Great Colleges for the Liberal Arts

Contrary to popular belief, studying the liberal arts does not put you on the fast track to “would you like fries with that?” It does mean getting a well-rounded education. Last time we checked, that was a good thing.

Experts' Choice List

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Adrian College (Adrian, MI)
Agnes Scott College (Decatur, GA)
Albertus Magnus College (New Haven, CT)
Albion College (Albion, MI)
Albright College (Reading, PA)
Allegheny College (Meadville, PA)
Alma College (Alma, MI)
American Jewish University (Bel Air, CA)
Amherst College (Amherst, MA)
Asbury College (Wilmore, KY)
Augustana College (Rock Island, IL)
Austin College (Sherman, TX)
Bard College (Annandale on Hudson, NY)
Bard College at Simon's Rock (Great Barrington, MA)
Barnard College (New York, NY)
Bates College (Lewiston, ME)
Beloit College (Beloit, WI)
Benedictine College (Atchison, KS)
Bennett College (Greensboro, NC)
Bennington College (Bennington, VT)
Berea College (Berea, KY)
Bethany College (Bethany, WV)
Bethel College (North Newton, KS)
Bethel College (McKenzie, TN)
Birmingham-Southern College (Birmingham, AL)
Blackburn College (Carlinville, IL)
Bowdoin College (Brunswick, ME)
Briar Cliff University (Sioux City, IA)
Bridgewater College (Bridgewater, VA)
Bryan College (Dayton, TN)
Bryn Mawr College (Bryn Mawr, PA)
Bucknell University (Lewisburg, PA)
Burlington College (Burlington, VT)
Caldwell College (Caldwell, NJ)
California Baptist University (Riverside, CA)
California State University -- Monterey Bay (Seaside, CA)
Calvin College (Grand Rapids, MI)
Carleton College (Northfield, MN)
Carroll College (Helena, MT)
Cedar Crest College (Allentown, PA)
Centenary College (Hackettstown, NJ)
Central College (Pella, IA)
Centre College (Danville, KY)
Chatham University (Pittsburgh, PA)
Chestnut Hill College (Philadelphia, PA)
Christendom College (Front Royal, VA)
Christopher Newport University (Newport News, VA)
Claflin University (Orangeburg, SC)
Claremont McKenna College (Claremont, CA)
Clark University (Worcester, MA)
Clarke College (Dubuque, IA)
Coastal Carolina University (Conway, SC)
Coe College (Cedar Rapids, IA)
Coker College (Hartsville, SC)
Colby College (Waterville, ME)
Colgate University (Hamilton, NY)
College of Charleston (Charleston, SC)
College of Idaho (Caldwell, ID)
College of St. Benedict (St. Joseph, MN)
College of St. Elizabeth (Morristown, NJ)
College of Wooster (Wooster, OH)
College of the Atlantic (Bar Harbor, ME)
College of the Holy Cross (Worcester, MA)
Colorado College (Colorado Springs, CO)
Concordia College (Bronxville, NY)
Concordia College -- Moorhead (Moorhead, MN)
Concordia University (Irvine, CA)
Concordia University (Ann Arbor, MI)
Connecticut College (New London, CT)
Cornell College (Mount Vernon, IA)
Dana College (Blair, NE)
Davidson College (Davidson, NC)
DePauw University (Greencastle, IN)
Denison University (Granville, OH)
Dickinson College (Carlisle, PA)
Dillard University (New Orleans, LA)
Divine Word College (Epworth, IA)
Drew University (Madison, NJ)
Earlham College (Richmond, IN)
Eastern Connecticut State University (Willimantic, CT)
Eastern Mennonite University (Harrisonburg, VA)
Eckerd College (St. Petersburg, FL)
Elmira College (Elmira, NY)
Emmanuel College (Boston, MA)
Emory and Henry College (Emory, VA)
Erskine College (Due West, SC)
Evergreen State College (Olympia, WA)
Faulkner University (Montgomery, AL)
Fisk University (Nashville, TN)
Fort Lewis College (Durango, CO)
Franklin College (Franklin, IN)
Franklin Pierce University (Rindge, NH)
Franklin and Marshall College (Lancaster, PA)
Furman University (Greenville, SC)
Georgetown College (Georgetown, KY)
Georgia College and State University (Milledgeville, GA)
Gettysburg College (Gettysburg, PA)
Goddard College (Plainfield, VT)
Gordon College (Wenham, MA)
Goshen College (Goshen, IN)
Goucher College (Baltimore, MD)
Green Mountain College (Poultney, VT)
Greensboro College (Greensboro, NC)
Greenville College (Greenville, IL)
Grinnell College (Grinnell, IA)
Guilford College (Greensboro, NC)
Gustavus Adolphus College (St. Peter, MN)
Hamilton College (Clinton, NY)
Hamline University (St. Paul, MN)
Hampden-Sydney College (Hampden-Sydney, VA)
Hampshire College (Amherst, MA)
Hanover College (Hanover, IN)
Hartwick College (Oneonta, NY)
Harvey Mudd College (Claremont, CA)
Hastings College (Hastings, NE)
Haverford College (Haverford, PA)
Heidelberg College (Tiffin, OH)
Henderson State University (Arkadelphia, AR)
Hendrix College (Conway, AR)
Hillsdale College (Hillsdale, MI)
Hiram College (Hiram, OH)
Hobart and William Smith Colleges (Geneva, NY)
Hollins University (Roanoke, VA)
Hope College (Holland, MI)
Houghton College (Houghton, NY)
Howard Payne University (Brownwood, TX)
Huntingdon College (Montgomery, AL)
Illinois College (Jacksonville, IL)
Illinois Wesleyan University (Bloomington, IL)
Immaculata University (Immaculata, PA)
Jarvis Christian College (Hawkins, TX)
Judson College (Marion, AL)
Judson University (Elgin, IL)
Juniata College (Huntingdon, PA)
Kalamazoo College (Kalamazoo, MI)
Keene State College (Keene, NH)
Kentucky Wesleyan College (Owensboro, KY)
Kenyon College (Gambier, OH)
King College (Bristol, TN)
Knox College (Galesburg, IL)
Lafayette College (Easton, PA)
Lake Forest College (Lake Forest, IL)
Lambuth University (Jackson, TN)
Lane College (Jackson, TN)
Lawrence University (Appleton, WI)
Lebanon Valley College (Annville, PA)
Lees-McRae College (Banner Elk, NC)
Lewis and Clark College (Portland, OR)
Lindsey Wilson College (Columbia, KY)
Linfield College (McMinnville, OR)
Loras College (Dubuque, IA)
Luther College (Decorah, IA)
Lycoming College (Williamsport, PA)
Lynchburg College (Lynchburg, VA)
Lyon College (Batesville, AR)
Macalester College (St. Paul, MN)
Manhattan College (Riverdale, NY)
Manhattanville College (Purchase, NY)
Marian College (Indianapolis, IN)
Marlboro College (Marlboro, VT)
Mary Baldwin College (Staunton, VA)
Marymount Manhattan College (New York, NY)
Maryville College (Maryville, TN)
Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts (North Adams, MA)
McDaniel College (Westminster, MD)
McPherson College (McPherson, KS)
Mercyhurst College (Erie, PA)
Middlebury College (Middlebury, VT)
Midwestern State University (Wichita Falls, TX)
Mills College (Oakland, CA)
Millsaps College (Jackson, MS)
Monmouth College (Monmouth, IL)
Monmouth University (West Long Branch, NJ)
Moravian College (Bethlehem, PA)
Morehouse College (Atlanta, GA)
Morris College (Sumter, SC)
Mount Holyoke College (South Hadley, MA)
Mount Union College (Alliance, OH)
Muhlenberg College (Allentown, PA)
Muskingum College (New Concord, OH)
Nebraska Wesleyan University (Lincoln, NE)
Neumann College (Aston, PA)
New College of Florida (Sarasota, FL)
North Park University (Chicago, IL)
Northland College (Ashland, WI)
Oberlin College (Oberlin, OH)
Occidental College (Los Angeles, CA)
Oglethorpe University (Atlanta, GA)
Ohio Wesleyan University (Delaware, OH)
Olivet College (Olivet, MI)
Paine College (Augusta, GA)
Pine Manor College (Chestnut Hill, MA)
Pitzer College (Claremont, CA)
Pomona College (Claremont, CA)
Presbyterian College (Clinton, SC)
Principia College (Elsah, IL)
Providence College (Providence, RI)
Ramapo College of New Jersey (Mahwah, NJ)
Randolph College (Lynchburg, VA)
Randolph-Macon College (Ashland, VA)
Reed College (Portland, OR)
Regis College (Weston, MA)
Rhodes College (Memphis, TN)
Richard Stockton College of New Jersey (Pomona, NJ)
Ripon College (Ripon, WI)
Roanoke College (Salem, VA)
Rockford College (Rockford, IL)
Rollins College (Winter Park, FL)
Rosemont College (Rosemont, PA)
SUNY College of Arts and Sciences -- Geneseo (Geneseo, NY)
Saint Joseph College (West Hartford, CT)
Salem College (Winston-Salem, NC)
Sarah Lawrence College (Bronxville, NY)
Schreiner University (Kerrville, TX)
Scripps College (Claremont, CA)
Seton Hill University (Greensburg, PA)
Sewanee: University of the South (Sewanee, TN)
Shawnee Community College (Ullin, IL)
Shepherd University (Shepherdstown, WV)
Shorter College (Rome, GA)
Siena College (Loudonville, NY)
Sierra Nevada College (Incline Village, NV)
Simpson College (Indianola, IA)
Skidmore College (Saratoga Springs, NY)
Smith College (Northampton, MA)
Sonoma State University (Rohnert Park, CA)
Southern Oregon University (Ashland, OR)
Southwestern University (Georgetown, TX)
Spelman College (Atlanta, GA)
Spring Hill College (Mobile, AL)
St. Andrews Presbyterian College (Laurinburg, NC)
St. Anselm College (Manchester, NH)
St. Augustine's College (Raleigh, NC)
St. John's College (Annapolis, MD)
St. John's College (Santa Fe, NM)
St. John's University (Collegeville, MN)
St. Lawrence University (Canton, NY)
St. Mary's College (Notre Dame, IN)
St. Mary's College (Notre Dame, IN)
St. Olaf College (Northfield, MN)
St. Vincent College (Latrobe, PA)
Stephens College (Columbia, MO)
Susquehanna University (Selinsgrove, PA)
Swarthmore College (Swarthmore, PA)
Sweet Briar College (Sweet Briar, VA)
Talladega College (Talladega, AL)
Thiel College (Greenville, PA)
Thomas Aquinas College (Santa Paula, CA)
Thomas More College (Crestview Hills, KY)
Tougaloo College (Tougaloo, MS)
Transylvania University (Lexington, KY)
Trinity Christian College (Palos Heights, IL)
Trinity College (Hartford, CT)
Trinity University (Washington, DC)
Trinity University (San Antonio, TX)
Truman State University (Kirksville, MO)
Union College (Schenectady, NY)
United States Air Force Academy (USAF Academy, CO)
United States Military Academy (West Point, NY)
United States Naval Academy (Annapolis, MD)
University of Alberta (Edmonton, CAN)
University of Dallas (Irving, TX)
University of Hawaii -- Hilo (Hilo, HI)
University of Maine -- Farmington (Farmington, ME)
University of Maine -- Presque Isle (Presque Isle, ME)
University of Mary Washington (Fredericksburg, VA)
University of Minnesota -- Morris (Morris, MN)
University of Montevallo (Montevallo, AL)
University of North Carolina -- Asheville (Asheville, NC)
University of Puget Sound (Tacoma, WA)
University of Richmond (University of Richmond, VA)
University of Saint Thomas (St. Paul, MN)
University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma (Chickasha, OK)
University of Virginia -- Wise (Wise, VA)
University of Wisconsin -- Superior (Superior, WI)
Ursinus College (Collegeville, PA)
Vassar College (Poughkeepsie, NY)
Virginia Military Institute (Lexington, VA)
Virginia Union University (Richmond, VA)
Virginia Wesleyan College (Norfolk, VA)
Voorhees College (Denmark, SC)
Wabash College (Crawfordsville, IN)
Warner Pacific College (Portland, OR)
Warren Wilson College (Asheville, NC)
Wartburg College (Waverly, IA)
Washington & Jefferson College (Washington, PA)
Washington College (Chestertown, MD)
Washington and Lee University (Lexington, VA)
Wellesley College (Wellesley, MA)
Wells College (Aurora, NY)
Wesleyan College (Macon, GA)
Wesleyan University (Middletown, CT)
West Virginia Wesleyan College (Buckhannon, WV)
Western State College of Colorado (Gunnison, CO)
Westminster College (Fulton, MO)
Westminster College (New Wilmington, PA)
Westmont College (Santa Barbara, CA)
Wheaton College (Wheaton, IL)
Wheaton College (Norton, MA)
Whitman College (Walla Walla, WA)
Whittier College (Whittier, CA)
Wilberforce University (Wilberforce, OH)
Willamette University (Salem, OR)
William Jewell College (Liberty, MO)
Williams College (Williamstown, MA)
Wilson College (Chambersburg, PA)
Wittenberg University (Springfield, OH)
Wofford College (Spartanburg, SC)

Source: This list is based on the original work of David W. Breneman in Liberal Arts Colleges: Thriving, Surviving or Endangered. Other sources include the Council on Public Liberal Arts Colleges, Great Lakes Colleges Association, The Annapolis Group, and the Consortium of Liberal Arts Colleges.