Advertisement Compare the 200 top values in liberal-arts colleges or private universities, or create your own custom lists of colleges from our rankings or schools from a particular state. Use the arrows at the top of any column of data to rank any list of colleges by cost and financial-aid measures. For more information on a particular college, click the college's name. SEE ALSO: College Finder Map| SPECIAL REPORT: Kiplinger's College Rankings| How We Rank the Best College Values| FAQs on Our Rankings of Best College Values Select category: Private UniversitiesLiberal Arts CollegesPublic CollegesAll Colleges Liberal Arts Colleges Rank Name State Admit rate 4-yr grad. rate Total cost per yr. Avg need-based aid Avg non-need-based aid % of non-need-based aid† Avg debt at graduation Salaryyardstick# 35Claremont McKenna College, ClaremontCA9%86%$70,245$42,445$15,74410%$23,375$75,000 32Harvey Mudd College, ClaremontCA138573,27839,79911,8224125,41274,200 4Washington and Lee University, LexingtonVA248863,88042,29234,7661426,39772,300 33Lafayette College, EastonPA288567,64040,28527,3581229,32467,500 40Bucknell University, LewisburgPA308468,03628,90011,8171822,60066,200 13College of the Holy Cross, WorcesterMA388965,32035,52140,213225,44665,200 52Union College, SchenectadyNY378168,10936,74810,5445833,04563,200 31Colgate University, HamiltonNY298568,54045,7240021,42761,300 18University of Richmond, RichmondVA328463,83039,87422,6583227,67060,700 5Wellesley College, WellesleyMA298667,78445,1780013,41560,100 9Amherst College, AmherstMA148669,50050,3800018,66259,700 11Hamilton College, ClintonNY268967,17041,8250021,49159,400 85Saint John's University, CollegevilleMN887254,47228,25516,4537740,27259,100 56Trinity College, HartfordCT348069,97044,81229,420629,50658,800 12Bowdoin College, BrunswickME158966,82042,2061,000423,12058,700 3Pomona College, ClaremontCA99268,12546,0395,0000‡18,73856,600 23Barnard College, New YorkNY178369,91243,1830022,01556,400 17Haverford College, HaverfordPA218671,61446,0090013,00056,300 30Bates College, LewistonME238467,62041,4780022,84555,700 50Illinois Wesleyan University, BloomingtonIL587457,23025,89218,2409334,99955,600 21Middlebury College, MiddleburyVT168568,46445,0355,0000‡18,73655,600 62Muhlenberg College, AllentownPA488163,55029,76012,8177231,06355,300 28Colby College, WatervilleME198467,51543,9069,595327,95355,000 46Dickinson College, CarlislePA438167,36137,81710,9183626,90854,800 1Davidson College, DavidsonNC209064,90341,99825,5721420,43154,600 6Williams College, WilliamstownMA188668,50048,8850015,49654,100 45Franklin & Marshall College, LancasterPA368469,36042,7196,820327,13353,600 81Wabash College, CrawfordsvilleIN636453,10026,37419,9289637,49553,600 55Connecticut College, New LondonCT358168,44037,7450027,51453,400 51Gettysburg College, GettysburgPA438465,71034,20812,2794331,16953,400 24Bryn Mawr College, Bryn MawrPA407867,41040,31514,5333523,08153,100 22Carleton College, NorthfieldMN238867,23738,3824,5841122,64152,600 2Swarthmore College, SwarthmorePA138867,11045,53648,720222,95752,500 8Vassar College, PoughkeepsieNY278769,01047,1760018,46251,400 98Drew University, MadisonNJ575764,36236,37121,9877324,96450,800 43DePauw University, GreencastleIN657861,26734,85917,3509122,77050,700 93College of Saint Benedict, Saint JosephMN888055,48028,59817,8148339,53650,000 61Wofford College, SpartanburgSC707855,29530,78316,2437031,10250,000 72Southwestern University, GeorgetownTX456653,03028,97520,6229332,80150,000 60Occidental College, Los AngelesCA467669,03639,27910,5532729,94049,700 44Scripps College, ClaremontCA308070,06037,36110,993520,20549,700 38Rhodes College, MemphisTN547758,98731,00222,7038825,85949,600 10Wesleyan University, MiddletownCT188768,17042,45731,571122,49549,200 92Willamette University, SalemOR787161,00829,68921,0567929,95849,100 83Lake Forest College, Lake ForestIL576456,60032,75818,9798330,54049,000 69Augustana College, Rock IslandIL527152,22223,44419,4048433,54748,500 47Denison University, GranvilleOH447963,97034,57620,7109628,83348,400 75Austin College, ShermanTX536452,40929,09122,3559535,47948,300 57Kalamazoo College, KalamazooMI667357,05529,99819,5588427,65347,800 34St. Olaf College, NorthfieldMN458557,43030,46314,9426127,94547,300 48Skidmore College, Saratoga SpringsNY298567,90040,30012,800125,00147,100 29Pitzer College, ClaremontCA148369,50040,4476,187221,56947,100 91Spelman College, AtlantaGA367143,64212,41035,697338,43046,800 100Wheaton College, NortonMA627664,75830,73715,0977533,28046,700 25Whitman College, Walla WallaWA518363,70432,95210,3145318,08946,600 82St. Lawrence University, CantonNY438167,39634,11519,1748337,91946,500 87Millsaps College, JacksonMS597053,53026,99722,9819131,41946,300 37Mount Holyoke College, South HadleyMA527862,95032,77324,2443723,87246,100 71Furman University, GreenvilleSC687862,32835,50820,4727636,84645,900 95Birmingham-Southern College, BirminghamAL485349,4007,89221,0989927,77645,600 76College of Wooster, WoosterOH587161,00031,59922,8287729,65045,400 36Macalester College, St. PaulMN378465,25937,39213,7523623,87545,300 27Wheaton College, WheatonIL798245,79620,6226,3434627,35445,200 20Smith College, NorthamptonMA378667,57441,78616,4731423,85744,900 78University of Dallas, IrvingTX646651,82626,01614,9679832,92144,500 15Grinnell College, GrinnellIA208164,01439,44417,0265318,78044,300 26Kenyon College, GambierOH278967,74039,89716,7992126,74644,300 77William Jewell College, LibertyMO515944,06021,40617,5849331,18344,200 19Centre College, DanvilleKY748552,18028,88020,6899126,74044,100 97Coe College, Cedar RapidsIA506252,57028,61023,1756435,78244,100 68Lewis & Clark College, PortlandOR557462,03431,82815,5387229,91343,600 64Hope College, HollandMI846843,76019,2448,5275733,96943,500 94Ohio Wesleyan University, DelawareOH726251,69030,71623,3699535,22143,500 79Luther College, DecorahIA687251,03023,96019,1847735,64243,500 80Hanover College, HanoverIN576748,95024,74119,3059529,74542,500 16Colorado College, Colorado SpringsCO168266,12442,45113,5731020,74241,900 54Transylvania University, LexingtonKY957148,45024,19617,5139430,51441,700 59Lawrence University, AppletonWI636457,03331,61721,1248734,75041,700 89Beloit College, BeloitWI706458,14230,13322,9628028,33241,500 84Cornell College, Mount VernonIA716451,32926,64219,8769431,97541,200 41Sewanee: The University of the South, SewaneeTN447959,20027,34112,2756524,43140,600 73Hendrix College, ConwayAR776457,09631,30925,9079030,21340,600 53Oberlin College, OberlinOH287269,20837,05914,4347727,11440,200 7Thomas Aquinas College, Santa PaulaCA757632,50014,2250016,98640,100 65Sarah Lawrence College, BronxvilleNY507669,46634,79915,1784619,77239,900 63Houghton College, HoughtonNY756441,55819,45715,0997923,27739,900 70Knox College, GalesburgIL656955,52431,00619,1218730,63838,200 66Reed College, PortlandOR316668,92039,9150019,62737,900 90Goshen College, GoshenIN685644,60021,78415,4306627,53437,000 58Agnes Scott College, DecaturGA656753,06528,81126,0298434,02236,500 67Earlham College, RichmondIN586556,67034,09717,1834225,78434,500 74St. John's College, AnnapolisMD537064,65936,35519,1129034,21234,400 99Hollins University, RoanokeVA605052,00529,00126,6638734,41432,200 49Berea College, BereaKY33487,234*4,949007,06231,800 96St. John's College, Santa FeNM634364,65832,45516,25010027,79029,900 88Marlboro College, MarlboroVT965952,61130,26617,9377331,74726,100 86College of the Atlantic, Bar HarborME654853,88935,18913,4445126,72324,300 14Hillsdale College, HillsdaleMI457338,5527,27513,1599226,941NA 39Christendom College, Front RoyalVA878936,25612,51110,4524227,005NA 42Principia College, ElsahIL916141,35027,44723,3019221,260NA Cost Data - through November 17, 2017# - Based on the median earnings of workers who started at a particular college 10 years earlier and who received federal financial aid. The data don't consider whether the student graduated or went on to graduate school.† - Percentage of all undergraduates without need who received non-need-based aid.‡ - Number of students who received non-need-based aid is less than 0.5%.NA - Not available.* All students admitted receive a 4-year tuition scholarship of $25,200 for the 2017-18 academic year.SOURCES - Peterson's Databases (© 2018 Peterson's LLC. All rights reserved.), U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Licensing Options Logo Licensing Reprints/E-Prints Products/Plaques