The term dates back to medieval times when the seven most essential fields of study fit for free (or “liberal”) people were arithmetic, astronomy, geometry, music, grammar, rhetoric, and logic. Over the centuries, other subjects — engineering, literature, history — have joined this list.

Today, college brochures and websites boast “the best liberal arts education” or “the largest selection of liberal arts degrees.” Many liberal arts schools have gained a reputation for selective admissions and academic excellence. But what does it all mean? What does a liberal arts education even look like, let alone its “best” form?

We want to clarify these claims and more, putting liberal arts in its proper context alongside other forms of higher education. We’ll discuss the pros and cons of liberal arts colleges and describe the current top 10 according to Niche.com, a comprehensive ranking site based on student/alumni reviews and data from the U.S. Department of Education.

Liberal arts colleges aren’t for everyone. By the end of this article, you’ll be able to decide — based on your own needs and interests — if this type of school is right for you.

Definition & Meaning of a Liberal Arts College

Today, liberal arts colleges refer to the American model of higher education that focuses on undergraduate study.

Instead of a professional or technical curriculum, liberal arts colleges take a broad approach to the arts, humanities, STEM, and social sciences instead of preparing students for a certain occupation. Even if a student majors in a particular field — chemistry, for instance — they still get exposure to other subjects in the form of an open curriculum or required courses.

That said, some liberal arts colleges still have courses or departments in fields that are technical in nature, such as computer science. By the same token, most university B.A. degrees follow liberal arts curriculum without necessarily being labeled “liberal arts” degrees.

The goal of liberal arts is to nurture critical thinking and prepare students for a variety of careers. Thus, small class sizes allow students to participate more in class discussions, and professors are generally more involved in teaching than research.

Students usually live on campus in residential clusters, forming tight-knit communities within the student body. Given their small size, these colleges also tend to share resources. For example, the Tri-College Consortium among Philadelphia liberal arts colleges Haverford, Bryn Mawr, and Swarthmore allows cross-enrollment and fosters an integrated student life.

The Pros & Cons of a Liberal Arts College

Pros

A liberal arts education equips people with a diverse arsenal of knowledge. For example, an English major will learn literary analysis and writing as well as history, philosophy, and political science. Liberal arts education encompasses more than the immediate subject, and that makes the degree more versatile.

In fact, these are just some career options open to an English major: lawyer, journalist, TV scriptwriter, high school English teacher, technical writer, content marketer, publisher, editor, or freelancer writing for a variety of industries. Some of these require additional degrees, but liberal arts help prepare for those, too.

Small class sizes also spark dynamic, outside-the-box thinking — essential for today’s job market. According to the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AACU), 93% of employers hiring college grads value critical thinking and problem-solving skills more than the student’s major. 

Cons

A common complaint about liberal arts colleges is that they don’t prepare people for a specific career like professional colleges do. Because of the breadth of their education, liberal arts grads generally have less direct, hands-on skills than their professional degree counterparts. Thus they tend to be less employable and less paid.

Poor return on investment, low starting salaries, and post-graduate underemployment are the main reasons why people may be hesitant to get a liberal arts degree. But after we go over the following 10 best liberal arts schools, we’ll put these pros and cons in context.

List & Ranking of Liberal Arts Colleges

Here are the top 10 liberal arts colleges in the country, according to Niche.com.

10. Amherst College (Amherst, MA)

True to its liberal arts mission, Amherst exclusively awards bachelor of arts degrees on the basis of an open curriculum.

This means that students can choose from 40 majors (or 850+ courses) in STEM, arts, humanities, social science, foreign language, and interdisciplinary fields. Students have the option of designing their own major, freshmen may take advanced classes, and seniors can take introductory ones.

The 7:1 student to faculty ratio ensures that the majority of classes have fewer than 30 students, who get plenty of individual attention. Amherst faculty — which has historically included poet Robert Frost — is dedicated to nurturing each student’s unique strengths.

Amherst is also part of the Five College Consortium, allowing students to enroll in courses at four other nearby liberal arts colleges: Mount Holyoke College, Smith College, Hampshire College, and the University of Massachusetts Amherst. These institutions offer thousands of additional classes at no extra tuition.

9. Washington & Lee University (Lexington, VA)

Located south of Washington, D.C. in historic Lexington, Virginia, Washington & Lee is a unique liberal arts institution in many ways.

Instead of the usual two-term semester, it operates on a three-term system: 13-week fall and winter terms followed by a four-week spring term. Called “Immersion,” this term is an opportunity for students to take eclectic courses that jog their curiosity. Faculty design the courses themselves based on the topics they most want to teach: freedom rides throughout the Civil Rights South, the physics of music, code-breaking in mathematics and history, the politics of Barack Obama, the stem cell controversy, and more.

W&L is also characterized by a traditional honors system, whereby students pledge to act honorably in and out of the classroom. Exams are usually unproctored and self-scheduled, even those that are closed-book.

Unlike in many liberal arts colleges, which have small or nonexistent Greek life, over 80% of W&L students are involved in fraternities or sororities.

8. Colby College (Waterville, ME)

Like W&L’s Immersion term, Colby’s “Jan-plan” gives students a few weeks between fall and spring semesters to intern, take courses, or participate in research.

The Davis Institute for Artificial Intelligence at Colby is the first AI institute at a liberal arts college. It has been featured on NPR’s Marketplace for its innovative integration of AI into all courses of study at the college.

The school recently added a new English major concentration — literature and the environment — to deepen interdisciplinary dialogue. Students apply their analytical and writing skills to issues of environmental and social inequities.

Colby is also home to a Museum of Art, which serves as a teaching venue and local cultural institution for Maine residents and visitors. The space displays a diverse collection of American art, including an entire wing dedicated to works by American painter Alex Katz.

7. Haverford College (Haverford, PA)

Haverford College is also famous for its student-run honor code, allowing students to schedule their own exams within constraints. Students also benefit from being part of the Tri-College Consortium with Swarthmore and Bryn Mawr, as well as the Quaker Consortium, which includes Ivy League University of Pennsylvania. Haverford students can cross-enroll and, depending on availability, major in departments at these other schools.

The Haverford College Arboretum is the oldest collegiate arboretum in the country and encompasses the entire campus. Scenic trails wind through wide, open spaces, including a duck pond and flower gardens.

Greek life is not a part of Haverford, but there are over 145 student organizations — a lot for such a small school. The athletic division is home to the only varsity cricket team in the U.S., and the men’s soccer team dates back to 1901. 

Notable alumni include Emmy award-winning journalist Juan Williams, actor Daniel Dae Kim, and Nobel Peace Prize winner and Olympic medalist Philip Noel-Baker.

6. Williams College (Williamstown, MA)

Williams tops the U.S. News list of best national liberal arts colleges.

Oxford-style tutorials are a big reason why. Over a full semester, students are paired and guided by a professor in a given area of study. The tutorial depends heavily on independent research and participation, usually culminating in a co-authored publication.

The emphasis on student-driven education makes Williams an especially ideal place to learn. Like Colby’s “Jan-plan,” Winter Study allows Williams students to take unique courses, take short-term trips, do research, or intern. Diverse course offerings — which have included Social Life of Fashion and Taichi — provide a change of pace from the regular term, nurturing pure curiosity rather than the hard skills required of one’s major.

Williams’ world-class faculty have included Pulitzer Prize winner Elizabeth Kolbert, author Clara Claiborne Park, and theoretical physicist William Wootters.

5. United States Military Academy at West Point (West Point, NY)

Admittedly, a military academy does not come first to mind when people think of liberal arts colleges. But it makes perfect sense.

Military personnel are often called to act on the spot, to rely on their instincts. A liberal arts education — adaptable, wide-ranging, problem-solving — is best equipped to foster these instincts.

West Point cadets go through academic, military, physical, and moral/ethical training over the course of their four-year program. Academically, cadets learn through the Thayer Method: independent study reinforced or clarified by class discussion.

All cadets receive the same base-level instruction in mathematics, IT, chemistry, physics, engineering, history, geography, philosophy, leadership, psychology, English, foreign language, political science, international relations, economics, and constitutional law. From there, they are free to choose a specific course of study, all of which result in a B.S. degree.

Famous alumni include astronaut Buzz Aldrin, current secretary of defense Lloyd Austin, and former presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower and Ulysses S. Grant.

4. Carleton College (Northfield, MN)

Instead of an open curriculum, Carleton prescribes a comprehensive list of undergraduate degree requirements. Courses include argument & inquiry, quantitative reasoning, global citizenship, and physical education.

Carleton is also known for its quirky school traditions, which include finding and stealing a plaster bust of German poet Friedrich Schiller. The practice is so well-known that Schiller made an appearance on The Colbert Report.

Carleton hums with as much academic achievement as personality. Every senior caps off their studies with Comps, a comprehensive research project that exceeds the scope and complexity of all other coursework. This project takes the form of research papers, lectures, posters, musical compositions, paintings, computer programs, and more.

Notable Carleton alumni include former Supreme Court Justice Pierce Butler, abortion rights activist Dr. Jane Elizabeth Hodgson, and NBA basketball player Freddie Gillespie.

3. Harvey Mudd College (Claremont, CA)

A common misconception about liberal arts is that it focuses primarily on arts and humanities. Harvey Mudd College blows that assumption out of the water. 

With an emphasis on science and engineering, Harvey Mudd is part of the Claremont College consortium, which lets students cross-enroll at six other colleges. However, all Harvey Mudd students must go through the Common Core: computer science, engineering, biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, writing, and critical inquiry.

Harvey Mudd grads are rewarded for their hard work when they enter the workforce. In 2016, Business Insider crowned Harvey Mudd the #1 college for helping students land high-paying jobs.

Notable alumni include SQL co-inventor Donald Chamberlin, game designer Sean “Day9” Plott, and astronauts Stan Love and George “Pinky” Nelson.

2. Bowdoin College (Brunswick, ME)

Bowdoin is a small liberal arts college on the northeastern tip of the U.S., but its connections with other prestigious institutions mean that Bowdoin students are far from isolated.

Engineering students can choose from dual degree programs at Columbia, Caltech, Dartmouth, and the University of Maine. The athletic and academic Colby-Bates-Bowdoin Consortium gives all Bowdoin students access to the libraries of these three schools.

In 1969, Bowdoin was first in the nation to pave the way for SAT/ACT test-optional admissions. Bowdoin is also the birthplace of one of the most revered literary societies, the Peucinian Society. Poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow founded it in 1805, and it remains Bowdoin’s oldest student society today.

In addition to Longfellow, famous alumni include novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne, former U.S. president Franklin Pierce, and Subway co-founder Peter Buck.

1. Pomona College (Claremont, CA)

Like Harvey Mudd, Pomona is part of the elite Claremont College consortium, along with undergraduate colleges Pitzer, Claremont McKenna, and Scripps as well as graduate schools Claremont Graduate University and Keck Graduate Institute.

Founders of Pomona College envisioned a “college of the New England type,” which explains its similarities to many elite New England universities. Its 7% acceptance rate gives the Ivy League schools a run for their money, and every degree program requires a breadth of courses in different fields. 

Thanks to the Claremont Colleges system, students enjoy the resources of a large research university without sacrificing the intimate environment of a small liberal arts college. In contrast to Harvey Mudd, the most popular majors at Pomona reflect a more diverse landscape of interests: economics, mathematics, computer science, neuroscience, and politics.

Notable faculty have included kabuki expert Leonard Pronko, NBA basketball coach Gregg Popovich, and poet Claudia Rankine. Pomona grads include Nobel Prize-winning biochemist Jennifer Doudna, singer-songwriter Kris Kristofferson, and Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Mary Schmich.

Should You Go to a Liberal Arts College?

Liberal arts colleges focus on holistic undergraduate education, let students and faculty form close bonds, benefit from partnerships with other colleges, and award versatile degrees. But does that mean liberal arts colleges are right for you?

It depends on what you’re looking for in a college and — beyond that — a career. Liberal arts colleges are great for people who have a general idea of what they want to study or do, but they’re open to different industries.

For example, someone passionate about biology might not yet know whether they want to become a doctor, teacher, science journalist, or something else entirely. A liberal arts institution would broaden that person’s horizons and give them exposure to healthcare, education, journalism, and more. By graduation, they have a better idea of the right career path and have adaptable problem-solving skills.

On the other hand, if you’re set on a specific career, such as nursing, and don’t particularly care about having close relationships with professors, you may not want to go to a liberal arts college. Perhaps you prefer the bustling environment and dynamic Greek life of a big public university. Maybe you want to go straight into a professional nursing program, getting a job right out of school.

Many claim that liberal arts colleges prepare people for life, not work; learning takes precedence over career. The opposite is true for professional or vocational schools, which train students in specific skills for specific careers.

Only you can decide what type of college is right for you.

The post What is a Liberal Arts College? Definition, Ranking, and More appeared first on collegegazette.com.

This list of the best liberal arts colleges in California is designed to help students and families looking for a top-notch liberal arts education in “The Golden State.” 

Liberal arts colleges offer a unique student experience and an outstanding education. They are usually smaller than public universities and focus on helping students grow into well-rounded thinkers rather than simply training them for a specific career. Because most liberal arts schools are primarily undergraduate, students don’t have to worry about significant resources poured into the graduate students.

Each of the 10 liberal arts colleges reviewed in this article ranks in the US News National Liberal Arts Colleges list; each school’s ranking is based on where they rank on the US News list. 

Without further ado, here are the 10 best liberal arts colleges in California. 

10. Westmont College (Santa Barbara, CA)

We’ll begin our review with Westmont College in sunny Santa Barbara, CA. Westmont is a non-denominational Christian liberal arts college with a mission to create thoughtful scholars and faithful leaders.  

Westmont offers 30 liberal arts majors, with business and marketing being two of the most popular. In addition to on-campus programs, Westmont also provides various semester-long off-campus programs in several diverse locations, including Israel, Costa Rica, and Washington DC.

Tradition is an integral part of the Westmont College experience. Each year, the student body gathers for “Spring Sing,” a night of comedic musical skits written and performed by Westmont students. These types of campus activities make Westmont an excellent choice for students looking for a close-knit community in addition to a top-tier liberal arts education.  

9. Whittier College (Whittier, CA)

Next on the list is Whittier College, a private liberal arts college of approximately 1,700 students in Southern California. Ranked among the top 100 liberal arts colleges nationwide by Washington Monthly, Whittier is an ideal choice for a student seeking a tightly-knit, primarily undergraduate experience with not only rigorous academics, but also incredible and consistent sunny weather.

Students at Whittier can choose from one of 30 department majors, or they can build their very own major through the Whittier Scholars program. This Scholars program sets Whittier apart from other liberal arts colleges by providing students engagement in hands-on learning experiences, helping each students discover their passions with guidance from the faculty mentors.  

For a small liberal arts college, Whittier manages to have a diverse student body. Although most students at Whitter are from California, students in 2017 came from 27 states and 14 different countries.

8. Thomas Aquinas College (Santa Paula, CA)

The following school on this list, Thomas Aquinas College, is a remarkable institution with a unique twist: there are no majors or minors at Thomas Aquinas! 

You heard that right: Thomas Aquinas eschews traditional notions of college majors and minors in favor of the “Great Books” approach, an educational method where textbooks are replaced by classic works literature. The philosophy behind this is simple: Thomas Aquinas wants to educate students with primary source material from the greatest minds instead of secondary source summaries.

Because of Thomas Aquinas’ Great Books approach, classes frequently comprise of ongoing conversations around Homer, Plato, and Aristotle’s original writings. Perhaps the most unique liberal arts college in California, Thomas Aquinas’s singular dedication to shaping the free-thinking mind makes it an exciting choice for the advanced collegiate student.

7. Occidental College (Los Angeles, CA)

Number 7 on the list is Occidental College, a campus tucked in the hills of Los Angeles’ Eagle Rock community. Occidental is a modern campus, complete with state-of-the-art facilities, preserved historic buildings, and an unbeatable setting in one of the world’s busiest metropolitan areas.

One of Occidental’s flagship initiatives is the Kahne United Nations Program. In this program, students move for a semester to New York City to participate in prestigious internships at United Nations agencies and other related NGOs. For students interested in unique diplomacy opportunities, this specific program represents an opportunity unrivaled by most other liberal arts colleges in the country.

Occidental’s alumni are among the most impressive of any liberal arts college. They include Pulitzer, Nobel, Academy Award, BAFTA, and Emmy Award recipients. Additionally, US President Barack Obama attended Occidental College in 1979.

6. Pitzer College (Claremont, CA)

Next on the list is Pitzer College in Claremont, a unique liberal arts college priding itself on equipping students to enter the world as socially responsible global citizens. To this end, Pitzer students and faculty are known for community involvement, with the student body volunteering for, collectively, 100,000 service hours each year.   

Pitzer is well-known as one of the “Claremont” schools, a consortium of five liberal arts colleges among the world’s highest-ranked schools. Unsurprisingly, every single Claremont College is on this list of California liberal arts colleges.

So what makes Pitzer stand out from other top-tier colleges? Turning to student reviews posted throughout the internet, we can see Pitzer’s environment is both supportive and diverse all at once. Additionally, Pitzer students benefit from all the Claremont Colleges’ collective resources, collaborating with peers and utilizing facilities at all five schools.

Tradition is integral to the Pitzer experience, with events like the Kohoutek Music and Arts Festival, which began in 1974, bringing all Pitzer and Claremont Consortium community members together in celebration each year. This student-run music festival has grown over the years and now includes street performers, vendors, and even a farmers market.  

5. Soka University of America (Aliso Viejo, CA)

Few schools in America have risen as quickly in status as Soka University of America. Only in existence for 20 years, considered extremely young in the timeline of colleges and universities, Soka has already acquired an endowment of over $1 billion dollars and a top-30 ranking nationwide in the liberal arts colleges category by US News. 

What makes the Soka experience profound and unique for their students? For one, Soka is a university instilling global values and experiences into its students. To this end, all Soka students are required to participate in a study-abroad program to graduate. This semester-abroad experience occurs in the junior year at no extra cost to the student above normally-paid tuition. Destinations available for study-abroad opportunities include China, France, Japan, and Spain.

A holistic, global education does not end at the Soka study-abroad experience. One unique initiative, The Soka Fulbright Advising Program, is yet another way Soka is committed to educating global citizens. In 2020, two Soka students were awarded prestigious Fulbright scholarships for overseas study.  

4. Scripps College (Claremont, CA)

The all-female school in the Claremont Consortium, Scripps College offers a unique experience for women seeking an incredible liberal arts education. In fact, Scripps is among the top-ranked residential women’s liberal arts colleges in the nation by a number of publications. Though the entire student body at Scripps is female, demographics showcase exceptional diversity, with more than 40% of students being POC and 5% of students traveling internationally to attend Scripps. 

Speaking of diversity, Scripps is home to the IDEA Initiative, a program tackling diversity and inclusion issues head-on. Tuesday Noon, an IDEA Initiative program, is a weekly hour-long thought-provoking presentation given by faculty and visiting scholars. These events are widely attended by students and are also open to the greater community.  

As a Claremont College Consortium member, students from Scripps attend community events and take classes at other Claremont college campuses. This offers a wide variety of opportunities for the students at Scripps.  

3. Harvey Mudd College (Claremont, CA)

Every school in the Claremont Consortium has its own personality, with Harvey Mudd’s best described as the “tinkerer.” Harvey Mudd prides itself on growing students to be thinkers, creators, and makers. To this end, Harvey Mudd is constructing a new, state-of-the-art building, the McGregor Computer Science Center, a 36,000 square-foot construction complete with classrooms and advanced facilities for the growing Computer Science department. 

Harvey Mudd’s philosophy as a college is to extend students learning capacities well past the classroom. To this end, students at Harvey Mudd participate in the “Clinic Program,” an outstanding program for Harvey Mudd juniors and seniors. The Clinic program allows “Mudders,” as Harvey Mudd students are called, to channel their drive and intelligence into real-world situations and projects. Projects are technology-based with deep integration in computer science, engineering, mathematics, physics, and related disciplines. 

It’s not all work at Harvey Mudd; Mudders are known for being quirky, fun, and, just like students at Pitzer and Scripps, engaged in social and community events put on by all colleges within the Claremont Consortium.  

2. Claremont McKenna College (Claremont, CA)

Another college in the Claremont Consortium, Claremont McKenna is located on a tucked away, tree-lined campus 30 miles east of Los Angeles. Practicing “need-blind” admission, Claremont McKenna attracts a highly diverse, highly accomplished student body.  

One of Claremont McKenna’s most exciting initiatives is their Center for Global Education. As a college committed to developing global leaders, the CMU Center for Global Education offers hundreds of opportunities to engage in diverse study opportunities. One of the Center’s signature programs, known simply as “The Washington Program,” allows students to step into our nation’s capital for a semester while engaging in independent study, learning at institutions like the Pentagon and the National Library.  

Another initiative through the Center for Global Education, “The Silicon Valley Program,” prepares students for both technology and entrepreneurship through real word Silicon Valley learning experiences. Silicon Valley Program students are provided with the opportunity to meet corporate executives at top tech companies and work side-by-side with silicon valley employees during co-op-style internships.  

1. Pomona College (Claremont, CA)

Pomona is widely regarded as not only the best liberal arts college in California, but among the very best colleges in the entire world.  Pomona boasts a very close-knit campus community where the lines between living and learning are often blurred. True to this statement, 94% of students live on campus all four years, and the majority of professors also live less than 5 miles from school.

The final member of the Claremont Consortium on this list, Pomona students can choose from more than 250 clubs and more than 2000 classes at any of the five schools at Pomona. There is certainly no shortage of opportunity for the driven student.

So what makes Pomona such an incredible school? It is the most selective of all the Claremont Colleges, with an acceptance rate of just 7.4%. Additionally, students selected for admission to Pomona are at the top of their class, with median SAT scores of 1470!  Additionally, campus and population diversity is an integral part of the Pomona community, with students hailing from over 50 countries and nearly every US state. 

True to its rich liberal arts college heritage, Pomona’s average class size is 15 students, providing an intimate, 1-on-1 environment for pupils and teachers alike. In these small classes, Pomona’s students participate in deep conversations about liberal arts, technology, philosophy, and every possible academic subject a curious individual could ever imagine.

The post The 10 Best Liberal Arts Colleges in California appeared first on collegegazette.com.

However, what schools do students themselves rate the very highest?

After all, public reviews of a school are crucial when selecting the right college. The best way to find out if a school’s environment, culture, and philosophy align with yours is to hear other people’s experiences and knowledge of a given school.

Today, we present to you with a ranking of the highest-rated colleges in the country according to student reviews.

These are the criteria to be considered for this list:

One, the school has to be listed in the most recent edition of the US News top 215 liberal arts colleges. For this particular list, we are only reviewing liberal arts colleges and not public or private universities.

Secondly, we are judging the student review rating by an individual school’s Reviews page on Facebook. Ratings are on a 1-5 scale and can be posted by anyone, though it is most often students, alumni, and parents. Most schools researched fall between 4.2 – 4.6 in their rating, however the schools on this list were all higher.  

It is important to consider that not every school has their own reviews page associated with their public profile, so schools that do not have a reviews page are excluded from this ranking.

Third, to ensure enough data, a school must have at least 150 reviews to make this list.

Because there are many schools that have the same aggregate review score, schools with more total reviews will be ranked higher on this list.

If two schools have both the same number of reviews and the same aggregate score, then we will use the higher score from Niche.com as the tiebreaker.

Finally, this list is accurate as of December 17, 2019.

Here are the 15 highest-rated colleges according to student reviews:

15. Covenant College (Lookout Mountain, GA)

We start our list with a Christian liberal arts school in Georgia known as Covenant College. For a school with just 1,100 total students, Covenant is unusually diverse, housing a student body from over 25 countries.

What makes Covenant special is the close interaction students have with faculty at the school. The class sizes are a comfortable 13:1, ensuring every student has significant 1-on-1 time with their professors.

Additionally, the school is a great fit for the student who desires not only a small, private college experience, but also an environment devoted to Christian faith. Inside the school’s signature building, Carter Hall, are not only a number of classrooms and administrative offices, but also an on-campus chapel.

Rating on Facebook: 4.8 / 5

Number of Public Reviews: 160

14. Centre College (Danville, KY)

A historic liberal arts college with approximately 1,400 students, Centre College is one of the nation’s finest schools perhaps best known to the public as the scene of the nationally televised 2000 and 2012 Vice Presidential Debates.

However, what makes the school special is not just its association with major politics, but rather how this college shapes the future of their students.

In his classic text Colleges That Change Lives, New York Times educational writer Loren Pope outlined Centre College as just one of 40 liberal arts schools to offer an experience just as good as – or even superior – to that of the Ivy League schools. 

US News additionally rates Centre College among the top-50 liberal arts colleges nationwide.

Rating on Facebook: 4.8 / 5

Number of Public Reviews: 176

13. Rust College (Holly Springs, MS)

An important HBCU based in Mississippi, public reviews of Rust College consistently say the same thing: when you attend Rust College, you are not just a student, but a part of their family.

With a size that is less than 1,000 total students, Rust College is among the most selective colleges on this list, accepting less than half of all applicants. According to College Simply, the acceptance rate is just 43.2%, making it the second-most selective college in all of Mississippi.

The college has a strong affiliation with the Methodist Church, making it a great fit for a student seeking a school with a strong devotion to faith.

Rust College is just one of 10 HBCUs founded before 1868 operating today.

Rating on Facebook: 4.8 / 5

Number of Public Reviews: 193

12. St. Norbert College (De Pere, WI)

We recently named St. Norbert College in a list of 10 incredible liberal arts colleges on the rise. It comes as no surprise to us, then, that St. Norbert is among the most highly-rated colleges in the country according to the public. 

A school with 2,100 students, this liberal arts college has a strong employment outcome, with 97% of students working or in graduate school within 12 months of obtaining their degree.

A prestigious academic school, St. Norbert was listed this year in the top-150 liberal arts colleges by US News as well as the top 120 liberal arts universities by Forbes magazine.

Rating on Facebook: 4.8 / 5

Number of Public Reviews: 231

11. Hendrix College (Conway, AR)

Like the previous school on this list, we also recently rated Hendrix College in a list of 10 incredible liberal arts colleges on the rise.

A hallmark of the Hendrix experience is the “high-impact” project seniors annually undertake. An incredible 68% participate in internships, 66% engage in research alongside faculty, and about 4/5ths of the seniors complete a senior thesis.

Future educational outcomes for students at Hendrix are among the most impressive of any liberal arts college. In 2010, CBS MoneyWatch named Hendrix among the top 50 schools for students who eventually go onto a PhD. Data for this particular designation came from the National Science Foundation. 

Hendrix has deep ties with Rwanda, winning an Andrew Heiskell award, a prestigious prize in recognition of outstanding international initiative, for their unique Rwanda Presidential Scholars Program. Hendrix has provided aid for Rwanda students to attend Hendrix College.

Rating on Facebook: 4.8 / 5

Number of Public Reviews: 232

10. Emory & Henry College (Emory, VA)

Emory & Henry is among the most beloved liberal arts colleges in the nation, having been listed among the 40 schools in Loren Pope’s classic text Colleges That Change Lives.

Barack Obama himself has praised the school, awarding Emory and Henry a spot on his 2013 “President’s Higher Education Community Service Roll,” a list that honors less than 1% of all higher education institutions in the country.

The learning experience at Emory and Henry is tight-knit between students and faculty. Just 10 students for every professor enroll in this school, ensuring each student has individualized learning opportunity with instructors.

Rating on Facebook: 4.8 / 5

Number of Public Reviews: 245

9. Spelman College (Atlanta, GA)

Spelman is one of the seven schools, according to Dr. Jacqueline Fleming’s 1984 text Blacks In College, comprising the “Black Ivy League.” Spelman is perhaps the most standout college in the Black Ivy League, ranking in the top 60 liberal arts colleges in the country, according to US News.

Spelman is an all-women’s college accepting just 41% of their applicants, making it among the most selective liberal arts colleges for women in the country.

Some of America’s greatest student scholars attended Spelman College. They include 43 Gates Millennium Scholars, 12 Truman Scholars, and five Marshall scholars. These are among the most prestigious awards in all of academia for college-aged students.

Many well-known American icons graduated from Spelman College. Perhaps the most famous is feminist author Alice Walker, who wrote the 1982 masterpiece The Color Purple, which later became a successful film nominated for best picture.

Other alumni include Keshia Knight Pulliam, most famous for her role as Rudy Huxtable in The Cosby Show, and Rosalind Brewer, former president of Sam’s Club.

Rating on Facebook: 4.8 / 5

Number of Public Reviews: 278

8. Denison University (Granville, OH)

Denison has some of the most robust career-preparation initiatives of any school in the country. Denison’s Knowlton Career Center helps students enter the real-world job market with its Denison Internship Program, a unique program designed to prepare Denison students for life after graduation.

For a school placing so much emphasis on career-oriented skillbuilding, Denison also has an incredible music and arts scene. 

Several creative festivals are hosted each year by Denison students, including the Beck Series in which famous authors come to engage and perform for students. Past speakers of the Beck Series include Tom Stoppard, one of the world’s most famous playwrights.

Another program, called The Vail Series, has hosted a number of  contemporary classical musical performers, including Yo Yo Ma, Edgar Meyer, and Ithak Perlman.

Admission to Denison is competitive, as it is widely considered a top-50 liberal arts college. The acceptance rate is less than 45%.

Denison is just 30 minutes from Columbus, Ohio, one of the midwest’s most active & diverse college towns. 

Rating on Facebook: 4.8 / 5

Number of Public Reviews: 283

7. Hamilton College (Clinton, NY)

Hamilton is the highest-ranked liberal arts college on this list according to US News, coming in at #14 in the most recent edition of the list.

One of the hallmark offerings of Hamilton College is a yearly presentation known as the Sacerdote Great Names Series. In this series, some of the world’s most famous actors, thinkers, politicians, and personalities engage with students and professors through a series of public lectures.

Guests have included Tina Fey, Derek Jeter, Hillary Clinton, John Stewart, Neil deGrasse Tyson, and overa dozen more.

Admission to Hamilton demonstrates exceptional accomplishment in high school. The average admitted student is not only in the top 10% of their class, but also obtained a score of 1400+ on the SAT.  

Hamilton is tremendously focused on growth as well as empowering their students. To this end, the school has invested an amazing $300m+ into their facilities over the last 15 years alone.

Rating on Facebook: 4.8 / 5

Number of Public Reviews: 413

6. Albion College (Albion, MI)

Albion is an amazing hidden gem of a liberal arts college; we recently named it among the top liberal arts colleges on the rise in the country. 

In a recent study produced by Zippia.com, Albion was the #1 small school in the entire state of Michigan with the highest earning graduates.

One unique offering of Albion College is its focus on the study of nature. To this end, the school is home to the 144-acre Whitehouse Nature Center, a preserve with six miles of trails, 400 plant varieties, and 170 species of birds.

Studying throughout the world is a core value of Albion; students can engage in study-abroad at affiliated institutions in London, Heidelberg, Tokyo, Seoul, Cape Town, Athens, and Paris, among other schools.

Students and alumni alike rate their experience at Albion very highly, making it among the most beloved liberal arts colleges in the country.

Rating on Facebook: 4.8 / 5

Number of Public Reviews: 418

5. Wofford College (Spartanburg, SC)

According to the 2016 National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE), Wofford ranks among the best colleges in the country. 

Considering the survey’s metrics were based on excellence of campus environment, experience working with faculty, and learning alongside peers, it is no surprise that Wofford is one of the 5 highest-rated colleges in the country according to student reviews.

One of Wofford’s most unique offerings is their Interim program, an initiative designed to give students the opportunity to learn from faculty outside their major. Students can participate in faculty-led projects outside their primary academic focus, providing students a true well-rounded academic college experience.

Serving the community is a staple of the school’s culture; at least six alumni have gone into Teach for America. In multiple years, Wofford had been selected by the Obama administration for its Community Service Honor Roll.

Rating on Facebook: 4.8 / 5

Number of Public Reviews: 460

4. Wittenberg University (Springfield, OH)

With 2,000 students representing over 30 countries, Wittenberg is a small Ohio college with a large global impact. 

Wittenberg is among the top liberal arts colleges in the country for a number of programs. Interestingly, it has been rated within the last decade by The Fiske Guide among the best small colleges in the country for drama, placing it in the same company as Juilliard and Princeton.

For a school of just a few thousand students, Wittenberg consistently graduates some of the most accomplished young minds in the country; in 2019 alone, three Wittenberg students received a Fulbright grant, one of academia’s most prestigious honors.

Rating on Facebook: 4.8 / 5

Number of Public Reviews: 526

3. Bryn Mawr College (Bryn Mawr, PA)

Historically, Bryn Mawr College was the first women’s college in the country to offer a PhD. Since then, it has risen to become one of the highest-rated colleges nationwide by students and major publications alike.

The core of the Bryn Mawr experience lies in their empowerment of women through not only the classroom, but also through experiential learning. One recent example of this kind of experiential learning took place when Anthropology as well as East Asian Languages course students took a trip to Southwest China.

The school has a close relationship with other Pennsylvania higher education institutions, including the University of Pennsylvania as well as Swarthmore and Haverford; at Haverford, Bryn Mawr students can take as many classes as they want and even choose to do their major at Haverford.

Alumni of Bryn Mawr include the first female president of Harvard University Drew Gilpin Faust as well as legendary actress Katharine Hepburn. Former American president Woodrow Wilson was once on the faculty of Bryn Mawr.

Rating on Facebook: 4.8 / 5

Number of Public Reviews: 624

2. Birmingham-Southern College (Birmingham, AL)

Birmingham-Southern College is one of the finest hidden gem colleges in the country with an acceptance rate of less than 50%, making it among the more selective liberal arts institutions in the nation.

Perhaps BSC’s biggest claim to fame is their unique E-Term. The idea behind the E-term, which stands for Exploration Term program, is for students to participate in an unusual activity designed to foster learning in an unusual environment. Past E-Term projects include hiking through Patagonia, teaching in Harlem, and swimming with dolphins. 

What makes BSC special is not just its focus on experiential learning, however; the faculty and staff who run BSC place an emphasis on individualized instruction. Small classes, favorable student teacher ratios, and 55 major/minor offerings makeup the unique atmosphere of this special school.

Rating on Facebook: 4.9 / 5

Number of Public Reviews: 442

1. Meredith College (Raleigh, NC)

The #1 rated college in the country according to student reviews is Meredith College, one of the world’s finest women’s colleges. 

What makes Meredith College so highly ranked by students? One reason could be their unique coaching program, unlike any other offering at any other liberal arts college. 

This coaching program, known as StrongPoints, utilizes 1-on-1 coaching to help Meredith students identify their strengths with an in-depth assessment. After the assessment, Meredith continuously helps each student configure the right curriculum and experiential offerings based on their personal strengths.

The result is not only a tailored-fit collegiate experience, but also unusually excellent preparation for a satisfying career after college.

StrongPoints is just one part of what makes Meredith a special institution. An unprecedented 98% of alumni would recommend Meredith to another student according to the school’s surveys, demonstrating an exceptionally high satisfaction rating students have for this school.

Rating on Facebook: 4.9 / 5

Number of Public Reviews: 504

The post The 15 Highest-Rated Colleges According to Student Reviews appeared first on collegegazette.com.

A liberal arts education, in many ways, is radically different than a traditional university experience.

In a traditional university, students are normally surrounded by well over 15,000+ peers. 

However, liberal arts colleges are small, intimate, and typically keep enrollment to less than 2,500 total students.

Many liberal arts colleges are widely known, such as those that frequent the US News top 15 liberal arts college listings.

However, there are a handful of liberal arts colleges that are on the rise, quickly gaining recognition as being equal to many schools already at the top of most college rankings lists.

So, how did we determine a school as rising?

One, the school cannot yet be placed in the top-75 of the US News liberal arts colleges list as of this year, 2019.

Secondly, the school has to have demonstrated amazing success over the past 15 years in its programs, student/alumni accomplishments, faculty accolades, or other similar metrics.

Here are College Gazette’s picks for the top 10 rising liberal arts colleges in the country. Keep in mind this list is just our opinion, and that yours may be different for the best rising liberal arts colleges.

10. Albion College (Albion, MI)

In a recent 2018 study produced by Zippia.com, Albion College was ranked the #1 small school in the entire state of Michigan with the highest-earning graduates. 

That’s quite an impressive feat, considering that in the entire state of Michigan, there are a respectable number of other excellent, highly-ranked liberal arts colleges.

In the last decade, students at Albion have won significant academic awards; these include a prestigious Goldwater award in 2014, a National Institutes of Health Scholar in 2011, and several National Science Foundation Postdoctoral fellows.

One thing that makes Albion unique is its environment; students and parents who review their experience consistently note how close students are with their professors, forging not only an academic relationship, but a personal one as well. 

This level of attention can be difficult to access at larger universities, making Albion a great choice for the liberal college seeking student.

9. St. Norbert College (De Pere, WI)

One-hundred and eleven acres bordering a river make up the campus of this rising liberal arts college, located just outside Green Bay, Wisconsin.

When the now President Emeritus of St. Norbert, educator Thomas Kunkel, started his position in 2008, St. Norbert underwent a radical change; it instituted a plan to offer a significantly improved education and experience for their students.

Since then, numerous facilities have been built at St. Norbert, including a significant fitness center, stadium, science center, library, and several other academic constructions. Within St. Norbert’s last decade, the school has raised an amazing $150+ million in funding!

St. Norbert’s student outcome is impressive; 96% of all alumni find themselves employed – or in graduate school – within 12 months of graduating from St. Norbert.

8. Goucher College (Towson, MD)

Profiled as one of the 40 institutions in Loren Pope’s classic text Colleges That Change Lives, Goucher is a phenomenal liberal arts college based in Maryland.

One hallmark of the Goucher College education is that all students must participate in a study abroad program. Goucher offers over 60 year-long study-abroad programs in 30 different countries! As of 2006, all students attending Goucher have to participate in at least one study-abroad.

Goucher is one of the few liberal arts colleges that places an emphasis on Data Analytics – one of the most important subjects for understanding 21st century technology – in its curriculum for all students. 

To this end, as part of Goucher’s recently instituted “Goucher Commons,” all students take not only take a class in data analytics, but also a capstone course in a student’s senior year.

From a community & environment perspective, Goucher is known as a great school for individuals who “march to the beat of their own drum.” Parents and students consistently cite Goucher as a haven for fostering individual, unique discourse and ideas.

7. Gustavus Adolphus College (St. Peter, MN)

In a 2017 ranking from The New York Times, Gustavus Adolphus College ranked in the top 40 colleges and universities nationwide in a unique list. The list, titled “Top Colleges Doing the Most for the American Dream,” ranked schools based on their commitment to economic diversity.

Gustavus Adolphus is widely known as the home of the Nobel Conference, a forum in which members of the public can listen to – and engage with – scholars based on topics in the social sciences.

This unique institution is a school on the rise; For its 2020 ranking Niche.com rated it a top-50 liberal arts college in the country.

Alumni of this school include world-famous jazz vocalist Kurt Elling, Pulitzer-prize winning journalist James McPherson, and theatre director David Esbjornson.

6. St. Anselm College (Manchester, NH)

Ranked in 2019 as one of the top-50 “Best ROI” liberal arts colleges in the country by Payscale.com, Saint Anselm has historically played an important role in national politics, serving as the location to many presidential & political debates.

Indeed, St. Anselm is home to the New Hampshire Institute of Politics. Founded in 2001, this unique place has hosted hundreds of potential presidential candidates. In today’s world, you cannot run for president without taking a trip to this Manchester staple.

However, what makes St. Anselm special is not only its status as a political forum, but rather with what goes on in their classroom.

Since 1977, over 40 campus buildings have been constructed. One recently created facility is the Roger and Francine Jean Student Center, a central hub of activity for the school’s “Anselmians.”

Additionally, one-hundred student organizations on campus comprise this school’s extra-curricular offerings, including those in arts & culture, religion, politics, and more.

5. Luther College (Decorah, IA)

In recent years, Luther College has been home to one of America’s top collegiate choir programs; the school’s premiere ensemble, the Nordic Choir, has toured internationally throughout Europe, China, Russia, Japan, and many other countries. 

Artists who have performed in recent years with the Luther College Choir include Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds of The Dave Matthews Band, musician Ben Folds, the Empire Brass, and more.

The school’s symphony is equally impressive to the choir, maintaining a yearly residency in Vienna as well as an active touring schedule.

Luther’s ascendency as a top liberal arts college is not only because of its music program, however; it is also a premiere liberal arts college for the cultured student.

To this end, over two-thirds of the student body participate in a study-abroad program every year in over 40 countries. Few Baccalaureate schools have a higher percentage of students who participate in a study-abroad program than Luther.

A close-knit relationship between students and professors is at the heart of the Luther experience. In fact, 95% of professors live within 5 miles of campus.

4. Illinois Wesleyan University (Bloomington, IL)

According to Wallethub, Illinois Wesleyan is now regarded as a top-25 liberal arts college in the nation.

What has led Illinois Wesleyan to ascend to such heights – and what is continuing to lead its trajectory upwards?

Let’s start with the quality of the schools offerings. The Ames School of Art, as well as the Illinois Wesleyan School of Music, are considered two of the best specialty arts programs in liberal arts colleges today. One alumnus of Illinois Wesleyan started his own orchestra; others have placed in the country’s most prestigious competitions.

According to Niche.com’s most recent rankings, Illinois Wesleyan now stands in the top-70 nationwide for programs in Nursing, Education, Performing Arts, and Physics.

The campus life separates Illinois Wesleyan from many other liberal arts schools; sports, greek life, and more are central components to the unique experience at Illinois Wesleyan. 

In 2018, 97% of the school’s graduating student found work or placement into graduate school within 6 months of graduation. A study by Zippia found that Illinois Wesleyan is the top school in Illinois for getting a job after graduation.

3. Susquehanna University (Selinsgrove, PA)

In a recent report from Georgetown University, Susquehanna University, frequently abbreviated SU, was ranked in the top 10% of colleges for students with the highest graduate earnings. 

In 2013, SU’s GO Program won the Andrew Heiskell Award for Innovation in International Education. The GO Program, instituted in 2009, requires every student to engage in a cross-cultural learning experience off campus. This experience can be as short as a few weeks or as long as an entire semester.

In the last 5 years, SU has been ranked by many of the nation’s top publications, including Washington Monthly (#54 best liberal arts college) and the Princeton Review (A Best Northeastern College).

Students find themselves employed in the top companies worldwide after graduation. Some of the companies alumni have recently been placed into include IBM, The New York Times, Fidelity Investments, the Boston Red Sox, KPMG, and many, many more.

2. Juniata College (Huntingdon, PA)

More and more, top publications are recognizing Juniata College for significant learning outcomes, unique curricular offerings, and alumni who are changing the world.

The core of the Juniata College experience is the “Program of Emphasis.” Rather than participating in a traditional academic major system, students have the option to choose their own program of emphasis, the courses they will take to achieve proficiency in the subject, and graduate with a degree in it.

It’s hard to argue with the effectiveness of this approach; Juniata has produced 8 Academic All-Americans, 14 Goldwater fellows, 19 Fulbright scholars, and places at least one student into Harvard’s prestigious Summer Research Scholar program.

Juniata is one of the most diverse liberal arts colleges in America, representing 37 countries in a student body of just 1,600!

Graduating students have been placed into the world’s top universities for Master’s degrees, including Stanford, MIT, and Princeton. Additionally, for those who seek employment, consistently 90%+ find a job within months of graduation. 

Experiential education is at the heart of the Juniata; 80% of all students participate in an internship during their 4 years at the school.
One of the most important liberal arts colleges in the country, thanks to recent recognition in the Princeton Review, Fiske’s Guide, and more, Juniata is on the rise.

1. Hendrix College (Conway, AR)

Is Hendrix College America’s best kept secret in liberal arts college education? 

We think so…and here’s why:

In 2013, US News and World Report ranked Hendrix College the #1 “up-and-coming” liberal arts college in the nation; when looking into the data, it is easy to see why.

Hendrix’s seniors engage in “high-impact” projects; 68% participate in internships, 66% engage in research study alongside faculty, and over 80% complete a thesis-type project. 

Hendrix is widely considered one of the best “bang-for-your-buck” institutions, with Kiplinger as well as Forbes calling it a “Best Value” college in 2019.

A new initiative at Hendrix is the Murphy Scholars Program; sponsored by the Hendrix-Murphy Foundation, students in this selective offering received significant resources in pursuing their passion for literature and language studies.

Students consistently rave at the excellence of their education at Hendrix, and the learning outcome speaks for itself; 90%+ of their graduating students either go into a doctoral-degree track system, or find employment otherwise soon after graduation.

The post 10 Incredible Liberal Arts Colleges On the Rise appeared first on collegegazette.com.

For some students, this strategy can work.

Others wish they never ended up attending the Ivy-League college they are now committed to for four “long” years of their lives.

The truth is, for some students, those high-ranked ivies are simply not good fits for them.

The absolute best schools for them are actually colleges that consistently change lives.

All of the schools in this article are among the very best schools in the world, but may not be as well-known as their larger counterparts for a number of reasons.

They may or may not get the same media attention (how many movies have you seen centered around Harvard?)…

They may not get the same praise from conventional college rankings lists.

Because of this, we have identified the absolute 10 of the very best “hidden gem” colleges in the country that consistently score for high levels of student happiness, career outcome, quality of overall learning environment, and more.

If you want more information on these schools, I strongly recommend one of the very best books on colleges called Colleges That Change Lives. Although we are not personally affiliated with this book or its author, all of the schools listed here are also profiled in that book.

To qualify as a “hidden gem” school for this particular list, the school cannot be placed inside the top 55 on the US News “Top Liberal Arts Colleges” list as of August 2019.

Without further ado, here are our picks, based on the opinion of College Gazette, for the best hidden gem liberal arts colleges in the US.

Eckerd College (St. Petersburg, FL)

Well-known for its idyllic setting on the shores of Florida’s beautiful St. Petersburg, Eckerd College is a school with deep connections to marine and environmental sciences.

Evidence of deep association with the environment include the Eckerd College Dolphin Project, known around the school as D.A.R.W.I.N., which is the longest running undergraduate dolphin research project in any college.

Because of the school’s commitment to oceanic sciences, more students from this school than any other have been named NOAA Hollings Scholars, a generous scholarship endowed by the US government’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Eckerd College upholds a unique standard other schools should aspire to have – an unrelenting commitment to a green campus. Many of the buildings are LEED certified, waste reduction initiatives are followed, bike sharing via their “Yellow Bike” program is offered, and solar panels are used to power some facilities.

If you desire to study internationally, this school is among the most impressive we have ever seen. Each year, over 300 international study-abroad opportunities are afforded to enrolled students.

St. Olaf College (Northfield, MN)

Like Eckerd, St. Olaf is picturesque in design, but in a completely different way – instead of beaches and water, St. Olaf’s beautiful landscape is one of a more mystical feeling, characterized by tall grass prairie, wetlands, and woods.

One of the hallmarks of St. Olaf is its impressive music program. Housing one of the premiere a cappella ensembles in any college throughout the world, the St. Olaf Choir has toured Europe, China, Korea, France, Scandinavia, Australia, and many other countries.

They have also performed at many iconic venues in the US, including Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center.

Other music ensembles at St. Olaf are heralded – the St. Olaf Jazz Orchestra won a prestigious DownBeat magazine award in 2011, and the St. Olaf Orchestra has made appears on National Public Radio.

There is much to love in St. Olaf outside of the music program as well. In 2012, the school was rated number one for study-abroad programs by Open Doors. Indeed, approximately 2/3rds of all students study abroad at St. Olaf prior to graduation.

Regularly ranked as a top liberal arts college by many noted publications, including US News & World Report as well as Washington Monthly, the student learning outcome is impressive; 58% of students of the Class of 2012 were employed within a year of graduation.

So what were the other 42% doing? The great majority were in graduate school or commencing post-education volunteer work.

Allegheny College (Meadville, PA)

A college over 200 years old, Allegheny’s rich history and unique people has fostered one of the most interesting colleges in the world.

The school is known for taking on bold topics in sponsored discussions with top academics, including a presentation in 2009 on the unusual topic of face transplants.

Students themselves have the opportunity to present their own topics of interest in ACRoSS, which stands for Allegheny College Research Seminar Series. Topics in 2018 include growing Meadville, the city Allegheny is based in, shared work programs, neoliberalism, and the Jewish community farming movement.

One of the most well-known personalities of the campus, professor Michael Maniates, is one of the foremost experts on material consumption in humans. Having worked on the famous Story of Stuff short movie, he was quoted in the Los Angeles Times as saying “We really need to think of ways of making it possible for people to think about working less and getting by on less.”

Liberal, forward-thinking ideas like these are at the heart of Allegheny College, which has committed itself towards a new generation of students, faculty, and alumni impacting the world in unusual, unique, and powerful ways.

Austin College (Sherman, TX)

Like many excellent schools on this list, one of the great advantages Austin College provides for its students is an undergraduate-only education.

Why is this a unique benefit? All of the resources Austin College has are poured directly into the undergraduate curriculum, ensuring no sharing or competition of resources and attention with older graduate students.

This is a school known for having an intimate, liberal arts environment with less than a total of 1,500 students. The student-faculty ratio is a comfortable 12:1, assuring every student ample time with high-level professors who are among the best at what they do.

One unique attribute of Austin College is that every student has a personal faculty mentor they work with for all four years of college. This 1-on-1 guidance helps foster a close-knit relationship essential for advising a student through their own educational journey.

Cited by the Princeton Review as a Best Western College, Austin College recently created the IDEA Center under the leadership of Marjorie Hass, an impression 103,000 square foot facility hosting laboratories, lecture halls, and even the Adams Observatory holding the region’s largest telescope.

The newest president is Steven P. O’Day, a law school graduate who took his office about one year ago in August of 2017.

Reed College (Portland, OR)

Reed College is one of the most unusually fascinating institutions in the US.

The school emphasizes small, almost-entirely undergraduate classes where the teacher often acts as a moderator of discussion among the students, rather than as a traditional professor who simply lectures. Student to faculty ratio is a notable 9:1 size.

The school is the only in the country that has a nuclear reactor on campus operated primarily by undergraduate students (and a supervisor). Called the Reed Research Reactor, the unusual facility was built in 1968 and serves as a focal point in many of the Physics, Chemistry, and science classes.

What is interesting about the school is that they do not tell student’s their grades if they are a C or above. As a result, a number of Reed alumni never knew what their GPA was coming out of college.

Reed also has no fraternitities or sororities, and is not considered a “sports” kind of school. However, physical education is noted as a requirement for students to graduate.

The city of Portland, Oregon has long been regarded as one of the most uniquely liberal in the country, due in large part to the presence of Reed College, perhaps the most unique institute of higher learning in the world.

McDaniel College (Westminster, MD)

McDaniel’s mission starts with building a student’s education through The McDaniel Plan, an initiative designed to help students attain specialized knowledge of their major through directed studies, internships, and more.

With approximately 1,600 students in the entire college, this small liberal arts college is a true hidden gem in the landscape of academia.

Formerly known as Western Maryland College, McDaniel has one of the most flexible curriculums of any liberal arts college. Students at the school can even participate in self-designed majors to fully take advantage of all the ambitions they have for an undergraduate experience.

One particularly interesting facility the school has is the CEO – Center for Experience & Opportunity. This is where the classroom meets the real world for McDaniel’s 1600+ students, as this unique kind of career center assists students with internships, scholarship acquisition, and even study-abroad opportunities.

Speaking of study-abroad opportunities, the school has a dedicated satellite campus in Budapest, Hungary, where students of McDaniel can go study during their undergraduate tenure.

Knox College (Galesburg, IL)

Knox implements an unusual academic system, what they call a “3-3” approach.

Essentially there are three 10 week semesters each year, and in those 10-week semesters, students take three courses.

To promote a greater bond and tutorship between faculty and student, the faculty are only allowed to teach two courses in each of these semesters. This allows for greater 1-on-1 learning experiences.

Knox is widely known as one of the best liberal arts colleges for funding student research. Annually, Knox funds more than a quarter-million dollars to students for research work.

One amazing effect of this funding is the school’s awarding $2,000 experience grants, money that is available to all juniors and seniors at the school for experiential study & research. Students can use this towards community service, internships, study-abroad, or even equipment to fund the experience.

Recent projects included students who explored green chemistry, dancing classes for at-risk youth, and an internship with the United Nations.

Knox College is a selective institution, with only half of its applicants being admitted. Over 15,000 Knox alumni are now working with some of the prestigious companies worldwide.

Evergreen State College (Olympia, WA)

Evergreen State College is one of the most unique colleges in the entire world.

At most colleges, students will take multiple courses per semester, a normal tradition that has been held for centuries.

However, Evergreen’s approach is entirely unconventional and effective – students study just one course each semester, and have multiple classes only affiliated with that course. This allows for intensive, deeply focused study on a single subject of a student’s interest, rather than spreading attention out over other courses.

Additionally, unlike just about every other school, there are no majors in the undergraduate program.

Some may balk at this revolutionary idea, but considering that approximately 80% of students change their majors at least once before graduating, perhaps more colleges should follow in Evergreen State’s path of allowing students to explore different passions at the undergraduate level, rather than having them choose a specialty.

Cited as one of the most liberal public colleges in the US, Evergreen State does not issue grades; rather, faculty give students oral narratives telling them about their classroom performance.

Bard College (Annandale-On-Hudson, NY)

Bard is not simply one of the top liberal arts colleges in the country; rather, it is one of the most important cultural institutions in America.

Arts are at the heart of Bard College, exemplified by the school’s own arts festivals. One such festival, Bard SummerScape, is an impressive 7-week event featuring an assortment of music, dance, theatre, art, film, and other genres.

Additionally, the school hosts some of New York’s most important cultural attractions, including the CSS Hessel Museum of Contemporary Art as well as the incredibly impressive Richard B. Fisher Center for the Performing Arts, an architectural spectacle designed by the great Frank Gehry.

Set within scenic New York a few hours from Manhattan, the school has been under the Presidency of Leon Botstein for over 40 years. During Botstein’s tenure, the student body has increased 400%. Additionally, over 40 centers, affiliated institutes (Such as Bard College at Simon’s Rock), and programs have been created since Botstein became President.

Lawrence University (Appleton, WI)

A school whose students consistently rave about its excellence, Lawrence is one of the most diverse, unique colleges shaping the futures of its undergraduates.

Unbelievably high student learning and employment outcomes are abundant at Lawrence. In just six months of graduation, an astounding 99% of students at Lawrence are employed, in graduate school, or in a fellowship/service opportunity.

We do not know of any other liberal arts college in the midwest that can boast such extraordinary numbers. Some companies that Lawrence’s graduates are placed six months upon graduation into include Apple, Google, and LinkedIn, among many others.

Lawrence is well-known for its conservatory of music, one of the oldest collegiate music institutions in the country. 25% of the students at Lawrence study at the conservatory, and of those in the conservatory, many choose to dual major with an academic program. For the student interested in both music and academics, Lawrence offers surefire excellence.

An appealing aspect of Lawrence is its small student to faculty ratio – for every 9 students, there is a faculty member. This small environment allows for 1-on-1 attention for every student at the school.

Often regarded as one of the most rigorous colleges in the country, students from over 50 countries are represented at Lawrence, making it one of the most diverse liberal arts campuses in the country.

Here you have it, our take on the 10 best hidden gem liberal arts colleges in the US. Any schools you would like to have seen in here? Share with us below in the comments.

The post The 10 Best “Hidden Gem” Liberal Arts Colleges appeared first on collegegazette.com.

Why in the world are liberal arts colleges just so absolutely appealing?

Well, there are a few big reasons that stand out.

They are incredibly intimate in their scale. Liberal arts colleges are among the most selective of schools, and because of this, there is usually a greater sense of community among both the student body and the faculty.

Conversely, at a very large university with 45,000+ students, it can sometimes be difficult (though not impossible) to foster an environment in which the students really get to know the teachers outside of the classroom.

Additionally, liberal arts colleges tend to have very low graduate student populations. Schools like Oberlin, Shenandoah, Occidental, and more may have a small population of graduate students, but generally everyone there is between 18 – 22 years old and studying in the undergraduate programs.

What this means is the resources, scholarships, and opportunities are provided almost exclusively to undergraduate students. This is sometimes in contrast to the larger universities, who are very graduate student centric.

Liberal arts colleges also have the benefit of being small, rarely exceeding 2,500 total students. The smaller scale fosters, for some students, a more intimate sense of academic and social excellence.

What are the top liberal arts colleges in the country?

For this list, we looked at 8 of the most widely-read lists profiling the top liberal arts colleges in the college and aggregated them to make this list. You can see our methodology at the end of this article.

Here are 10 of the best liberal arts colleges in the US.

10. College of the Holy Cross (Worcester, MA)

One of the best liberal arts school in the country, Holy Cross is notably the oldest Catholic school in all of New England.

Upon entrance into the school, first-year students experience the Montserrat Program. In Montserrat, a seminar-style of discussion promotes an interdisciplinary approach to learning specifically designed for freshmen. Students choose which seminars to participate in based purely out of interest, not their major.

The school strives to balance the demands of academic and social life. As a result of its efforts, first-year students frequently rate their dorm life higher than students at other schools, making Holy Cross a remarkably “happy” institution.

Widely regarded among the most liberal, left-leaning of Catholic schools, Holy Cross, embracing libertarianism as well as social justice.

Notably, alumni of the school are known for their volunteer work; a high percentage of alumni participate in the Jesuit Volunteer Corps.

The campus itself is known for its remarkable beauty; a registered arboretum, the school has won awards for its landscape design. In 2010, the Princeton Review ranked it in the top 5 most beautiful colleges.

9. Carleton College (Northfield, MN)

Among the most selective liberal arts colleges in the country, Carleton’s acceptance rate is less than 1-in-4 who apply.

Carleton consistently ranks in the top 10 of major publications. As of this writing in early August 2019, Carleton is #5 on US News, #7 on Times Higher Education, and #8 on Niche.com.

So what makes Carleton widely regarded as a top-10 liberal arts colleges?

One major accomplishment is the quality of their students and alumni. Between 2000 and 2016, Carleton has produced over 300 alumni who have won the most prestigious fellowships, including Fulbrights, Goldwater Scholars, and even 2 Rhodes Scholars.

Additionally, Carleton is one of the leading PhD-producing schools, with an abnormally large percentage of undergraduates eventually seeking the terminal degree in their field.

Enrolling about 2,000 students, the feeling of the close is small, intimate, and studious. However, that doesn’t mean the school is without campus tradition; one of the most beloved traditions at the school is Rotblatt, a campus-wide softball game recognized by Sports Illustrated in 1997.

8. Middlebury College (Middlebury, VT)

Coming in at about a 16% acceptance rate, Middlebury is identified as one of the “most selective” liberal arts college in the country by the Carnegie Foundation.

Historically, Middlebury is the first American institution to grant a Bachelor’s degree to a black person. That person was Alexander Twilight, nearly 200 years ago in 1823.

One of the unique opportunities Middlebury presents for its students is the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey, an establishment in Northern California where students study foreign languages, international policy, and more.

Middlebury’s campus spans 350 acres surrounded by Vermont’s Green Mountains and New York’s Adirondack Mountains. The picturesque scenery of Middlebury makes it among the most beautiful of small liberal arts colleges in the northeast.

One interesting ranking Middlebury has attained is top-10 status for “schools most beloved by their students.” This was measured by percentage of alumni who donated to Middlebury.

7. Washington & Lee (Lexington City, VA)

With an endowment of nearly $1.6 billiion, the school is among the richest liberal arts colleges, especially accounting for the fact the entire population of the school is less than 2300 students.

Washington & Lee consistently ranks in the top 10 for colleges in the country, including #1 in a recent ranking by Money Magazine.

Because there is only one subject that allows admission for graduate students, which is law, every class is taught by faculty at the school, rather than TA’s or other assistants. This allows for the highest level of both learning as well as 1-on-1 interaction with faculty at the college.

Washington & Lee has had an unusually profound influence on American politics for such a small school. Twenty-seven US senators, 67 US Representatives, 31 state governors, and other elected officials have come from Washington & Lee, according to the college’s Wikipedia page.

The class of 2020 had an acceptance rate of less than 25%.

6. Wellesley College (Wellesley, MA)

A private women’s liberal arts colleges located just 20 minutes from Boston, Wellesley is among the most distinct schools in the country.

One of the Seven Sisters Colleges, a consortium of schools that are historically for women, alumnae of the program include Hillary Clinton, Madeleine Albright, Diane Sawyer, and Nora Ephron, the director of When Harry Met Sally.

One of the unique advantages Wellesley offers it students is cross-registration opportunity with other top schools in New England. These include MIT, Babson, Olin, and Brandeis.

Wellesley is home to one of the largest gender science institutions in the country, known as Wellesley Centers for Women (WCW). The focus of the WCW is scholarship and publication in education, economic security, and mental health, among other subjects.

For such a small school of less than 2500 total students, there are 180 on-campus organizations for students to participate in.

With less than 20% accepted for the incoming 2018 class, Wellesley is frequently ranked in the top 10 of all liberal arts colleges in the US, and in the top 30-50 of all colleges in the country.

5. Bowdoin College (Bowdoin, ME)

With an acceptance rate of approximately 1 in 10 applicants (class of 2022), Bowdoin College is widely regarded as one of the elite colleges in the US. In fact, this year Bowdoin is ranked #5 liberal arts college by US News and World Report.

Known for its rich, centuries-old history of producing prominent alumni, including the 14^th president of the United States Franklin Pierce, Bowdoin is an academic experience unparalleled by any other major institution of higher education.

Dubbed by many publications as a “Hidden Ivy,” Bowdoin stands out from many of the large Ivy League institutions is its intense focus on supporting nature.

Indeed, the largest student group on campus is known as the “Outing Club,” a club embracing kayaking, canoeing, camping, and other nature-based activities to encourage student bonding and compassion for nature.

Bowdoin is on a massively northern trajectory – in just October, the school announced its endowment had reached a generous $1.6 billion dollars, among the highest endowments of any liberal arts college in the United States.

4. Claremont Colleges (Claremont, CA)

Technically, this is more than one college, however as they exist in a consortium, it feels okay to rank them all together.

All of the Claremont Colleges are typically rated among the best in the country. They include Pomona, Scripps, Claremont McKenna, Harvey Mudd, and Pitzer.

Pomona, Pitzer, Claremont McKenna, and Harvey Mudd all have acceptance rates of less than 15%. Scripps is closer to 30%. Pomona is the most selective of all US based liberal arts colleges.

So why are these schools so selective? Quite simply, they represent some of the most elite institutions in the country.

Pomona is widely regarded as a “New England style college” but in Southern California, making it highly desirable for the academically-oriented undergraduate desiring live in a coastal paradise.

Pitzer is the school most frequently associated with social sciences as well as media studies.

Scripps, Harvey Mudd, and Claremont McKenna students combine to form an athletic team; one of their biggest rivals is the athletic team combining students from Pomona and Pitzer.

Moreso than many east coast liberal arts colleges, the Claremont Colleges are characterized by varying levels of conservative political leanings.

3. Amherst College (Amherst, MA)

With an acceptance rate of just 13.8% for the Class of 2021, Amherst College’s appeal does not lie only in its admissions exclusivity; for all qualified financial aid recipients of the school, the school adheres to an attractive no-loan policy. That means that qualified candidates do not have to pay tuition at the school.

The school’s academic offerings are impressive; although less than 2,000 students are enrolled in the school, more than 800 courses are offered in a uniquely open curriculum (a curriculum that has very few required classes).

Ambitious students are at the heart of Amherst College – more than 1/3^rd of all enrolled students ultimately take on a dual major.

What we like about Amherst College is its collaboration with other elite institutions. As a member of the Five Colleges Consortium, Amherst offers its students the opportunity to take classes at Smith, Mount Holyoke, Hampshire, and even neighboring UMass Amherst.

The alumni at Amherst have won Nobel, MacArthur, Pulitzer, Academy, Tony, and Grammy awards.

2. Swarthmore College (Swarthmore, PA)

One of the most intellectual and selective institutions in the world, Swarthmore accepts only 9.5% of all applicants (2018 admissions cycle); its entire student population is only about 1600 students.

Although the school is small, students and alumni have earned an unusually large number of accolades. They include 11 MacArthur Fellows, 5 Nobel Prize winners, 27 Truman Scholars, and an impressive 30 Rhodes Scholars, perhaps the most prestigious academic fellowship in the world.

Frequently known as a “Little Ivy,” Swarthmore ranked in the top 10 of every list we aggregated to create this particular ranking, including those of Niche and US News.

Alumni of the school are among the most recognizable and important people of the 20th and 21st centuries. They include the 1988 Democratic nominee Michael Dukakis, former CalTech president and Nobel winner David Baltimore, and Dean Baker, one of the first economists who identified the 2008 bubble.

Within 5 years of graduation, over 3/4ths of alumni enter a graduate program after Swarthmore.

1. Williams College (Williamstown, MA)

Are you interested in Learning to Play Chess? How about Ski Patrol?

In Williams’ unique 4-1-4 curriculum, the students take two traditional four-course semesters as well as a three-week class every January in less traditional academic areas. Besides Ski Patrol and Chess, there is even a class about how to shape your life after Williams.

Though a centuries-old institution, the physical look of the college itself has changed dramatically over the last two decades. In 2001, the school opened a $38 million Unified Science Center housing lab spaces as well as a comprehensive science library. A few years later, a $60 million Center for Theatre and Dance was opened, as well as a $44 million student services building known as the Paresky center.

One attractive component to Williams College is its close collaboration with Oxford College in England. Founded in 1985, the Williams-Exeter program provides 26 students the opportunity to study at Oxford’s Exeter College in Britain for an entire year as members of the college.

Many publications have ranked Williams at the top of the list for liberal arts colleges, and with good reason. With an endowment of approximately $2.6 billion for less than 2,500 total students, Williams has long been considered one of the most impressive of all liberal arts colleges since its inception more than two centuries ago.

This is our current list of 10 amazing liberal arts colleges in the country for 2019. Are there any significant schools that should also be included on such a list as this?

Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

This list was made by aggregating 8 of the most widely-read ranking lists online for the top liberal arts colleges.

We sourced the rankings below in the first week of August 2019.

US News

Times Higher Education

Niche.com

Forbes

College Choice

Money Magazine

College Raptor

Best Value Schools

The post Here Are the Top 10 Liberal Arts Colleges in the US appeared first on collegegazette.com.