Best Small Colleges 2026
Top-quality universities with intimate class sizes under 5,000 students
50 universities ranked • Source: US Dept of Education
#1
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA · Private
B+
4.74%
Accept
$60K
Tuition
$143K
Salary
#2
Samuel Merritt University
Oakland, CA · Private
B-
$143K
Salary
#3
Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
Albany, NY · Private
C+
59.08%
Accept
$40K
Tuition
$131K
Salary
#4
California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, CA · Private
B+
3.14%
Accept
$63K
Tuition
$129K
Salary
#5
MCPHS University
Boston, MA · Private
C+
85.21%
Accept
$39K
Tuition
$126K
Salary
#6
Roseman University of Health Sciences
Henderson, NV · Private
B-
$120K
Salary
#7
West Coast University-Orange County
Anaheim, CA · Private
C
$23K
Tuition
$103K
Salary
#8
West Coast University-Miami
Doral, FL · Private
C
$24K
Tuition
$103K
Salary
#9
West Coast University-Ontario
Ontario, CA · Private
C
$37K
Tuition
$103K
Salary
#10
Oregon Health & Science University
Portland, OR · Public
B-
$101K
Salary
#11
Neumont College of Computer Science
Salt Lake City, UT · Private
C+
89.24%
Accept
$27K
Tuition
$98K
Salary
#12
Kettering University
Flint, MI · Private
C
79.09%
Accept
$46K
Tuition
$95K
Salary
#13
California State University Maritime Academy
Vallejo, CA · Public
C
98.73%
Accept
$8K
Tuition
$95K
Salary
#14
Northeastern University Professional Programs
Boston, MA · Private
C
$93K
Salary
#15
Northeastern University Oakland
Oakland, CA · Private
C
16.54%
Accept
$64K
Tuition
$93K
Salary
#16
Chamberlain University-Michigan
Troy, MI · Private
C
88.89%
Accept
$20K
Tuition
$92K
Salary
#17
Chamberlain University-Texas
Houston, TX · Private
C
95.65%
Accept
$20K
Tuition
$92K
Salary
#18
Chamberlain University-Arizona
Phoenix, AZ · Private
C
87.5%
Accept
$20K
Tuition
$92K
Salary
#19
Chamberlain University-Nevada
Las Vegas, NV · Private
C
75%
Accept
$20K
Tuition
$92K
Salary
#20
Chamberlain University-Florida
Jacksonville, FL · Private
C
100%
Accept
$20K
Tuition
$92K
Salary
#21
Chamberlain University-Georgia
Sandy Springs, GA · Private
C
96.15%
Accept
$20K
Tuition
$92K
Salary
#22
Chamberlain University-California
Rancho Cordova, CA · Private
C+
60%
Accept
$20K
Tuition
$92K
Salary
#23
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
Lubbock, TX · Public
C+
$92K
Salary
#24
Trinity College
Hartford, CT · Private
C+
33.52%
Accept
$67K
Tuition
$91K
Salary
#25
College of the Holy Cross
Worcester, MA · Private
B-
21.1%
Accept
$61K
Tuition
$91K
Salary
#26
Rice University
Houston, TX · Private
B+
7.88%
Accept
$58K
Tuition
$90K
Salary
#27
Milwaukee School of Engineering
Milwaukee, WI · Private
C
60.39%
Accept
$48K
Tuition
$89K
Salary
#28
Union College
Schenectady, NY · Private
C+
43.79%
Accept
$66K
Tuition
$89K
Salary
#29
University of Maryland Baltimore
Baltimore, MD · Public
B-
$88K
Salary
#30
Providence College
Providence, RI · Private
C+
48.72%
Accept
$61K
Tuition
$87K
Salary
#31
Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia
Philadelphia, PA · Private Non-profit
C
86.39%
Accept
$51K
Tuition
$87K
Salary
#32
Saint Joseph's University - Philadelphia
Philadelphia, PA · Private
C
86.39%
Accept
$51K
Tuition
$87K
Salary
#33
The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art
New York, NY · Private
B
19.05%
Accept
$47K
Tuition
$84K
Salary
#34
University of Portland
Portland, OR · Private
C
95.39%
Accept
$55K
Tuition
$83K
Salary
#35
Wentworth Institute of Technology
Boston, MA · Private
C
85.37%
Accept
$41K
Tuition
$83K
Salary
#36
Loyola University Maryland
Baltimore, MD · Private
C
76.33%
Accept
$55K
Tuition
$83K
Salary
#37
Illinois Institute of Technology
Chicago, IL · Private
B-
55.42%
Accept
$52K
Tuition
$83K
Salary
#38
The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio
San Antonio, TX · Public
B-
$82K
Salary
#39
Denver College of Nursing
Denver, CO · Private
B-
$82K
Salary
#40
Barnard College
New York, NY · Private
B
7.96%
Accept
$66K
Tuition
$81K
Salary
#41
DigiPen Institute of Technology
Redmond, WA · Private
C
68.02%
Accept
$37K
Tuition
$80K
Salary
#42
Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center-New Orleans
New Orleans, LA · Public
C+
$78K
Salary
#43
University of Washington-Tacoma Campus
Tacoma, WA · Public
B-
82.95%
Accept
$13K
Tuition
$78K
Salary
#44
University of the Pacific
Stockton, CA · Private
C+
94.86%
Accept
$55K
Tuition
$78K
Salary
#45
Thomas Jefferson University
Philadelphia, PA · Private
C
86.14%
Accept
$46K
Tuition
$77K
Salary
#46
Butler University
Indianapolis, IN · Private
C
85.87%
Accept
$46K
Tuition
$77K
Salary
#47
Bon Secours Memorial College of Nursing
Richmond, VA · Private
C
$77K
Salary
#48
University of Nebraska Medical Center
Omaha, NE · Public
C+
$77K
Salary
#49
Middlebury College
Middlebury CDP, VT · Private
B
10.37%
Accept
$65K
Tuition
$76K
Salary
#50
University of Richmond
Richmond, VA · Private
B-
23.31%
Accept
$63K
Tuition
$76K
Salary
Methodology: Rankings are generated from verified data provided by the US Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS. We use real outcome data — not surveys. Each university is scored based on the specific criteria for this ranking category. Last updated: March 2026.
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