Harvey Mudd College is ranked in the top five best liberal arts colleges in the nation, according to College Choice. Image: via Facebook.
I graduated from college a few years ago, but with so many of my friends and family members applying for undergrad and graduate programs, I love staying up to date on what schools are ranking well for their academic programs. Earning my undergraduate degree was a truly enriching experience, and I sometimes wonder where I might apply to now if I were going to do it all over again.
College Choice, one of the leading publications dedicated to helping students and their families find the right college, recently announced its picks for the top liberal arts colleges in the country. This is a great resource for anyone applying to colleges or wanting to support a loved one going through the college application process. The list of 50 colleges is varied and thorough; here are the top 5 best national liberal arts colleges, according to College Choice:
- Williams College – Located in Williamstown, Massachusetts, this private college offers a 7:1 student to teacher ratio, and a four-year graduation rate of 91 percent. Additionally, At Williams College, 53.2 percent of full-time undergraduates receive some kind of financial aid. What this means is that students pay roughly $17,365 on average to attend – the lowest tuition cost of any of College Choice’s top picks.
What do you think of College Choice’s picks for the best liberal arts colleges in the US?
- Amherst College – College Choice describes Amherst College as “an engaging, residential community where 98 percent of students live on campus every year,” and also mentions how appealing it is that students can also take classes at Mount Holyoke College, Smith College, University of Massachusetts Amherst, and Hampshire College. Amherst College often ranks high on top college lists, and boasts prominent alumni such as William Ford, CEO of General Atlantic, Nobel Prize winner Joseph E. Stiglitz, Pulitzer Prize winner Debby Applegate, author Dan Brown, and many others.
- Swarthmore College – According to College Choice, “Founded in 1864, many of the founders were prominent in the abolitionist and women’s rights movements,” suggesting that the school’s progressive roots are still thriving today. Swarthmore offers a 8:1 student to teacher ratio, competitive tuition costs, and its own consortium program with Bryn Mawr and Haverford universities.
- Pomona College – “Pomona College is a premier liberal-arts college with a focus on the arts, humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences,” explains College Choice of the Claremont, California-based school that caters exclusively to undergraduate students. The Princeton Review has given high ranks to Pomona College time and again for its student satisfaction rates, its administration, lab facilities, and competitive tuition.
- Harvey Mudd College – According to College Choice, this school “aims to educate engineers, scientists, and mathematicians to better understand the impact of their work in society by also focusing on social sciences and humanities,” of the highly integrated programs that combine liberal arts and STEM subjects at Harvey Mudd College. Founded rather recently in 1995, Harvey Mudd College is already making a name for itself due to its research programs, high-profile sponsors, and shared Claremont College resources.
Be sure to take a look at the rest of College Choice’s picks for the 50 best liberal arts colleges in the country!
