Notre Dame
mandy pantz / Flickr
- 4-Year Graduation Rate: 90%
- Location: Notre Dame, Indiana
- School Type: Private Catholic research university
- Enrollment: 11,992 (8,442 undergraduates)
- Description: Located about 90 miles east of Chicago, the University of Notre Dame boasts that its undergraduate alumni have earned more doctorates than any other Catholic university. The school is highly selective and has a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa. Roughly 70% of accepted students rank in the top 5% of their high school class. The university's 1,250 acre campus has two lakes and 137 buildings including Main Building with its well known Golden Dome. In athletics, many Notre Dame Fighting Irish teams compete in the NCAA Division I Big East Conference.
- For acceptance rate, test scores and other admissions data, read the University of Notre Dame profile
Olin College of Engineering
Paul Keleher / Flickr
- 4-Year Graduation Rate: 89%
- Location: Needham, Massachusetts
- School Type: Undergraduate engineering college
- Enrollment: 339
- Description: The Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering was established in 1997 by a gift of over $400 million by the F. W. Olin Foundation. Construction began quickly, and the college welcomed its first class of students in 2002. Olin has a project-based, student-centered curriculum, so all students can plan to get their hands dirty in the lab and machine shop. The college is small -- just over 300 students total -- with a 9 to 1 student / faculty ratio. All enrolled students receive a significant Olin Scholarship.
- For acceptance rate, test scores and other admissions data, read the Franklin W. Olin College profile
Pomona College
CMLLovesDegus / Wikimedia Commons
- 4-Year Graduation Rate: 89%
- Location: Claremont, California
- School Type: Private liberal arts college
- Enrollment: 1,550 (all undergraduate)
- Description: Pomona College typically ranks among the 10 top liberal arts colleges in the country. The school has an impressive 8 to 1 student / faculty ratio, an average class size of 14, and a chapter of the Phi Beta Kappa. Situated a little over 30 miles from Los Angeles, Pomona is a member of the Claremont Colleges. Students frequently interact and cross-register with the other Claremont schools: Pitzer College, Claremont McKenna College, Scripps College, and Harvey Mudd College.
- For acceptance rate, test scores and other admissions data, read the Pomona College profile
Princeton University
_Gene_ / Flickr
- 4-Year Graduation Rate: 90%
- Location: Princeton, New Jersey
- School Type: Private research university
- Enrollment: 7,592 (5,113 undergraduates)
- Description: Princeton, a member of the Ivy League, often vies with Harvard for the top spot on national rankings of top universities. Located in a town of about 30,000 people, Princeton’s beautiful 500-acre campus sits about an hour away from both New York City and Philadelphia. Princeton's strengths in research have earned it membership in the Association of American Universities. For its strong liberal arts and sciences, the university was awarded a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa.
- For acceptance rate, test scores and other admissions data, read the Princeton University profile
University of Pennsylvania (Penn)
rubberpaw / Flickr
- 4-Year Graduation Rate: 88%
- Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- School Type: Private research university
- Enrollment: 24,599 (11,954 undergraduates)
- Description: Founded by Benjamin Franklin, Penn should not be confused with Penn State or a public university. The University of Pennsylvania holds its own against the best of its Ivy League brethren. From Penn’s location in West Philadelphia, Center City is an easy walk across the Schuylkill river. With nearly 12,000 undergraduates and a similar number of graduate students, Penn has a diverse and bustling urban campus. For its strengths in the liberal arts and sciences, Penn was awarded a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, and its strength in research has earned it membership in the Association of American Universities.
- For acceptance rate, test scores and other admissions data, read the University of Pennsylvania profile
Vassar College
samuenzinger / Flickr
- 4-Year Graduation Rate: 88%
- Location: Poughkeepsie, New York
- School Type: Private liberal arts college
- Enrollment: 2,453 (2,452 undergraduates)
- Description: 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. The college has an impressive 9 to 1 student / faculty ratio, and an average class size of 17. Vassar's strengths in the liberal arts and sciences earned it a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa. Vassar is located in the attractive Hudson Valley with New York City about 75 miles away.
- For acceptance rate, test scores and other admissions data, read the Vassar College profile
Washington and Lee University
wsuhonors / Flickr
- 4-Year Graduation Rate: 88%
- Location: Lexington, Virginia
- School Type: Private liberal arts college
- Enrollment: 2,153 (1,759 undergraduates)
- Description: 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. Located in historic Lexington, Virginia, Washington and Lee's campus is among the nation's most attractive. Academics are strong: the university typically ranks among the top liberal arts colleges in the country, and the school has a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa.
- For acceptance rate, test scores and other admissions data, read the Washington and Lee University profile
Wesleyan University
moyix / Flickr
- 4-Year Graduation Rate: 88%
- Location: Middletown, Connecticut
- School Type: Private liberal arts college
- Enrollment: 3,148 (2,787 undergraduates)
- Description: Wesleyan University is one of the top liberal arts colleges in the country. While Wesleyan does have several graduate programs, the university has the feel of a liberal arts college with a predominantly undergraduate focus. Wesleyan has an impressive 9 to 1 student / faculty ratio, and the university's strengths in the liberal arts and sciences have earned it a chapter of the prestigious Phi Beta Kappa honor society. Students at Wesleyan are highly engaged in the campus community, and the university offers over 200 student organizations and a wide range of athletic teams.
- For acceptance rate, test scores and other admissions data, read the Wesleyan University profile
Williams College
WalkingGeek / Flickr
- 4-Year Graduation Rate: 93%
- Location: Williamstown, Massachusetts
- School Type: Private liberal arts college
- Enrollment: 2,141 (2,085 undergraduates)
- Description: Williams College typically vies with Amherst for the top spot on national rankings the best liberal arts colleges. One of Williams’ unique features is its tutorial program in which students meet with faculty in pairs to present and critique each other’s work. With a 7 to 1 student / faculty ratio and an endowment well over $1 billion, Williams offers exceptional educational opportunities for its students. The college has a chapter of the prestigious Phi Beta Kappa honors society.
- For acceptance rate, test scores and other admissions data, read the Williams College profile
Yale University
Poldavo (Alex) / Flickr
- 4-Year Graduation Rate: 90%
- Location: New Haven, Connecticut
- School Type: Private research university
- Enrollment: 11,593 (5,275 undergraduates)
- Description: Yale, with Princeton and Harvard, usually finds itself near the top of university rankings. This Ivy League school has an endowment over $15 billion and a 6:1 student / faculty ratio, so it’s easy to see why. For Yale's strengths in the liberal arts and sciences, the university was awarded a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa. Its excellent research programs have earned it membership in the Association of American Universities. Yale is an easy train ride to either New York City or Boston.
- For acceptance rate, test scores and other admissions data, read the Yale University profile
