2026 College Rankings

Best Colleges – Best Small Colleges – New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT)

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New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT)

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Love the idea of a small class size and campus? Then a small college may be right for you! Attending one of these top best small colleges affords its students the opportunity to join a tight-knit community and a unique opportunity for your voice to be heard. For this ranking list, we counted any college with fewer than 3,000 total students enrolled (includes undergraduates and graduate students).

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Rank	Institution	Undergraduates	Acceptance Rate	SAT Score	Your Est. Net Price Avg. Net Price	Median Starting Salary	Save
1	Bowdoin College	1881	7.13	1,470 – 1,550	23110	61692	#1 Best Colleges – Best Small Colleges – New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT) Bowdoin College Brunswick, ME Bowdoin College is an extremely selective private liberal arts school. The college offers more than 40 majors, including joint Engineering programs with Columbia, Dartmouth, Caltech, and the University of Maine....Read more Undergraduates 1,881 Acceptance Rate 7.1% SAT Score 1,470 – 1,550 Avg. Net Price $23,110 Sign in to see your Estimated Net Price Median Starting Salary $61,692
2	Williams College	2101	8.25	1,500 – 1,560	16988	71754	#2 Best Colleges – Best Small Colleges – New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT) Williams College Williamstown, MA Although it was originally founded as a men’s college in 1793, Williams College is composed of 48% men and 51% women today. It was created out of the funds of Ephraim Williams, who died in the French and Indian War. The college received 15,000 applications during the last admissions cycle and accepted 1,270. Undergraduates 2,101 Acceptance Rate 8.3% SAT Score 1,500 – 1,560 Avg. Net Price $16,988 Sign in to see your Estimated Net Price Median Starting Salary $71,754
3	Amherst College	1914	9.01	1,480 – 1,570	17965	62537	#3 Best Colleges – Best Small Colleges – New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT) Amherst College Amherst, MA Amherst College is an extremely selective school. A majority of their first-year students come from NY. The third oldest institution of higher education in the state, Amherst was originally a men’s college, becoming coeducational in 1975....Read more Undergraduates 1,914 Acceptance Rate 9.0% SAT Score 1,480 – 1,570 Avg. Net Price $17,965 Sign in to see your Estimated Net Price Median Starting Salary $62,537
4	Wellesley College	2407	14.05	1,460 – 1,560	21501	65961	#4 Best Colleges – Best Small Colleges – New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT) Wellesley College Wellesley, MA Wellesley College is a private women’s liberal arts college going back to 1870. It’s the largest women’s college, and it has seen famous alumni including Hillary Clinton, Madeleine Albright, and Katharine Lee Bates. Econometrics and Quantitative Economics is the most commonly chosen area of study. Undergraduates 2,407 Acceptance Rate 14.1% SAT Score 1,460 – 1,560 Avg. Net Price $21,501 Sign in to see your Estimated Net Price Median Starting Salary $65,961
5	Franklin W Olin College of Engineering	402	23.81	1,490 – 1,560	40370	105483	#5 Best Colleges – Best Small Colleges – New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT) Franklin W Olin College of Engineering Needham, MA The Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering was established fairly recently in 1997. Half of the student’s tuition is covered by the Olin Scholarship, and students can choose from three majors: Engineering, General, Mechanical Engineering, and Electrical and Electronics Engineering....Read more Undergraduates 402 Acceptance Rate 23.8% SAT Score 1,490 – 1,560 Avg. Net Price $40,370 Sign in to see your Estimated Net Price Median Starting Salary $105,483
6	Smith College	2549	21	1,430 – 1,540	27823	45731	#6 Best Colleges – Best Small Colleges – New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT) Smith College Northampton, MA Located just west of the Connecticut River, Smith College is among the largest women’s colleges in the US. It doesn’t cost anything to apply as an undergraduate. Students enjoy a cozy 7 to 1 student-to-faculty ratio and a 94% first year retention rate. Notable alumni include Julia Child, Gloria Steinman, and Sylvia Plath. Undergraduates 2,549 Acceptance Rate 21.0% SAT Score 1,430 – 1,540 Avg. Net Price $27,823 Sign in to see your Estimated Net Price Median Starting Salary $45,731
7	Middlebury College	2760	10.75	1,460 – 1,550	22912	57291	#7 Best Colleges – Best Small Colleges – New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT) Middlebury College Middlebury, VT The first operating higher education institution in Vermont was Middlebury College, founded in 1800. It’s also the first in the United States to award a bachelor’s degree to an African American (in 1823). Although it was originally all-male, the school started admitting women in 1883. Undergraduates 2,760 Acceptance Rate 10.8% SAT Score 1,460 – 1,550 Avg. Net Price $22,912 Sign in to see your Estimated Net Price Median Starting Salary $57,291
8	Bates College	1760	13.32	1,380 – 1,510	26658	59202	#8 Best Colleges – Best Small Colleges – New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT) Bates College Lewiston, ME Bates College, the first coeducational college in New England, was founded in 1855. It also admitted minority students before the Emancipation Proclamation. An extremely selective school, Bates has a 91% first year retention rate, 88% four-year graduation rate, and a 9 to 1 student-to-faculty ratio. Undergraduates 1,760 Acceptance Rate 13.3% SAT Score 1,380 – 1,510 Avg. Net Price $26,658 Sign in to see your Estimated Net Price Median Starting Salary $59,202
9	Colby College	2412	7.09	1,460 – 1,540	15163	60052	#9 Best Colleges – Best Small Colleges – New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT) Colby College Waterville, ME Colby College is a private liberal arts school and home to the Perkins Arboretum and Bird Sanctuary. It boasts a strong student-to-faculty of 10 to 1, a 93% first year retention rate, and an 81% four-year graduation rate....Read more Undergraduates 2,412 Acceptance Rate 7.1% SAT Score 1,460 – 1,540 Avg. Net Price $15,163 Sign in to see your Estimated Net Price Median Starting Salary $60,052