Top 10 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in America
The Best Liberal Arts Colleges ranking is based on rigorous analysis of academic, admissions, financial, and student life data from the U.S. Department of Education along with millions of reviews from students and alumni.
Here are the best liberal arts colleges in the U.S.
- Williams College.
- Amherst College.
- Swarthmore College.
- Pomona College.
- Wellesley College.
- Bowdoin College.
- Claremont McKenna College.
- United States Naval Academy.
- Carleton College
- Hamilton College
Williams College
Williams College is a private institution that was founded in 1793. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 2,078, its setting is rural, and the campus size is 450 acres. It utilizes a 4-1-4-based academic calendar. Williams College’s ranking in the 2021 edition of Best Colleges is National Liberal Arts Colleges, #1. Its tuition and fees are $50,760. Read more here.
Amherst College.
Amherst College is a private institution that was founded in 1821. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 1,839, its setting is rural, and the campus size is 1,000 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. Amherst College’s ranking in the 2021 edition of Best Colleges is National Liberal Arts Colleges, #2. Its tuition and fees are $60,890.
Amherst College, located in Amherst, Massachusetts, is known for its rigorous academic climate. Amherst is a member of the Five Colleges consortium, which also includes Smith, Mount Holyoke, Hampshire and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Read more here.
Swarthmore College
Swarthmore College is a private institution that was founded in 1864. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 1,594, its setting is suburban, and the campus size is 425 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. Swarthmore College’s ranking in the 2021 edition of Best Colleges is National Liberal Arts Colleges, #3. Its tuition and fees are $54,656.
Swarthmore College is located 11 miles southwest of Philadelphia – far enough away to have a 425-acre campus that is designated as an arboretum. Read more here.
Pomona College
Pomona College is a private institution that was founded in 1887. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 1,717, its setting is suburban, and the campus size is 140 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. Pomona College’s ranking in the 2021 edition of Best Colleges is National Liberal Arts Colleges, #4. Its tuition and fees are $54,774.
Pomona College is located in Claremont, California, 35 miles east of downtown Los Angeles near the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains. Read more here.
Wellesley College
Wellesley College is a private institution that was founded in 1870. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 2,519, its setting is suburban, and the campus size is 500 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. Wellesley College’s ranking in the 2021 edition of Best Colleges is National Liberal Arts Colleges, #4. Its tuition and fees are $58,448.
Wellesley College, located 12 west miles outside of Boston in Wellesley, Massachusetts, has a scenic campus encompassing a lake, woodlands, an arboretum and open meadows. Read more here.
Bowdoin College
Bowdoin College is a private institution that was founded in 1794. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 1,835, its setting is suburban, and the campus size is 207 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. Bowdoin College’s ranking in the 2021 edition of Best Colleges is National Liberal Arts Colleges, #6. Its tuition and fees are $56,350.
Bowdoin College is located in the coastal New England town of Brunswick, Maine. Read more here.
Claremont McKenna College
Claremont McKenna College is a private institution that was founded in 1946. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 1,343, its setting is suburban, and the campus size is 69 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. Claremont McKenna College’s ranking in the 2021 edition of Best Colleges is National Liberal Arts Colleges, #6. Its tuition and fees are $56,475.
Claremont McKenna College is located in Claremont, California, at the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains, 35 miles east of downtown Los Angeles. Read more here.
United States Naval Academy
United States Naval Academy is a public institution that was founded in 1845. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 4,524, its setting is city, and the campus size is 338 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. United States Naval Academy’s ranking in the 2021 edition of Best Colleges is National Liberal Arts Colleges, #6. Its in-state tuition and fees are N; out-of-state tuition and fees are N.
The United States Naval Academy is located in Annapolis, Maryland, where the Severn River meets the Chesapeake Bay, approximately 33 miles east of Washington. Read more here.
Carleton College
Carleton College is a private institution that was founded in 1866. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 2,119, its setting is rural, and the campus size is 955 acres. It utilizes a trimester-based academic calendar. Carleton College’s ranking in the 2021 edition of Best Colleges is National Liberal Arts Colleges, #9. Its tuition and fees are $59,352.
Carleton College is located in the historic river town of Northfield, Minnesota. The Carleton Knights have 19 varsity athletic teams competing in the NCAA Division III Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Read more here.
Hamilton College
Hamilton College is a private institution that was founded in 1812. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 1,924, its setting is rural, and the campus size is 1,300 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. Hamilton College’s ranking in the 2021 edition of Best Colleges is National Liberal Arts Colleges, #9. Its tuition and fees are $58,510.
Hamilton College is located in Clinton, N.Y., 45 minutes east of Syracuse and 90 minutes west of Albany. The college offers a wide variety of unique student clubs on campus, from The Coloring Book Club to the comedy troupe Yodapez. Read more here.