The Top 50 Best Colleges in the US is College Raptor’s most prestigious rankings list. Updated annually, these schools are celebrated for their rich histories, stunning campuses, excellent academics, and vibrant student life. The institutions on this list are known for both academic excellence and impressive extracurricular opportunities, making them “dream schools” for students around the world. Use these rankings as a jumping-off point for you to create your own personalized rankings using our college match tool.
Each of these rankings is based on an analysis of data about the school’s selectivity, financial health, graduation rates, student success, and more. We’ve outlined our full methodology here.
| Rank | Institution | Undergraduates | Acceptance Rate | SAT Score | Your Est. Net Price Avg. Net Price | Median Starting Salary | Save |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Davidson College | 1869 | 13.37 | 1,400 – 1,520 | 26510 | 62866 |
#1
Davidson College
|
| 2 | Lafayette College | 2775 | 31.45 | 1,370 – 1,490 | 34728 | 80614 |
#2
Lafayette College
|
| 3 | Rhodes College | 1793 | 50.35 | 1,320 – 1,460 | 30590 | 48898 |
Rhodes College
|
| 4 | Trinity University | 2518 | 25.92 | 1,330 – 1,490 | 32264 | 55224 |
#4
Trinity University
|
| 5 | Macalester College | 2144 | 28.52 | 1,350 – 1,500 | 38571 | 46244 |
Macalester College
|
| 6 | University of Tulsa | 2852 | 61.5 | 1,220 – 1,510 | 23681 | 54779 |
University of Tulsa
|
| 7 | Agnes Scott College | 843 | 62.15 | 1,180 – 1,370 | 25609 | 41382 |
Agnes Scott College
|
| 8 | Westminster College | 1136 | 92.56 | 1,130 – 1,250 | 21089 | 43938 |
Westminster College
|
| 9 | Austin College | 1167 | 47.65 | 1,110 – 1,320 | 24777 | 45242 |
Austin College
|
| 10 | Hanover College | 962 | 83.97 | 1,090 – 1,290 | 22929 | 42876 |
Hanover College
|
| 11 | Eckerd College | 1893 | 75.8 | 1,170 – 1,340 | 40122 | 37505 |
Eckerd College
|
| 12 | Alma College | 1159 | 57 | 970 – 1,200 | 24862 | 45720 |
Alma College
|
| 13 | Carroll University | 2581 | 66.84 | 1,070 – 1,280 | 25171 | 54456 |
Carroll University
|
| 14 | Queens University of Charlotte | 1225 | 56.51 | 1,150 – 1,320 | 27178 | 48170 |
Queens University of Charlotte
|
| 15 | Coe College | 1195 | 64.04 | 1,090 – 1,330 | 20940 | 47136 |
Coe College
|
| 16 | Buena Vista University | 810 | 77.61 | 1,010 – 1,240 | 18156 | 43572 |
Buena Vista University
|
| 17 | Waynesburg University | 1088 | 91.69 | 980 – 1,220 | 22837 | 48994 |
Waynesburg University
|
| 18 | Presbyterian College | 853 | 68.37 | 990 – 1,220 | 20058 | 44387 |
Presbyterian College
|
| 19 | Illinois College | 940 | 78.19 | 910 – 1,200 | 17255 | 40110 |
Illinois College
|
| 20 | Monmouth College | 727 | 86.6 | 1,020 – 1,240 | 19088 | 43158 |
Monmouth College
|
| 21 | Maryville College | 1136 | 60.92 | 1,040 – 1,300 | 20990 | 39305 |
Maryville College
|
| 22 | Muskingum University | 1524 | 81.84 | 930 – 1,110 | 20269 | 40536 |
Muskingum University
|
| 23 | Mary Baldwin University | 1217 | 87.1 | 980 – 1,220 | 18838 | 39075 |
Mary Baldwin University
|
| 24 | Wilson College | 1180 | 95.32 | 960 – 1,120 | 21567 | 37049 |
Wilson College
|
| 25 | Belhaven University | 1453 | 53.25 | 980 – 1,150 | 22145 | 38987 |
Belhaven University
|
| 26 | University of the Ozarks | 782 | 59.51 | 1,040 – 1,200 | 16651 | 37651 |
University of the Ozarks
|
| 27 | University of Jamestown | 1049 | 88.08 | 930 – 1,180 | 20897 | 51151 |
University of Jamestown
|
| 28 | Lyon College | 584 | 65.54 | 1,080 – 1,240 | 22675 | 37629 |
Lyon College
|
| 29 | Hastings College | 936 | 65.4 | 970 – 1,270 | 21821 | 45590 |
Hastings College
|
| 30 | William Peace University | 722 | 94.25 | 1,100 – 1,240 | 24503 | 39738 |
William Peace University
|
| 31 | Westminster College | 593 | 77.58 | 970 – 1,140 | 26780 | 40992 |
Westminster College
|
| 32 | University of Dubuque | 1417 | 88.63 | 950 – 1,200 | 25216 | 44960 |
University of Dubuque
|
| 33 | Lees-McRae College | 873 | 76.85 | 1,040 – 1,240 | 26009 | 41599 |
Lees-McRae College
|
| 34 | Schreiner University | 1120 | 85.3 | 820 – 1,050 | 21786 | 45527 |
Schreiner University
|
| 35 | King University | 966 | 99.72 | 930 – 1,140 | 23282 | 52248 |
King University
|
| 36 | Blackburn College | 389 | 80.14 | 890 – 1,150 | 21349 | 36665 |
Blackburn College
|
| 37 | Davis & Elkins College | 683 | 58.23 | 760 – 1,040 | 19762 | 38495 |
Davis & Elkins College
|
| 38 | University of Pikeville | 1353 | 88.08 | 930 – 1,180 | 13819 | 34508 |
University of Pikeville
|
| 39 | Tusculum University | 1022 | 60.42 | 930 – 1,140 | 22961 | 39925 |
Tusculum University
|
| 40 | Stillman College | 779 | 74.22 | 890 – 970 | 12479 | 29790 |
Stillman College
|
| 41 | Missouri Valley College | 1558 | 52.69 | 900 – 1,120 | 18396 | 36902 |
Missouri Valley College
|
School data is from 2022–2023 (top 500 results shown) for schools with at least 100 undergraduate students.
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