The 44 best small colleges in America

Enrollment: 1,437

Median starting salary: $39,000

Courses at this Bronxville, New York-based liberal-arts school are taught in round table-style seminars with a student-to-faculty ratio of 10:1. SLC puts a heavy emphasis on writing and one-on-one time between students and professors — students write long term papers for every class with the guidance of their professors and academic advisors — which helps prepare students for rewarding careers at companies like The New York Times, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Viking/Penguin Books, the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and more.

Enrollment: 2,073

Median starting salary: $41,200

St. Paul, Minnesota's Macalaster College ranked seventh in the nation, according to US News, for commitment to teaching. And some of the classes taught at Macalester are quite unusual: The school is proud of its "cutting-edge courses" that bring out-of-the-box perspectives to today's global issues. Previous classes include "inside the animal mind," "constructions of a female killer," and "the automobile and the American environment."

Enrollment: 1,308

Median starting salary: $44,600

The all-women's Bryn Mawr College offers career services to current students and alumni. Bryn Mawr places a heavy focus on networking, and makes every effort to connect students, alumni, faculty, and staff through online and offline resources like a community intranet, career fairs, class reunions, and informational interviews.

Enrollment: 972

Median starting salary: Unavailable

Part of the Claremont Colleges consortium, Scripps is also an all-women's college whose most popular majors include social sciences, biology, area and ethnic studies, and psychology. About 86% of students complete at least one internship before graduation, and students can find job opportunities on campus or through the consortium.

Enrollment: 1,662

Median starting salary: $46,400

With more than 50 majors, minors, and interdisciplinary concentrations, Kenyon makes it easy for students to customize their educations and create a course of study that's right for them. The Gambier, Ohio-based school offers lifetime career services for alumni, and gets alumni involved in hiring other Kenyon students for internships, externships, and other employment opportunities.

Enrollment: 2,563

Median starting salary: $41,300

Within two years of graduation, nearly 91% of all Smith grads are employed full-time. The Northampton, Massachusetts-based women's college also hosts an annual career fair where more than 70 companies, including SC Johnson and Bank of America, recruit Smith students. As part of the Five College Consortium, students are able to register for classes and attend career fairs at Amherst, Hampshire, Mount Holyoke, and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst as well.

Enrollment: 1,734

Median starting salary: $43,100

Call Grinnell the gateway to a grad degree, if you will: 10 years after graduation, 51% of Grinnellians hold advanced degrees from institutions like Harvard, Dartmouth, Johns Hopkins, and the London School of Economics. Other students find employment with companies like Mayo Clinic, Nickelodeon, and the Kauffman Foundation.

Enrollment: 2,961

Median starting salary: $40,200

Oberlin College is renowned for its music conservatory, which funnels talented musicians into careers as performers, composers, and conductors with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, the Canton Symphony Orchestra, and Chamber Music Northwest, for example.

Eighty-six percent of graduates go directly into the workforce, a service corps or fellowship, or grad school after their bachelor's degrees.

Enrollment: 2,577

Median starting salary: $46,000

Barnard offers students the simultaneous experiences of a small liberal arts college and an urban life in New York City. The women's college sits adjacent to Columbia University, allowing students access to Columbia's vast pool of resources. One of the first colleges in the country to offer women the same liberal arts education as men, Barnard now boasts several successful alumni, including Martha Stewart and Joan Rivers.

Enrollment: 3,451

Median starting salary: $47,700

More than 84% of Pepperdine students get hands-on experience in student employment, student teaching, and internship opportunities. Ranked No. 22 on US News' list of the best value schools and No. 9 on Forbes' list of the most entrepreneurial universities, Pepperdine is also a school where students find meaning in their jobs: 51% of students surveyed by PayScale believe their jobs make the world a better place.

Enrollment: 2,503

Median starting salary: $57,000

Post-graduation, Lafayette students immediately begin to make their mark in the world: Within six months, 95% of grads are employed, enrolled in graduate school, completing internships, or volunteering. Students get real-world experience prior to graduation as well, as 78% complete internships by senior year.

Enrollment: 2,057

Median starting salary: $43,700

Carleton's main focus is to give students a true liberal-arts education by teaching them to be lifelong learners. In this quest, the school, located in Northfield, Minnesota, offers courses across 37 departments, including everything from linguistics to sociology to economics. US News also named Carleton the No. 8 best liberal-arts college in the US.

Enrollment: 3,729

Median starting salary: $44,600

Waltham, Massachusetts-based Brandeis University is a "private research university with a liberal arts focus." Its "world-ready" graduates have been recruited by big-name entities like Goldman Sachs, Google, Facebook, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and the International Monetary Fund.

Enrollment: 1,194

Median starting salary: $38,600

With fewer than 2,000 students, Haverford's small size allows students to receive a highly personalized college experience. Students at the Haverford, Pennsylvania-based school don't officially declare a major until the end of sophomore year, and are required to take classes across three major academic divisions, resulting in a diverse and well-rounded education.

Enrollment: 1,847

Median starting salary: $47,000

Colby College in Waterville, Maine, aims to prepare students "for postgraduate success in nearly every field imaginable." And it does: On graduation day, 71% of Colby seniors from the class of 2014 had either received employment offers or been accepted into graduate school, and graduates landed coveted spots at name-brand companies, such as Bain & Co., Oracle, and JP Morgan, to boot.

Enrollment: 2,937

Median starting salary: $48,500

Not only does College of the Holy Cross prepare students to join the workforce after graduation, but it equips them to further their education as well. In fact, graduates from the Worcester, Massachusetts-based school have a 91% acceptance rate into both medical and law schools. The most popular majors include economics, political science, English, and psychology.

Enrollment: 1,773

Median starting salary: $44,700

This year, a whopping 19 Bates students — 14 of whom are undergraduates — earned Fulbright fellowships, garnering the school a "Fulbright Top Producer" distinction. Six months after graduation, 74% of the class of 2014 from the Lewiston, Maine-based school were employed full-time, with several students at top companies including Google, Accenture, and Chevron.

Enrollment: 2,418

Median starting salary: Unavailable

Originally a women's college, Vassar now provides both men and women with a top-notch liberal-arts education, and is ranked the No. 11 best liberal-arts college in the country by US News.

In addition to internships and study abroad programs, more than 500 students from the Poughkeepsie, New York-based school participate in a semester of field work, where they are placed in community organizations, nonprofits, government agencies, human services organizations, and businesses, typically in the Poughkeepsie area.

Enrollment: 2,278

Median starting salary: $45,900

This women's college in Wellesley, Massachusetts, was ranked the No. 4 best liberal-arts school in the country by US News. Graduates go on to do great things, and the school's notable alumni include presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton and former secretary of state Madeleine Albright.

Enrollment: 2,928

Median starting salary: $44,400

Wesleyan University, located in Middletown, Connecticut, offers over 1,000 unique classes across 45 areas of study. The most popular majors for the class of 2013 included psychology, English language and literature, and economics. Students also take advantage of opportunities off-campus, with more than 300 studying or completing internships abroad.

Enrollment: 1,770

Median starting salary: $47,200

Within six months of graduation, 89.1% of Davidson's class of 2014 were either employed full-time, interning, volunteering, serving in the military, or enrolled in graduate school. Not only that, but students from the Davidson, North Carolina-based school who joined the workforce landed jobs at elite companies, such as Goldman Sachs, Wells Fargo, and PepsiCo. Davidson grads enrolled in top graduate programs as well, including Johns Hopkins University and Baylor College of Medicine.

Enrollment: 1,900

Median starting salary: $57,600

The small liberal-arts college in Clinton, New York, takes only top talent — 75% of the class of 2018 were in the top 10% of their graduating high school classes, and 94% were in the top 20%. Hamilton grads have a great track record of earning prestigious awards; 92 were granted Fulbright Scholarships and 18 took Goldwater Scholarships in the last 15 years.

Enrollment: 1,650

Median starting salary: $46,700

Named the overall No. 1 school in the country by Forbes and the No. 5 liberal-arts college by US News, Pomona offers small class sizes, 47 areas of study, and numerous opportunities to participate in faculty-led research. As a part of California's Claremont Colleges consortium, Pomona also allows students to take classes at any of its fellow Claremont schools, including Harvey Mudd and Claremont McKenna.

Enrollment: 4,911

Median starting salary: $58,000

Case Western is known for its top-rated engineering and science programs; nearly 30% of students major in an engineering field, and another 13% major in biology. Students are exposed to an endless number of research opportunities at a school that's consistently ranked in the top 20 private research institutes in the country.

Enrollment: 876

Median starting salary: $61,100

Cooper Union was ranked the No. 1 best-value school and second-best overall undergraduate school in the north by US News. With a 15% admission rate, it's one of the most selective schools in the country, known for its excellent architecture, fine arts, and engineering programs.

Enrollment: 1,301

Median starting salary: $50,100

One of the Claremont, California, colleges, Claremont McKenna shares athletic, academic, health, and dining resources with the seven other colleges in the consortium. CMC's curriculum leans heavily on humanities, providing students with a well-rounded education and real-world work experience.

Enrollment: 1,890

Median starting salary: $50,700

At Washington and Lee, undergraduate students can choose from 37 majors and 29 minors, as well as a number of interdisciplinary programs. The Lexington, Virginia-based school's unique calendar — divided into two 12-week periods followed by a four-week one — allows students to pursue a focused course of study during the end of spring. Students can also use this time to fit in studying abroad.

Enrollment: 3,565

Median starting salary: $56,800

A whopping 97% of Bucknell students report being employed, in graduate school, volunteering, or some combination thereof within nine months of graduation.

And if you think the median starting salary for Bucknell grads is high, it's important to note that the alumni median lifetime earnings are equally high; the Lewisburg, Pennsylvania-based school ranks No. 5 among liberal-arts colleges surveyed by PayScale, and No. 48 on our main list of the best colleges in America.

Enrollment: 1,542

Median starting salary: $51,000

The small liberal-arts school in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania, offers its undergrads more than 600 courses and a challenging honors program, reserved for a select group of top students. Modeled on the tutorial system at Oxford University, Swarthmore's honors program is the only one of its kind in the US. Swarthmore came in at No. 47 on our main list.

Enrollment: 2,875

Median starting salary: $54,000

Colgate, in Hamilton, New York (No. 44 on the main list), has an impressive track record of sending grads to top graduate schools (Columbia, New York University, Harvard, Cornell, and Penn are among them) as well as top employment positions.

"For work in finance, and especially on Wall Street, Colgate has a solid reputation for sending very successful and well-prepared graduates," one Colgate alum who took our survey noted. "My classmate recently retired as the CEO of the NYSE. We have an extensive network of graduates in the industry."

Enrollment: 2,107

Median starting salary: $61,300

Babson College (No. 43 on our main list) has a top-notch reputation for fostering entrepreneurship on its Massachusetts campus and in the real world. It also has a partnership with the F.W. Olin College of Engineering and Wellesley College to "build on existing initiatives and explore new academic, social, and business relationships," which enables students to get involved in joint research and curricular projects, conferences and programs, and other services with the two other colleges.

Enrollment: 4,867

Median starting salary: $53,300

Students can get first-hand experience in networking in the fields of banking, politics, and real estate during a summer program hosted by Wake Forest in Washington, D.C. Current students meet and get advice from dozens of Wake Forest alumni who guide them on the path to living and working in the nation's capital. The school is No. 41 on our best colleges list.

"Wake Forest University provides true depth of learning that allows their graduates to succeed across industries," one survey respondent said.

Enrollment: 2,526

Median starting salary: $51,900

No. 38 on our main list, Middlebury may be in the middle of rural Vermont, but it's not shut off from the world; in fact, the school is a leader in language instruction and international studies, and it offers 10 foreign-language tracks.

An emphasis on writing in all classes broadens students' ability for critical thinking and expression.

Enrollment: 1,805

Median starting salary: Unavailable

Bowdoin College, 33rd on our best colleges list, directs its liberal-arts education "toward the common good." More than half of students at the Brunswick, Maine-based school choose to study abroad in one of 46 countries, and many others participate in international volunteer or research opportunities through Bowdoin.

Enrollment: 2,045

Median starting salary: $50,200

Often considered one of the best liberal-arts colleges in the country (and, this year, the second-best overall college in America by Forbes), Williams considers its education more than a four-year program. The Williamstown, Massachusetts, school, which took 30th on our main list, takes "an approach to living and learning that prepares students for the 'real world' and instills lifelong connections with each other and with Williams," the website says.

Enrollment: 4,414

Median starting salary: $75,100

Getting into the Military Academy at West Point, located in the eponymous New York town, is no small feat: The Academy ranked No. 29 on the main list and accepts only about 9% of applicants. For accepted students, each major — ranging from American politics to nuclear engineering — is specifically tailored to train "officer-leaders of character to serve the Army and the Nation."

Enrollment: 4,511

Median starting salary: $80,700

As a military school, the Annapolis, Maryland-based Naval Academy rigorously prepares students for a career in the Navy, with a focus on military education, professional training, character development, and physical fitness. The Academy boasts a trove of notable alumni, including 52 astronauts, 48 Rhodes Scholars, and President Jimmy Carter. It ranked 26th on our main colleges list.

Enrollment: 1,792

Median starting salary: Unavailable

Amherst (No. 21 on the main list) is part of the Five College Consortium, a community of colleges made up of Amherst, Smith, UMass at Amherst, Mount Holyoke, and Hampshire that allows students to take classes at any of the schools. This gives students a broader access to different kinds of classes and learning styles and the ability to meet and network with different kinds of students.

Enrollment: 3,926

Median starting salary: $60,000

Houston's Rice University, a research university with a small-college feel, ranked No. 19 on the main list. A median class size of 14 students and a six-to-one student-to-faculty ratio means a focus on individualized learning. The majority of students in the class of 2015 completed majors in the social sciences, with engineering coming in a close second.

Enrollment: 804

Median starting salary: $75,600

No. 17 on our main list, Harvey Mudd graduates earn the second-highest median starting salary on our list, after the Naval Academy. While Harvey Mudd is best known for its engineering and computer-science programs, the Claremont, California-based school is also a member of the Claremont Colleges consortium and a liberal-arts college.

The school makes sure its students learn in all areas with a solid core curriculum that incorporates humanities and social sciences in with math and science.

Enrollment: 4,289

Median starting salary: $55,500

At Dartmouth, students learn from the best — the school is ranked No. 4 on US News' list of colleges with the best undergraduate teaching. Dartmouth, located in Hanover, New Hampshire, also offers a flexible academic calendar that allows students to easily fit in time for internships, work experience, and studying abroad. The school ranked tenth on our main colleges list.

Enrollment: 983

Median starting salary: $74,800

The Pasadena-based Caltech earned the No. 4 spot on US News' list of the best undergraduate engineering programs, No. 8 on its list of the best value schools, and No. 5 on our overall list of the best colleges in America. The university follows through on its reputation, too: Caltech has produced 32 Nobel laureates, 57 National Medal of Science recipients, and 13 National Medal of Technology winners.

Enrollment: 4,512

Median starting salary: $70,300

MIT was the big winner on our main colleges list. Consistently ranked the best engineering school in the country, MIT, located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, thoroughly prepares students for success post-graduation. Many MIT grads go on to work at elite companies such as Google, Oracle, McKinsey, and Morgan Stanley. The school has a host of notable alumni as well, including Donald Layton, the former CEO of JP Morgan Chase, and Megan Smith, the chief technology officer of the US.

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