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
#49	Soka University of America Aliso Viejo, CA	$28,146	441	49.2%	93%	88	Locked	Locked
#52	Centre College Danville, KY	$35,000	1,309	70.5%	91%	82	Locked	Locked
#52	Rhodes College Memphis, TN	$38,092	N/A	49.4%	89%	79	Locked	Locked
#54	DePauw University Greencastle, IN	$38,750	2,352	57.5%	90%	85	Locked	Locked
#55	St. Olaf College Northfield, MN	$39,560	3,179	53.0%	93%	85	Locked	Locked
#56	Lawrence University Appleton, WI	$40,023	1,496	52.7%	89%	77	Locked	Locked
#56	St. Lawrence University Canton, NY	$44,400	2,457	43.4%	91%	80	Locked	Locked
#56	Wabash College Crawfordsville, IN	$33,950	910	62.9%	86%	75	Locked	Locked
#56	Wheaton College Wheaton, IL	$30,120	3,005	64.7%	95%	87	Locked	Locked
#60	Hobart and William Smith Colleges Geneva, NY	$44,438	2,242	59.6%	87%	75	Locked	Locked
#60	Southwestern University Georgetown, TX	$34,410	1,347	64.8%	85%	72	Locked	Locked
#60	Wheaton College Norton, MA	$43,712	1,622	60.2%	86%	77	Locked	Locked
#63	Austin College Sherman, TX	$32,825	1,353	52.5%	84%	75	Locked	Locked
#63	Beloit College Beloit, WI	$38,474	1,385	70.6%	88%	76	Locked	Locked
#63	College of Wooster Wooster, OH	$39,810	2,033	60.7%	89%	75	Locked	Locked
#63	Willamette University Salem, OR	$40,774	2,968	57.3%	88%	77	Locked	Locked
#63	Wofford College Spartanburg, SC	$34,555	1,536	64.8%	89%	81	Locked	Locked
#68	Kalamazoo College Kalamazoo, MI	$37,810	1,403	68.8%	91%	83	Locked	Locked
#68	Spelman College Atlanta, GA	$23,794	2,170	37.6%	88%	77	Locked	Locked
#70	Hendrix College Conway, AR	$35,900	1,426	82.5%	85%	73	Locked	Locked
#70	Illinois Wesleyan University Bloomington, IL	$37,954	2,090	60.8%	91%	82	Locked	Locked
#70	Lewis & Clark College Portland, OR	$40,330	3,712	66.0%	85%	73	Locked	Locked
#70	Muhlenberg College Allentown, PA	$41,510	2,483	43.3%	92%	86	Locked	Locked
#70	Virginia Military Institute Lexington, VA	in-state: $13,901, out-of-state: $33,811	1,605	46.3%	85%	69	Locked	Locked
#75	Agnes Scott College Decatur, GA	$33,461	871	45.9%	83%	65	Locked	Locked
#75	Berea College Berea, KY	$980	1,661	12.5%	80%	62	Locked	Locked
#75	Knox College Galesburg, IL	$36,492	1,420	71.5%	89%	78	Locked	Locked
#75	Reed College ¹ Portland, OR	N/A	N/A	39.9%	90% ⁸	78 ⁶	Locked	Locked
#75	St. John's University Collegeville, MN	$35,486	2,016	74.4%	91%	80	Locked	Locked
#75	Transylvania University Lexington, KY	$29,865	1,029	84.9%	85%	70	Locked	Locked
#75	Ursinus College Collegeville, PA	$43,270	1,776	70.2%	89%	80	Locked	Locked
#82	Allegheny College Meadville, PA	$37,610	2,123	57.6%	87%	80	Locked	Locked
#82	Earlham College Richmond, IN	$40,020	1,193	68.5%	84%	67	Locked	Locked
#82	Thomas Aquinas College Santa Paula, CA	$23,600	358	79.0%	85%	68	Locked	Locked
#85	Gustavus Adolphus College St. Peter, MN	$37,606	2,471	64.1%	92%	82	Locked	Locked
#85	University of Puget Sound Tacoma, WA	$40,250	2,938	51.8%	86%	73	Locked	Locked
#87	New College of Florida Sarasota, FL	in-state: $6,763, out-of-state: $29,792	845	56.2%	84%	68	Locked	Locked
#87	St. Mary's College Notre Dame, IN	$33,280	1,510	84.0%	84%	79	Locked	Locked
#87	St. Mary's College of Maryland St. Mary's City, MD	in-state: $15,013, out-of-state: $27,573	1,992	61.4%	89%	79	Locked	Locked
#90	College of the Atlantic Bar Harbor, ME	$37,701	363	58.3%	85%	71	Locked	Locked
#90	Cornell College Mount Vernon, IA	$34,705	1,197	45.5%	80%	70	Locked	Locked
#90	Millsaps College Jackson, MS	$30,974	985	60.5%	81%	66	Locked	Locked
#90	St. Michael's College Colchester, VT	$37,510	2,455	78.1%	88%	82	Locked	Locked
#90	Washington and Jefferson College Washington, PA	$38,310	1,457	43.0%	85% ⁸	74	Locked	Locked
#90	Westmont College Santa Barbara, CA	$37,020	1,341	61.4%	86%	77	Locked	Locked
#96	Augustana College Rock Island, IL	$34,614	2,518	61.6%	86%	76	Locked	Locked
#96	College of St. Benedict St. Joseph, MN	$36,218	2,086	73.2%	89%	81	Locked	Locked
#96	Hillsdale College Hillsdale, MI	$21,930	1,457	41.9%	94%	77	Locked	Locked
#96	Washington College Chestertown, MD	$39,944	1,557	56.6%	83%	76	Locked	Locked
#100	Bennington College Bennington, VT	$44,220	822	72.4%	88%	67	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

#49

Soka University of America

Aliso Viejo, CA

$28,146

441

49.2%

93%

Locked

#52

Centre College

Danville, KY

$35,000

1,309

70.5%

91%

Locked

#52

Rhodes College

Memphis, TN

$38,092

N/A

49.4%

89%

Locked

#54

DePauw University

Greencastle, IN

$38,750

2,352

57.5%

90%

Locked

#55

St. Olaf College

Northfield, MN

$39,560

3,179

53.0%

93%

Locked

#56

Lawrence University

Appleton, WI

$40,023

1,496

52.7%

89%

Locked

#56

St. Lawrence University

Canton, NY

$44,400

2,457

43.4%

91%

Locked

#56

Wabash College

Crawfordsville, IN

$33,950

910

62.9%

86%

Locked

#56

Wheaton College

Wheaton, IL

$30,120

3,005

64.7%

95%

Locked

#60

Hobart and William Smith Colleges

Geneva, NY

$44,438

2,242

59.6%

87%

Locked

#60

Southwestern University

Georgetown, TX

$34,410

1,347

64.8%

85%

Locked

#60

Wheaton College

Norton, MA

$43,712

1,622

60.2%

86%

Locked

#63

Austin College

Sherman, TX

$32,825

1,353

52.5%

84%

Locked

#63

Beloit College

Beloit, WI

$38,474

1,385

70.6%

88%

Locked

#63

College of Wooster

Wooster, OH

$39,810

2,033

60.7%

89%

Locked

#63

Willamette University

Salem, OR

$40,774

2,968

57.3%

88%

Locked

#63

Wofford College

Spartanburg, SC

$34,555

1,536

64.8%

89%

Locked

#68

Kalamazoo College

Kalamazoo, MI

$37,810

1,403

68.8%

91%

Locked

#68

Spelman College

Atlanta, GA

$23,794

2,170

37.6%

88%

Locked

#70

Hendrix College

Conway, AR

$35,900

1,426

82.5%

85%

Locked

#70

Illinois Wesleyan University

Bloomington, IL

$37,954

2,090

60.8%

91%

Locked

#70

Lewis & Clark College

Portland, OR

$40,330

3,712

66.0%

85%

Locked

#70

Muhlenberg College

Allentown, PA

$41,510

2,483

43.3%

92%

Locked

#70

Virginia Military Institute

Lexington, VA

in-state: $13,901, out-of-state: $33,811

1,605

46.3%

85%

Locked

#75

Agnes Scott College

Decatur, GA

$33,461

871

45.9%

83%

Locked

#75

Berea College

Berea, KY

$980

1,661

12.5%

80%

Locked

#75

Knox College

Galesburg, IL

$36,492

1,420

71.5%

89%

Locked

#75

Reed College ¹

Portland, OR

N/A

39.9%

90% ⁸

78 ⁶

Locked

#75

St. John's University

Collegeville, MN

$35,486

2,016

74.4%

91%

Locked

#75

Transylvania University

Lexington, KY

$29,865

1,029

84.9%

85%

Locked

#75

Ursinus College

Collegeville, PA

$43,270

1,776

70.2%

89%

Locked

#82

Allegheny College

Meadville, PA

$37,610

2,123

57.6%

87%

Locked

#82

Earlham College

Richmond, IN

$40,020

1,193

68.5%

84%

Locked

#82

Thomas Aquinas College

Santa Paula, CA

$23,600

358

79.0%

85%

Locked

#85

Gustavus Adolphus College

St. Peter, MN

$37,606

2,471

64.1%

92%

Locked

#85

University of Puget Sound

Tacoma, WA

$40,250

2,938

51.8%

86%

Locked

#87

New College of Florida

Sarasota, FL

in-state: $6,763, out-of-state: $29,792

845

56.2%

84%

Locked

#87

St. Mary's College

Notre Dame, IN

$33,280

1,510

84.0%

84%

Locked

#87

St. Mary's College of Maryland

St. Mary's City, MD

in-state: $15,013, out-of-state: $27,573

1,992

61.4%

89%

Locked

#90

College of the Atlantic

Bar Harbor, ME

$37,701

363

58.3%

85%

Locked

#90

Cornell College

Mount Vernon, IA

$34,705

1,197

45.5%

80%

Locked

#90

Millsaps College

Jackson, MS

$30,974

985

60.5%

81%

Locked

#90

St. Michael's College

Colchester, VT

$37,510

2,455

78.1%

88%

Locked

#90

Washington and Jefferson College

Washington, PA

$38,310

1,457

43.0%

85% ⁸

Locked

#90

Westmont College

Santa Barbara, CA

$37,020

1,341

61.4%

86%

Locked

#96

Augustana College

Rock Island, IL

$34,614

2,518

61.6%

86%

Locked

#96

College of St. Benedict

St. Joseph, MN

$36,218

2,086

73.2%

89%

Locked

#96

Hillsdale College

Hillsdale, MI

$21,930

1,457

41.9%

94%

Locked

#96

Washington College

Chestertown, MD

$39,944

1,557

56.6%

83%

Locked

#100

Bennington College

Bennington, VT

$44,220

822

72.4%

88%

Locked