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Connecticut's top colleges and universities range from a large public university to a small, private liberal arts college. Despite the state's small size, Connecticut has great options for a wide range of applicants. My list includes two Catholic universities, an Ivy League school, and a federal military academy. I've listed the top Connecticut colleges alphabetically to avoid the arbitrary distinctions often used to distinguish #1 from #2, and because of the impossibility of comparing such different types of schools. These top colleges were chosen based on factors such as first-year retention rates, four- and six-year graduation rates, academic strengths, value, financial aid and student engagement.
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Coast Guard Academy
uscgpress / Flickr
- Location: New London, Connecticut
- Enrollment: 1,017 (all undergraduate)
- Type of Institution: federal military academy
- Distinctions: 8 to 1 student / faculty ratio; no college costs; five year service requirement after graduation; 80% of graduates go on to graduate school
- For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Coast Guard Academy profile
Connecticut College
randomduck / Flickr
- Location: New London, Connecticut
- Enrollment: 1,887 (1,880 undergraduates)
- Type of Institution: private liberal arts college
- Distinctions: 9 to 1 student / faculty ratio; average class size of 18; member of Phi Beta Kappa for strong liberal arts and sciences; test-optional admissions
- For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Connecticut College profile
Fairfield University
WalkingGeek / Flickr
- Location: Fairfield, Connecticut
- Enrollment: 5,074 (3,886 undergraduates)
- Type of Institution: private Catholic university
- Distinctions: 12 to 1 student / faculty ratio; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strong liberal arts and sciences; one of the top Catholic colleges and universities; strong business school; member of the NCAA Division I Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference
- For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Fairfield University
Quinnipiac University
terryballard / Flickr
- Location: Hamden, Connecticut
- Enrollment: 8,166 (6,118 undergraduates)
- Type of Institution: private university
- Distinctions: home to the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute; 16 to 1 student / faculty ratio; average class size of 25; strengths in business, health, and media fields; member of the NCAA Division I Northeast Conference
- For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Quinnipiac University profile
Sacred Heart University
dsearls / Flickr
- Location: Fairfield, Connecticut
- Enrollment: 6,249 (4,198 undergraduates)
- Type of Institution: private Catholic university
- Distinctions: 13 to 1 student / faculty ratio; average class size of 22; good graduation rate in relation to student profile; member of the NCAA Division I Northeast Conference
- For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Sacred Heart University profile
Trinity College
Paul Keleher / Flickr
- Location: Hartford, Connecticut
- Enrollment: 2,396 (2,292 undergraduates)
- Type of Institution: private liberal arts college
- Distinctions: chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strong liberal arts and sciences; 10 to 1 student / faculty ratio; high levels of participation in study abroad, community service and internships; students from 45 states and 47 countries
- For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Trinity College profile
University of Connecticut (UConn)
Matthias Rosenkranz / Flickr
- Location: Storrs, Connecticut
- Enrollment: 25,498 (17,345 undergraduates)
- Type of Institution: public university
- Distinctions: chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strengths in the liberal arts and sciences; state's flagship institution of higher learning; broad academic offerings through 10 schools and colleges; member of the NCAA Division I Big East Conference
- For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the University of Connecticut profile
Wesleyan University
moyix / Flickr
- Location: Middletown, Connecticut
- Enrollment: 3,215 (2,854 undergraduates)
- Type of Institution: private liberal arts college
- Distinctions: one of the top liberal arts colleges in the country; 9 to 1 student / faculty ratio; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strengths in the liberal arts and sciences; over 200 student clubs and organizations
- For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Wesleyan University profile
Yale University
interrupt / Flickr
- Location: New Haven, Connecticut
- Enrollment: 11,701 (5,310 undergraduates)
- Type of Institution: private university
- Distinctions: one of the eight Ivy League schools; one of the nation's top universities; member of the Association of American Universities for strong research programs; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strong liberal arts and sciences; 6 to 1 student / faculty ratio; library holdings of near 13 million volumes; excellent grant aid and few loans
- Admissions: Yale GPA, SAT and ACT Score Graph
- For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Yale University profile
