College Guide Rankings 2015 – Liberal Arts Colleges

About the Rankings:

We rate schools based on their contribution to the public good in three broad categories: Social Mobility (recruiting and graduating low-income students), Research (producing cutting-edge scholarship and PhDs), and Service (encouraging students to give something back to their country).

Read more about our methodology here.

More rankings:

College Guide Rankings 2015 – National Universities
College Guide Rankings 2015 – Baccalaureate Colleges
College Guide Rankings 2015 – Master’s Universities
America’s Best Bang for the Buck Colleges 2015 – Northeast
America’s Best Bang for the Buck Colleges 2015 – Midwest
America’s Best Bang for the Buck Colleges 2015 – South
America’s Best Bang for the Buck Colleges 2015 – Southeast
America’s Best Bang for the Buck Colleges 2015 – West

  Institution Social Mobility Research Service
    Overall Score Students receiving Pell Grants Net price Predicted grad rate Actual grad rate Rank Research expenditures, in millions Rank Bachelor's to PhD rank Peace Corps rank ROTC rank Federal work-study funds spent on service Rank Community service participation and hours served rank Service staff, courses, and financial aid support rank
1 Bryn Mawr College (PA) 100 19% $28,924 89% 84% 230 $9 3 10 37 132 55% 1 4 14
2 Carleton College (MN) 91 13% $30,311 97% 93% 228 $5 10 3 1 132 13% 139 60 27
3 Berea College (KY) 89 85% $2,323 51% 63% 1 $0 137 110 121 132 17% 92 34 51
4 Swarthmore College (PA) 82 15% $21,018 97% 93% 163 $3 27 2 50 132 8% 225 35 65
5 Harvey Mudd College (CA) 82 13% $30,392 100% 88% 242 $4 21 1 103 80 26% 28 125 123
6 Reed College (OR) 75 19% $19,476 89% 79% 217 $2 43 4 6 92 16% 98 125 130
7 Pomona College (CA) 74 17% $17,929 97% 96% 80 $4 23 5 74 101 10% 183 113 106
8 Bates College (ME) 73 12% $21,274 90% 91% 106 $2 40 39 51 132 16% 101 1 4
9 Haverford College (PA) 72 15% $20,605 92% 93% 100 $3 33 6 35 132 9% 188 26 115
10 New College of Florida (FL)* 71 30% $11,599 77% 68% 87 $1 68 9 172 132 52% 2 125 130
11 Knox College (IL) 70 27% $23,005 72% 79% 69 $0 144 52 3 132 43% 4 21 92
12 Macalester College (MN) 70 16% $23,310 91% 88% 173 $3 36 16 8 88 20% 65 93 22
13 Williams College (MA) 70 19% $17,787 93% 95% 50 $4 17 7 81 121 18% 82 125 130
14 Wesleyan University (CT) 68 17% $21,684 92% 92% 124 $9 4 14 60 132 15% 116 95 86
15 Grinnell College (IA) 67 22% $22,435 88% 88% 132 $3 34 8 4 132 8% 212 125 130
16 Oberlin College (OH) 67 12% $35,984 92% 87% 235 $2 55 11 26 132 26% 29 24 43
17 Wellesley College (MA) 66 19% $18,954 92% 92% 86 $8 7 18 94 67 25% 33 125 130
18 Michigan Jewish Institute (MI) 64 94% $9,978 38% 52% 4 $0 144 214 204 132 13% 133 125 130
19 Amherst College (MA) 64 21% $18,715 93% 96% 54 $5 12 13 122 97 24% 44 125 130
20 Smith College (MA) 64 24% $22,821 82% 85% 104 $4 16 12 31 132 25% 34 116 95
21 Rhodes College (TN) 63 16% $26,856 84% 78% 225 $0 114 69 98 59 24% 45 2 5
22 Tougaloo College (MS) 60 87% $9,036 36% 50% 3 $3 35 124 204 55 9% 185 125 130
23 Claflin University (SC) 60 80% $13,794 38% 43% 18 $4 14 199 204 16 15% 117 49 9
24 Allegheny College (PA) 59 26% $25,692 72% 79% 98 $1 78 34 11 102 27% 25 74 59
25 Kalamazoo College (MI) 58 18% $26,275 81% 80% 183 $1 86 32 14 132 17% 97 50 24
26 Davidson College (NC) 57 13% $23,975 88% 92% 105 $2 48 21 95 27 17% 85 12 34
27 Xavier University of Louisiana (LA) 56 61% $17,598 54% 52% 84 $10 2 130 184 31 8% 224 98 104
28 Centre College (KY) 56 17% $24,065 84% 84% 155 $1 90 50 45 49 24% 49 25 46
29 Vassar College (NY) 55 22% $18,619 90% 92% 57 $2 57 17 79 126 19% 73 125 130
30 Salem College (NC) 55 62% $15,910 54% 60% 27 $0 144 128 141 116 34% 11 125 130
31 Spelman College (GA) 55 50% $28,692 62% 73% 99 $2 44 35 68 25 9% 201 10 62
32 Earlham College (IN) 54 27% $20,647 76% 70% 189 $1 93 25 5 132 20% 62 125 130
33 Lewis & Clark College (OR) 54 20% $28,509 80% 75% 224 $3 30 66 22 77 23% 52 22 88
34 Morehouse College (GA) 54 50% $25,938 53% 55% 156 $9 5 117 110 8 17% 94 94 82
35 Whitman College (WA) 53 12% $32,685 84% 87% 196 $1 73 20 9 132 17% 87 65 114
36 Bowdoin College (ME) 53 15% $23,000 93% 93% 137 $4 18 15 44 132 12% 161 125 130
37 Emory and Henry College (VA) 52 43% $18,962 50% 51% 71 $0 144 141 178 132 15% 112 3 1
38 Wheaton College (IL) 52 21% $24,629 84% 88% 114 $1 64 33 80 7 19% 68 125 130
39 College of Saint Benedict (MN) 52 24% $24,985 75% 81% 95 $1 67 150 21 132 30% 18 78 23
40 St. Olaf College (MN) 51 16% $26,838 86% 86% 176 $1 59 29 25 132 9% 193 57 76
41 Fisk University (TN) 51 61% $19,270 48% 50% 68 $8 6 62 64 32 14% 130 125 130
42 Warren Wilson College (NC) 50 30% $24,882 63% 51% 240 $0 144 175 24 132 7% 236 7 3
43 Agnes Scott College (GA) 50 43% $19,889 63% 67% 61 $1 77 53 48 71 28% 22 112 118
44 Barnard College (NY) 50 19% $23,248 90% 91% 140 $4 22 22 59 113 24% 47 125 130
45 Lawrence University (WI) 50 21% $27,471 74% 77% 159 $0 98 23 49 132 18% 79 61 74
46 Ohio Wesleyan University (OH) 50 22% $25,705 72% 64% 231 $0 101 49 58 83 28% 21 19 39
47 Southwestern University (TX) 49 26% $24,374 72% 73% 150 $0 111 68 114 128 18% 83 31 12
48 Mount Holyoke College (MA) 49 22% $26,350 83% 83% 182 $3 26 26 34 99 26% 32 125 130
49 Colgate University (NY) 49 11% $20,023 92% 91% 113 $3 32 36 82 132 32% 14 117 117
50 Occidental College (CA) 49 23% $29,370 81% 85% 166 $2 56 56 91 129 27% 24 88 80
51 Illinois Wesleyan University (IL) 48 19% $27,871 82% 81% 198 $1 74 61 36 76 12% 153 15 47
52 Talladega College (AL) 48 89% $10,329 39% 42% 12 $0 144 182 176 22 6% 238 125 130
53 Colby College (ME) 48 10% $19,041 89% 91% 64 $2 49 24 16 117 24% 42 125 130
54 St. John's College (MD) 47 27% $27,077 79% 66% 241 $0 144 19 102 132 14% 124 125 130
55 Denison University (OH) 47 17% $27,959 85% 82% 213 $0 124 55 20 130 17% 90 46 66
56 Gustavus Adolphus College (MN) 47 25% $23,395 78% 82% 101 $0 108 74 78 37 13% 150 41 72
57 Washington and Lee University (VA) 47 9% $19,507 94% 90% 145 $1 87 85 134 30 35% 9 33 30
58 Guilford College (NC) 47 48% $25,426 53% 58% 116 $0 144 176 147 118 23% 53 70 17
59 Illinois College (IL) 47 34% $16,795 58% 61% 42 $0 144 160 157 132 13% 140 6 2
60 Hobart William Smith Colleges (NY) 46 19% $32,311 77% 77% 215 $2 54 144 38 132 34% 10 14 45
61 Hamilton College (NY) 46 14% $21,508 92% 91% 134 $3 28 48 27 132 24% 41 125 130
62 Central College (IA) 46 29% $21,682 63% 66% 92 $0 144 161 113 132 24% 46 13 10
63 Willamette University (OR) 46 23% $28,694 72% 78% 144 $2 39 88 17 89 17% 96 55 103
64 Pitzer College (CA) 46 18% $23,723 82% 83% 130 $0 117 87 75 90 15% 120 11 8
65 Maryville College (TN) 45 42% $15,958 61% 55% 127 $0 144 156 149 132 8% 223 8 19
66 Ripon College (WI) 45 36% $20,241 63% 72% 40 $0 144 109 90 12 15% 115 87 67