20 Top Liberal Arts Colleges

Gettysburg College is a highly-ranked liberal arts college located in the historic town of Gettysburg. With a new athletic center, a music conservatory, a professional performing arts center and an institute on public policy, Gettysburg offers its students a wide array of rewarding social and educational experiences.

• Location: Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
• Enrollment: 2,503 (all undergraduate)
• Type of College: Private
• Distinctions: 11 to 1 student / faculty ratio; average class size of 18; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa; selective admissions
• See cost, financial aid, and admissions data in the Gettysburg profile
• GPA, SAT and ACT graph for Gettysburg

Hamilton College, located in picturesque upstate New York, was ranked as the 20th best liberal arts college in the United States by U.S. News & World Report. The college's curriculum places particular emphasis on individualized instruction and independent research, and the school highly values communication skills such as writing and speaking.

• Location: Hamilton, New York
• Enrollment: 1,842 (all undergraduate)
• Type of College: Private
• Distinctions: chapter of Phi Beta Kappa; students from 49 states and 45 countries; highly selective admissions
• See cost, financial aid, and admissions data in the Hamilton profile
• GPA, SAT and ACT graph for Hamilton

Kenyon College has the distinction of being the oldest private college in Ohio. Kenyon prides itself on the strength of its faculty, and the attractive campus with its gothic architecture features a 380-acre nature preserve.

• Location: Gambier, Ohio
• Enrollment: 1,662 (all undergraduate)
• Type of College: Private
• Distinctions: 10 to 1 student / faculty ratio; average class size of 15; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa; highly selective admissions
• See cost, financial aid, and admissions data in the Kenyon profile
• GPA, SAT and ACT graph for Kenyon

Lafayette college has the feel of a traditional liberal arts college, but it is unusual in that it also has several engineering programs. Kiplinger's ranks Lafayette highly for the school's value, and students who qualify for aid often receive significant grant awards.

• Location: Easton, Pennsylvania
• Enrollment: 2,403 (all undergraduate)
• Type of College: Private
• Distinctions: 11 to 1 student / faculty ratio; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa; strong financial aid; selective admissions; member of the NCAA Division I Patriot League
• See cost, financial aid, and admissions data in the Lafayette profile
• GPA, SAT and ACT graph for Lafayette

For a small liberal arts college, Macalester is quite diverse -- students of color make up 18% of the student body, and 11% of students are international. Central to the college's mission are internationalism, multiculturalism and service to society. The college is highly selective with 96% of students coming from the top quarter of their high school class.

• Location: Saint Paul, Minnesota
• Enrollment: 1,920 (all undergraduate)
• Type of College: Private
• Distinctions: 10 to 1 student / faculty ratio; average class size of 17; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa; highly selective admissions
• See cost, financial aid, and admissions data in the Macalester profile
• GPA, SAT and ACT graph for Macalester

Oberlin College has a distinguished history as the first college to grant undergraduate degrees to women. The school was also an early leader in educating African Americans, and to this day Oberlin prides itself on the diversity of its student body.

• Location: Oberlin, Ohio
• Enrollment: 2,774 (2,762 undergraduates)
• Type of College: Private
• Distinctions: 11 to 1 student / faculty ratio; strong Conservatory of Music; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa; first co-ed college in U.S.; highly selective admissions
• See cost, financial aid, and admissions data in the Oberlin profile
• GPA, SAT and ACT graph for Oberlin

Reed is a suburban college located about 15 minutes from downtown Portland Oregon. Reed consistently ranks high for the number of students who go on to earn PhDs, as well as their number of Rhodes scholars. The Reed faculty takes pride in teaching, and their classes are consistently small.

• Location: Portland, Oregon
• Enrollment: 1,481 (all undergraduate)
• Type of College: Private
• Distinctions: 10 to 1 student / faculty ratio; average class size of 15; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa; large number of students go on to earn PhDs
• See cost, financial aid, and admissions data in the Reed Profile
• GPA, SAT and ACT graph for Reed

Vassar College, founded in 1861 as a women's college, now ranks as one of the top coeducational liberal arts colleges in the country. Vassar's 1,000-acre campus includes over 100 buildings, picturesque gardens and a farm. Vassar is located in the attractive Hudson Valley. New York City is about 75 miles away.

• Location: Poughkeepsie, New York
• Enrollment: 2,451 (2,450 undergraduates)
• Type of College: Private
• Distinctions: 9 to 1 student / faculty ratio; average class size of 17; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa; highly selective admissions
• See cost, financial aid, and admissions data in the Vassar profile
• GPA, SAT and ACT graph for Vassar

Founded in 1746, Washington and Lee University has a rich history. The university was endowed by George Washington in 1796, and Robert E. Lee was the president of the university immediately after the civil war. The school is one of the most selective in the United States with acceptance rates below 20% in recent years.

• Location: Lexington, Virginia
• Enrollment: 2,181 (1,778 undergraduates)
• Type of College: Private
• Distinctions: attractive and historic campus; endowed by George Washington; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa; highly selective admissions
• See cost, financial aid, and admissions data in the Washington and Lee profile
• GPA, SAT and ACT graph for Washington and Lee

Located in the small town of Walla Walla, Washington, Whitman is a great choice for students looking for a quality education and engaged campus community in an intimate setting. Students interested in the sciences, engineering or law can take advantage of collaborations with top schools like Caltech, Columbia, Duke and Washington University. Whitman also offers a wide range of options for study abroad.

• Location: Walla Walla, Washington
• Enrollment: 1,489 (all undergraduate)
• Type of College: Private
• Distinctions: strong study abroad program; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa; selective admissions
• See cost, financial aid, and admissions data in the Whitman profile
• GPA, SAT and ACT graph for Whitman