2026 Best Small Colleges

Name: 2026 Best Small Colleges (Kollegio college rankings)
Creator: Kollegio
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

852 U.S. schools ranked in Kollegio's 2026 Best Small Colleges ranking, based on U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard data.

Showing 1–25 of 852 colleges · How we rank colleges

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Cost of attendance after aid

ⓘ

$77,180

Institution type

2 Year4 Year5 Year

Field of study

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Campus Detail

Institution setting

AllCitySuburbanRural

Undergraduate enrollment

ⓘ

268763

Financial

Alumni starting salary

Tuition cost

ⓘ

$67,000

In-state tuition

ⓘ

Proportion of need based aid received

ⓘ

100%Clear Filter

International students received aid

ⓘ

100%

Average aid package

ⓘ

$82,308

Application fee

ⓘ

$150

Academics

Mean GPA

ⓘ

Mean SAT

ⓘ

1200

Mean ACT

ⓘ

#1 Best Small Colleges

California Institute of Technology

Pasadena

Acceptance rate

3.1%

Institution type

UNIV

Total Tuition Cost

$56,364

Avg. Cost after Aid

$30,000

#2 Best Small Colleges

Samuel Merritt University

Oakland

Acceptance rate

81.0%

Institution type

UPWG

Total Tuition Cost

$48,270

Avg. Cost after Aid

N/A

#3 Best Small Colleges

Loma Linda University

Loma Linda

Acceptance rate

93.0%

Institution type

UNIV

Total Tuition Cost

$32,736

Avg. Cost after Aid

$17,821

#4 Best Small Colleges

Harvey Mudd College

Claremont

Acceptance rate

13.1%

Institution type

4YEAR

Total Tuition Cost

$60,402

Avg. Cost after Aid

$34,000

#5 Best Small Colleges

Claremont McKenna College

Claremont

Acceptance rate

11.1%

Institution type

COMP

Total Tuition Cost

$57,876

Avg. Cost after Aid

$22,000

#6 Best Small Colleges

Williams College

Williamstown

Acceptance rate

10.0%

Institution type

COMP

Total Tuition Cost

$59,350

Avg. Cost after Aid

$14,000

#7 Best Small Colleges

United States Coast Guard Academy

New London

Acceptance rate

24.3%

Institution type

4YEAR

Total Tuition Cost

Avg. Cost after Aid

N/A

#8 Best Small Colleges

Washington and Lee University

Lexington

Acceptance rate

17.4%

Institution type

UNIV

Total Tuition Cost

$58,260

Avg. Cost after Aid

$22,942

#9 Best Small Colleges

Swarthmore College

Swarthmore

Acceptance rate

6.9%

Institution type

4YEAR

Total Tuition Cost

$55,856

Avg. Cost after Aid

$20,000

#10 Best Small Colleges

Wellesley College

Wellesley

Acceptance rate

13.9%

Institution type

4YEAR

Total Tuition Cost

$60,424

Avg. Cost after Aid

$22,000

#11 Best Small Colleges

Minerva University

San Francisco

Acceptance rate

3.5%

Institution type

UNIV

Total Tuition Cost

$21,630

Avg. Cost after Aid

$16,556

#12 Best Small Colleges

Amherst College

Amherst

Acceptance rate

9.8%

Institution type

4YEAR

Total Tuition Cost

$60,700

Avg. Cost after Aid

$19,000

#13 Best Small Colleges

Bowdoin College

Brunswick

Acceptance rate

8.0%

Institution type

4YEAR

Total Tuition Cost

$57,776

Avg. Cost after Aid

$27,000

#14 Best Small Colleges

Pomona College

Claremont

Acceptance rate

6.8%

Institution type

4YEAR

Total Tuition Cost

$56,284

Avg. Cost after Aid

$17,000

#15 Best Small Colleges

The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio

San Antonio

Acceptance rate

94.2%

Institution type

UPWG

Total Tuition Cost

$6,232

Avg. Cost after Aid

$17,821

#16 Best Small Colleges

Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center

New Orleans

Acceptance rate

23.7%

Institution type

UNIV

Total Tuition Cost

$7,020

Avg. Cost after Aid

$17,821

#17 Best Small Colleges

Hillsdale College

Hillsdale

Acceptance rate

20.6%

Institution type

4YEAR

Total Tuition Cost

$28,730

Avg. Cost after Aid

$24,000

#18 Best Small Colleges

Davidson College

Davidson

Acceptance rate

14.5%

Institution type

4YEAR

Total Tuition Cost

$54,460

Avg. Cost after Aid

$26,000

#19 Best Small Colleges

Hamilton College

Clinton

Acceptance rate

11.8%

Institution type

4YEAR

Total Tuition Cost

$59,380

Avg. Cost after Aid

$27,000

#20 Best Small Colleges

University of Nebraska Medical Center

Omaha

Acceptance rate

11.0%

Institution type

UPWG

Total Tuition Cost

$11,340

Avg. Cost after Aid

$17,821

#21 Best Small Colleges

Middlebury College

Middlebury

Acceptance rate

10.4%

Institution type

4YEAR

Total Tuition Cost

$59,330

Avg. Cost after Aid

$27,000

#22 Best Small Colleges

Wesleyan University

Middletown

Acceptance rate

17.1%

Institution type

UNIV

Total Tuition Cost

$61,449

Avg. Cost after Aid

$21,000

#23 Best Small Colleges

Lafayette College

Easton

Acceptance rate

31.5%

Institution type

4YEAR

Total Tuition Cost

$55,874

Avg. Cost after Aid

$39,000

#24 Best Small Colleges

Carleton College

Northfield

Acceptance rate

22.3%

Institution type

4YEAR

Total Tuition Cost

$59,850

Avg. Cost after Aid

$32,000

#25 Best Small Colleges

Haverford College

Haverford

Acceptance rate

12.9%

Institution type

4YEAR

Total Tuition Cost

$60,442

Avg. Cost after Aid

$24,000

Best Small Colleges by state

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