Top Public Liberal Arts Colleges

Named after the mother of George Washington, the University of Mary Washington was the women's college of the University of Virginia before going coed in 1970. The primary campus is located midway between Richmond, Virginia and Washington, D.C. UMW also has a branch campus for its graduate programs located in Stafford, Virginia. The University has highly selective admissions and a chapter of the prestigious Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society.

• Location: Fredericksburg, Virginia
• Enrollment (2007): 5,001 (4,271 undergraduates)
• Acceptance Rate: 23.1%
• See cost, financial aid, and admissions data in the University of Mary Washington profile

SUNY Geneseo is a highly ranked public liberal arts college located on the western edge of New York State's Finger Lakes region. Geneseo receives high marks for its value for both in-state and out-of-state students. The combination of low cost and quality academics has made SUNY Geneseo one of the more selective public colleges in the country. Strengths in the liberal arts and sciences earned the college a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa.

• Location: Geneseo, New York
• Enrollment (2007): 5,548 (5,395 undergraduates)
• Acceptance Rate: 37%
• See cost, financial aid, and admissions data in the SUNY Geneseo profile

Located near Trenton, The College of New Jersey gives its students easy train and bus access to Philadelphia and New York City. With seven schools and degrees in over 50 programs, TCNJ offers the educational breadth of much larger universities. The college also wins high marks for student satisfaction, and retention and graduation rates are well above the norm.

• Location: Ewing, New Jersey
• Enrollment (2007): 6,964 (6,205 undergraduates)
• Acceptance Rate: 46.5%
• See cost, financial aid, and admissions data in The College of New Jersey profile

A liberal arts college at heart, Ramapo also has many preprofessional programs. Among undergraduates, the Business Administration, Communication Studies, Nursing and Psychology are the most popular majors. Established in 1969, Ramapo is a young college with many modern facilities including the Anisfield School of Business and the Bill Bradley Sports and Recreation Center.

• Location: Mahwah, New Jersey
• Enrollment (2007): 5,702 (5,393 undergraduates)
• Acceptance Rate: 49%
• See cost, financial aid, and admissions data in the Ramapo College profile

Located on an attractive 319 acre water-front campus, St. Mary's College of Maryland stands on a historic piece of land first settled in 1634. The college boasts a 12 to 1 student / faculty ratio. The school's academic strengths earned it a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa. Student life on the water has led to some interesting student traditions such as an annual cardboard boat race and a winter swim in the river.

• Location: Saint Mary's City, Maryland
• Enrollment (2007): 2,002 (1,980 undergraduates)
• Acceptance Rate: 55%
• See cost, financial aid, and admissions data in the St. Mary's College of Maryland profile

The New College of Florida was founded in the 1960s as a private college, but was purchased by the University of South Florida in the 1970s during a time of financial crisis. In 2001 it became independent of USF. In the past few years, New College has found itself high on several rankings of public liberal arts colleges. New School boasts an interesting student-centered curriculum with no traditional majors, an emphasis on independent study, and written evaluations rather than grades.

• Location: Sarasota, Florida
• Enrollment (2007): 767 (all undergraduate)
• Acceptance Rate: 58%
• See cost, financial aid, and admissions data in the New College of Florida profile

Founded in 1770, the College of Charleston provides a historically rich environment for students. C of C is a public liberal arts college with a 13 to 1 student / faculty ratio and an average class size of about 21. The curriculum is grounded in the liberal arts and sciences, but students will also find thriving pre-professional programs in business and education.

• Location: Charleston, South Carolina
• Enrollment (2007): 11,316 (9,923 undergraduates)
• Acceptance Rate: 64.6%
• See cost, financial aid, and admissions data in the College of Charleston profile

The University of North Carolina at Asheville is the designated liberal arts college of the UNC system. The college is located in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. In athletics, the UNC Asheville Bulldogs compete in the NCAA Division I Big South Conference.

• Location: Asheville, North Carolina
• Enrollment (2007): 3,701 (3,664 undergraduates)
• Acceptance Rate: 76%
• See cost, financial aid, and admissions data in the UNC Asheville profile

Truman State University is an exceptional value, even for out-of-state students. Located in the small town of Kirksville, Truman State isn't for the student looking for the bustle of an urban setting. Nevertheless, with 25% of students in the Greek system and abundant student organizations, there's plenty to do on the weekends. For its academic strengths, Truman State was awarded a chapter of the prestigious Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society.

• Location: Kirksville, Missouri
• Enrollment (2007): 5,920 (5,608 undergraduates)
• Acceptance Rate: 81.3%
• See cost, financial aid, and admissions data in the Truman State profile