CollegeFind

Best Small Colleges (2026)

The best small colleges in America — schools with fewer than 5,000 students that deliver personalized education and strong career outcomes.

Showing top 50 of 120 qualifying colleges

120

Qualifying Colleges

$30,788

Avg Net Price

62%

Avg Acceptance Rate

$81,355

Avg Graduate Earnings

Top 6 — Best Small Colleges (2026)

Massachusetts Institute of Technology campus

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA

4.9
Privatemedium
5%

5% Acceptance

Highly Selective

Out-of-State Tuition

$60,156

Net Price

$19,813

Graduation Rate

96%

Median Earnings

$143,372

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MCPHS University campus

MCPHS University

Boston, MA

3.9
Privatemedium
85%

85% Acceptance

Open Admissions

Out-of-State Tuition

$38,850

Net Price

$35,084

Graduation Rate

62%

Median Earnings

$125,557

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Bentley University campus

Bentley University

Waltham, MA

4.5
Privatemedium
48%

48% Acceptance

Moderately Selective

Out-of-State Tuition

$58,150

Net Price

$38,787

Graduation Rate

88%

Median Earnings

$120,959

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Stevens Institute of Technology campus

Stevens Institute of Technology

Hoboken, NJ

4.4
Privatemedium
43%

43% Acceptance

Moderately Selective

Out-of-State Tuition

$60,952

Net Price

$40,468

Graduation Rate

89%

Median Earnings

$108,772

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West Coast University-Orange County campus

West Coast University-Orange County

Anaheim, CA

4.2
Privatemedium

Out-of-State Tuition

$22,685

Net Price

$36,836

Graduation Rate

61%

Median Earnings

$102,672

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Dartmouth College campus

Dartmouth College

Hanover, NH

4.6
Privatemedium
6%

6% Acceptance

Highly Selective

Out-of-State Tuition

$65,739

Net Price

$28,619

Graduation Rate

95%

Median Earnings

$97,434

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Full Rankings — Top 50

1
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA · Private

4,571 students → $143,372/yr

Enrollment / Earnings

2
MCPHS University

Boston, MA · Private

3,474 students → $125,557/yr

Enrollment / Earnings

3
Bentley University

Waltham, MA · Private

4,288 students → $120,959/yr

Enrollment / Earnings

4
Stevens Institute of Technology

Hoboken, NJ · Private

4,084 students → $108,772/yr

Enrollment / Earnings

5
West Coast University-Orange County

Anaheim, CA

3,168 students → $102,672/yr

Enrollment / Earnings

6
Dartmouth College

Hanover, NH · Private

4,367 students → $97,434/yr

Enrollment / Earnings

7
Bucknell University

Lewisburg, PA · Private

3,818 students → $93,807/yr

Enrollment / Earnings

8
College of the Holy Cross

Worcester, MA · Private

3,015 students → $90,543/yr

Enrollment / Earnings

9
Bryant University

Smithfield, RI · Private

3,236 students → $90,008/yr

Enrollment / Earnings

10
Rice University

Houston, TX · Private

4,562 students → $89,718/yr

Enrollment / Earnings

11
Fairfield University

Fairfield, CT · Private

4,938 students → $88,794/yr

Enrollment / Earnings

12
Providence College

Providence, RI · Private

4,170 students → $87,054/yr

Enrollment / Earnings

13
Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia

Philadelphia, PA · Private

4,742 students → $86,881/yr

Enrollment / Earnings

14
Colgate University

Hamilton, NY · Private

3,122 students → $85,139/yr

Enrollment / Earnings

15
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Prescott

Prescott, AZ · Private

3,245 students → $84,131/yr

Enrollment / Earnings

16
Pepperdine University

Malibu, CA · Private

3,629 students → $82,939/yr

Enrollment / Earnings

17
University of Portland

Portland, OR · Private

3,104 students → $82,804/yr

Enrollment / Earnings

18
Wentworth Institute of Technology

Boston, MA · Private

3,641 students → $82,721/yr

Enrollment / Earnings

19
Loyola University Maryland

Baltimore, MD · Private

3,975 students → $82,652/yr

Enrollment / Earnings

20
Barnard College

New York, NY · Private

3,219 students → $80,516/yr

Enrollment / Earnings

21
Unitek College

Fremont, CA

4,715 students → $79,550/yr

Enrollment / Earnings

22
University of Washington-Tacoma Campus

Tacoma, WA · Public

3,989 students → $78,466/yr

Enrollment / Earnings

23
University of the Pacific

Stockton, CA · Private

3,247 students → $78,445/yr

Enrollment / Earnings

24
Molloy University

Rockville Centre, NY · Private

3,185 students → $77,789/yr

Enrollment / Earnings

25
Thomas Jefferson University

Philadelphia, PA · Private

3,708 students → $77,449/yr

Enrollment / Earnings

26
Butler University

Indianapolis, IN · Private

4,383 students → $77,235/yr

Enrollment / Earnings

27
Brandeis University

Waltham, MA · Private

3,663 students → $77,231/yr

Enrollment / Earnings

28
University of Richmond

University of Richmond, VA · Private

3,002 students → $76,178/yr

Enrollment / Earnings

29
Siena College

Loudonville, NY · Private

3,447 students → $76,079/yr

Enrollment / Earnings

30
Merrimack College

North Andover, MA · Private

4,043 students → $75,584/yr

Enrollment / Earnings

31
Seattle University

Seattle, WA · Private

4,117 students → $75,272/yr

Enrollment / Earnings

32
University of Scranton

Scranton, PA · Private

3,589 students → $74,652/yr

Enrollment / Earnings

33
Rutgers University-Camden

Camden, NJ · Public

3,819 students → $74,479/yr

Enrollment / Earnings

34
Creighton University

Omaha, NE · Private

4,231 students → $73,911/yr

Enrollment / Earnings

35
Wesleyan University

Middletown, CT · Private

2,973 students → $73,897/yr

Enrollment / Earnings

36
The Catholic University of America

Washington, DC · Private

3,063 students → $73,250/yr

Enrollment / Earnings

37
University of Florida-Online

Gainesville, FL · Public

4,577 students → $71,588/yr

Enrollment / Earnings

38
Roger Williams University

Bristol, RI · Private

3,957 students → $70,266/yr

Enrollment / Earnings

39
New York Institute of Technology

Old Westbury, NY · Private

3,320 students → $70,080/yr

Enrollment / Earnings

40
Monmouth University

West Long Branch, NJ · Private

3,831 students → $67,991/yr

Enrollment / Earnings

41
Ramapo College of New Jersey

Mahwah, NJ · Public

4,664 students → $67,541/yr

Enrollment / Earnings

42
Suffolk University

Boston, MA · Private

4,434 students → $67,506/yr

Enrollment / Earnings

43
SUNY College at Geneseo

Geneseo, NY · Public

3,855 students → $67,316/yr

Enrollment / Earnings

44
Bradley University

Peoria, IL · Private

3,865 students → $66,852/yr

Enrollment / Earnings

45
Azusa Pacific University

Azusa, CA · Private

2,977 students → $66,677/yr

Enrollment / Earnings

46
Lewis University

Romeoville, IL · Private

3,665 students → $66,099/yr

Enrollment / Earnings

47
St Olaf College

Northfield, MN · Private

3,049 students → $65,543/yr

Enrollment / Earnings

48
University of La Verne

La Verne, CA · Private

3,341 students → $65,464/yr

Enrollment / Earnings

49
Xavier University

Cincinnati, OH · Private

4,723 students → $64,873/yr

Enrollment / Earnings

50
Point Loma Nazarene University

San Diego, CA · Private

3,132 students → $63,998/yr

Enrollment / Earnings

Rankings are based on data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Rankings do not reflect editorial opinion and are generated algorithmically based on publicly available outcomes data.

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