, CT

$44,890

1,903

34.4%

90%

Locked

#41

Union College

Schenectady, NY

$45,219

2,220

42.7%

93%

Locked

#43

Pitzer College

Claremont, CA

$43,402

1,099

24.1%

92%

Locked

#43

Skidmore College

Saratoga Springs, NY

$44,020

2,730

42.1%

94%

Locked

#43

Whitman College

Walla Walla, WA

$42,106

1,596

53.6%

93%

Locked

#46

Dickinson College

Carlisle, PA

$44,551

2,397

41.9%

91%

Locked

#46

Franklin and Marshall College

Lancaster, PA

$44,360

2,363

38.5%

93%

Locked

#46

Gettysburg College

Gettysburg, PA

$44,210

2,494

39.9%

91%

Locked

#49

Denison University

Granville, OH

$42,280

2,272

48.3%

89%

Locked

#49

Furman University

Greenville, SC

$41,532

3,028

83.0%

91%

Locked