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
#100	Drew University Madison, NJ	$42,620	2,632	84.1%	82%	68	Locked	Locked
#100	Hope College Holland, MI	$27,810	3,249	82.2%	89%	79	Locked	Locked
#100	Juniata College Huntingdon, PA	$35,780	1,619	71.3%	85%	76	Locked	Locked
#100	Lake Forest College Lake Forest, IL	$38,300	1,516	50.2%	82%	68	Locked	Locked
#100	Luther College Decorah, IA	$36,100	2,471	71.4%	87%	69	Locked	Locked
#100	Stonehill College Easton, MA	$35,110	2,471	65.2%	90%	81	Locked	Locked
#100	Sweet Briar College Sweet Briar, VA	$32,325	760	79.5%	76%	70	Locked	Locked
#108	Hampden-Sydney College Hampden-Sydney, VA	$35,570	1,057	54.8%	79%	66	Locked	Locked
#108	Ohio Wesleyan University Delaware, OH	$39,150	1,829	69.8%	82%	61	Locked	Locked
#110	Calvin College Grand Rapids, MI	$26,705	3,967	75.3%	87%	77	Locked	Locked
#110	Goucher College Baltimore, MD	$37,640	2,173	73.5%	81%	70	Locked	Locked
#112	Albion College Albion, MI	$34,194	1,514	91.6%	84%	76	Locked	Locked
#112	Coe College Cedar Rapids, IA	$34,220	1,378	64.3%	80%	72	Locked	Locked
#112	Hampshire College Amherst, MA	$44,700	1,500	71.4%	82%	63	Locked	Locked
#112	Hanover College Hanover, IN	$30,268	1,068	68.3%	81%	71	Locked	Locked
#112	Hollins University Roanoke, VA	$32,075	953	82.7%	73%	63	Locked	Locked
#112	Linfield College McMinnville, OR	$34,328	1,727	76.2%	81%	73	Locked	Locked
#112	Randolph College Lynchburg, VA	$31,540	576	85.9%	74%	64	Locked	Locked
#112	Randolph-Macon College Ashland, VA	$33,525	1,257	55.8%	77%	62	Locked	Locked
#112	Siena College Loudonville, NY	$28,915	3,342	48.5%	87%	74	Locked	Locked
#121	Presbyterian College Clinton, SC	$32,680	1,359	67.4%	82%	68	Locked	Locked
#121	Principia College Elsah, IL	$25,960	503	80.4%	87% ⁸	73	Locked	Locked
#121	Wittenberg University Springfield, OH	$38,030	1,910	84.7%	77%	71	Locked	Locked
#124	Berry College Mount Berry, GA	$27,650	2,093	62.3%	77%	57	Locked	Locked
#124	Birmingham-Southern College Birmingham, AL	N/A	1,305	64.2%	80%	61	Locked	Locked
#124	Morehouse College Atlanta, GA	N/A	2,441	62.7%	83%	55	Locked	Locked
#124	Ripon College Ripon, WI	$30,110	990	75.1%	84%	70	Locked	Locked
#124	Susquehanna University Selinsgrove, PA	$37,280	2,261	73.2%	85%	77	Locked	Locked
#124	Westminster College New Wilmington, PA	$32,700	1,608	60.8%	86%	74	Locked	Locked
#130	Alma College Alma, MI	$30,960	1,417	72.9%	78%	67	Locked	Locked
#130	Gordon College Wenham, MA	$32,100	1,898	39.7%	85%	74	Locked	Locked
#130	St. Anselm College Manchester, NH	$33,810	1,899	71.4%	85%	73	Locked	Locked
#133	Concordia College–Moorhead Moorhead, MN	$30,860	2,772	81.0%	84%	69	Locked	Locked
#133	Grove City College Grove City, PA	$14,212	2,461	75.7%	91%	82	Locked	Locked
#133	Roanoke College Salem, VA	$34,496	2,057	69.6%	78%	69	Locked	Locked
#133	St. John's College ¹ Annapolis, MD	N/A	N/A	78.1%	90% ⁸	68 ⁶	Locked	Locked
#133	Wells College Aurora, NY	$34,700	507	62.7%	71%	57	Locked	Locked
#138	Eckerd College St. Petersburg, FL	$35,566	1,843	68.5%	80%	63	Locked	Locked
#138	St. Norbert College De Pere, WI	$30,675	2,225	80.5%	83%	70	Locked	Locked
#140	Goshen College Goshen, IN	N/A	945	59.5%	81%	73	Locked	Locked
#140	Houghton College Houghton, NY	$26,924	1,287	71.6%	86%	69	Locked	Locked
#140	McDaniel College Westminster, MD	$35,800	3,374	75.3%	81%	73	Locked	Locked
#140	Moravian College Bethlehem, PA	$34,484	2,003	79.7%	80%	76	Locked	Locked
#140	William Jewell College Liberty, MO	$30,200	1,060	54.1%	77%	63	Locked	Locked
#145	Fisk University Nashville, TN	$20,391	533	100.0%	73%	42	Locked	Locked
#145	Nebraska Wesleyan University Lincoln, NE	$25,918	2,070	82.0%	81%	64	Locked	Locked
#145	Simpson College Indianola, IA	$29,529	1,866	85.3%	80%	69	Locked	Locked
#145	St. Vincent College Latrobe, PA	$29,311	1,929	67.0%	83%	73	Locked	Locked
#145	Wesleyan College Macon, GA	$19,000	665	54.0%	80%	52	Locked	Locked
#145	Whittier College Whittier, CA	$38,670	2,487	71.5%	81%	55	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

#100

Drew University

Madison, NJ

$42,620

2,632

84.1%

82%

Locked

#100

Hope College

Holland, MI

$27,810

3,249

82.2%

89%

Locked

#100

Juniata College

Huntingdon, PA

$35,780

1,619

71.3%

85%

Locked

#100

Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, IL

$38,300

1,516

50.2%

82%

Locked

#100

Luther College

Decorah, IA

$36,100

2,471

71.4%

87%

Locked

#100

Stonehill College

Easton, MA

$35,110

2,471

65.2%

90%

Locked

#100

Sweet Briar College

Sweet Briar, VA

$32,325

760

79.5%

76%

Locked

#108

Hampden-Sydney College

Hampden-Sydney, VA

$35,570

1,057

54.8%

79%

Locked

#108

Ohio Wesleyan University

Delaware, OH

$39,150

1,829

69.8%

82%

Locked

#110

Calvin College

Grand Rapids, MI

$26,705

3,967

75.3%

87%

Locked

#110

Goucher College

Baltimore, MD

$37,640

2,173

73.5%

81%

Locked

#112

Albion College

Albion, MI

$34,194

1,514

91.6%

84%

Locked

#112

Coe College

Cedar Rapids, IA

$34,220

1,378

64.3%

80%

Locked

#112

Hampshire College

Amherst, MA

$44,700

1,500

71.4%

82%

Locked

#112

Hanover College

Hanover, IN

$30,268

1,068

68.3%

81%

Locked

#112

Hollins University

Roanoke, VA

$32,075

953

82.7%

73%

Locked

#112

Linfield College

McMinnville, OR

$34,328

1,727

76.2%

81%

Locked

#112

Randolph College

Lynchburg, VA

$31,540

576

85.9%

74%

Locked

#112

Randolph-Macon College

Ashland, VA

$33,525

1,257

55.8%

77%

Locked

#112

Siena College

Loudonville, NY

$28,915

3,342

48.5%

87%

Locked

#121

Presbyterian College

Clinton, SC

$32,680

1,359

67.4%

82%

Locked

#121

Principia College

Elsah, IL

$25,960

503

80.4%

87% ⁸

Locked

#121

Wittenberg University

Springfield, OH

$38,030

1,910

84.7%

77%

Locked

#124

Berry College

Mount Berry, GA

$27,650

2,093

62.3%

77%

Locked

#124

Birmingham-Southern College

Birmingham, AL

N/A

1,305

64.2%

80%

Locked

#124

Morehouse College

Atlanta, GA

N/A

2,441

62.7%

83%

Locked

#124

Ripon College

Ripon, WI

$30,110

990

75.1%

84%

Locked

#124

Susquehanna University

Selinsgrove, PA

$37,280

2,261

73.2%

85%

Locked

#124

Westminster College

New Wilmington, PA

$32,700

1,608

60.8%

86%

Locked

#130

Alma College

Alma, MI

$30,960

1,417

72.9%

78%

Locked

#130

Gordon College

Wenham, MA

$32,100

1,898

39.7%

85%

Locked

#130

St. Anselm College

Manchester, NH

$33,810

1,899

71.4%

85%

Locked

#133

Concordia College–Moorhead

Moorhead, MN

$30,860

2,772

81.0%

84%

Locked

#133

Grove City College

Grove City, PA

$14,212

2,461

75.7%

91%

Locked

#133

Roanoke College

Salem, VA

$34,496

2,057

69.6%

78%

Locked

#133

St. John's College ¹

Annapolis, MD

N/A

78.1%

90% ⁸

68 ⁶

Locked

#133

Wells College

Aurora, NY

$34,700

507

62.7%

71%

Locked

#138

Eckerd College

St. Petersburg, FL

$35,566

1,843

68.5%

80%

Locked

#138

St. Norbert College

De Pere, WI

$30,675

2,225

80.5%

83%

Locked

#140

Goshen College

Goshen, IN

N/A

945

59.5%

81%

Locked

#140

Houghton College

Houghton, NY

$26,924

1,287

71.6%

86%

Locked

#140

McDaniel College

Westminster, MD

$35,800

3,374

75.3%

81%

Locked

#140

Moravian College

Bethlehem, PA

$34,484

2,003

79.7%

80%

Locked

#140

William Jewell College

Liberty, MO

$30,200

1,060

54.1%

77%

Locked

#145

Fisk University

Nashville, TN

$20,391

533

100.0%

73%

Locked

#145

Nebraska Wesleyan University

Lincoln, NE

$25,918

2,070

82.0%

81%

Locked

#145

Simpson College

Indianola, IA

$29,529

1,866

85.3%

80%

Locked

#145

St. Vincent College

Latrobe, PA

$29,311

1,929

67.0%

83%

Locked

#145

Wesleyan College

Macon, GA

$19,000

665

54.0%

80%

Locked

#145

Whittier College

Whittier, CA

$38,670

2,487

71.5%

81%

Locked