This is a list of liberal arts colleges in the United States. Liberal arts colleges in the United States are usually four-year colleges which lead students to a bachelor's degree; some such as Augsburg University and Point Loma Nazarene University lead students to obtaining a master's or doctoral degree.
These schools are American institutions of higher education which have traditionally emphasized interactive instruction (although research is still a component of these institutions). They are known for being residential and for having smaller enrollment, class size, and teacher-student ratios than universities. These colleges also encourage a high level of teacher-student interaction at the center of which are classes taught by full-time faculty, rather than graduate student teaching assistants who often teach classes at large research-oriented universities. The colleges may be coeducational or single-sex, private or public, and either secular or affiliated with a religious body. Some are historically black colleges. Some â€" such as Beloit College, Bard College at Simon's Rock, Hampshire College, Reed College, Bard College, Pitzer College, Sarah Lawrence College, Bennington College, Oberlin College, Shimer College and New College of Florida â€" offer experimental curricula.
Alabama
- Birminghamâ€"Southern College
- Huntingdon College
- Judson College
- Miles College
- Spring Hill College
- Stillman College
- Talladega College
- University of Montevallo
Arizona
- Arizona International College (closed)
- Harrison Middleton University
- Prescott College
- Sessions College for Professional Design
Arkansas
- Central Baptist College
- Harding University
- Henderson State University
- Hendrix College
- John Brown University
- Lyon College
- Ouachita Baptist University
- University of the Ozarks
California
- Claremont Colleges
- Claremont McKenna College
- Harvey Mudd College
- Pitzer College
- Pomona College
- Scripps College
- Concordia University, Irvine
- Deep Springs College (2-year-only program, leading to associate degree)
- La Sierra University
- The Master's College
- Menlo College
- Mills College
- Mount St. Mary's College
- Occidental College
- Pacific Union College
- Point Loma Nazarene University
- Saint Mary's College of California
- San Diego Christian College
- Soka University of America
- Sonoma State University
- Thomas Aquinas College
- University of Redlands
- Westmont College
- Whittier College
Colorado
- Adams State University
- Colorado College
- Fort Lewis College
- Naropa University
- United States Air Force Academy
- Western State Colorado University
Connecticut
- Albertus Magnus College
- Connecticut College
- Eastern Connecticut State University
- Mitchell College
- Quinnipiac University
- Trinity College
- University of Saint Joseph
- Wesleyan University
Florida
- Ave Maria University
- Bethuneâ€"Cookman University
- Eckerd College
- Flagler College
- New College of Florida
- Palm Beach Atlantic University
- Rollins College
- Southeastern University
- Stetson University
- Warner University
Georgia
- Agnes Scott College
- Berry College
- Covenant College
- Emmanuel College
- Georgia College and State University
- Mercer University
- Morehouse College
- Morris Brown College
- Oglethorpe University
- Piedmont College
- Point University
- Ralston College
- Reinhardt University
- Spelman College
- Toccoa Falls College
- Wesleyan College
- Young Harris College
Idaho
- College of Idaho
- Northwest Nazarene University
Illinois
- Augustana College
- Aurora University
- Blackburn College
- College of the University of Chicago
- Columbia College Chicago
- Elmhurst College
- Eureka College
- Greenville University
- Illinois College
- Illinois Wesleyan University
- Judson University
- Knox College
- Lake Forest College
- MacMurray College
- McKendree University
- Millikin University
- Monmouth College
- North Central College
- North Park University
- Olivet Nazarene University
- Principia College
- Quincy University
- Rockford University
- Shimer College
- Trinity Christian College
- Trinity International University
- Wheaton College
Indiana
- Anderson University
- Bethel College
- DePauw University
- Earlham College
- Franklin College
- Goshen College
- Grace College
- Hanover College
- Huntington University
- Indiana Wesleyan University
- Marian University
- Saint Joseph's College
- Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College
- Saint Mary's College
- Taylor University
- University of Evansville
- University of Saint Francis
- Wabash College
Iowa
- Briar Cliff University
- Central College
- Clarke University
- Coe College
- Cornell College
- Dordt College
- Drake University
- Grand View University
- Grinnell College
- Iowa Wesleyan College
- Loras College
- Luther College
- Morningside College
- Mount Mercy University
- Northwestern College
- Simpson College
- Waldorf College
- Wartburg College
Kansas
- Baker University
- Benedictine College
- Bethany College
- Bethel College
- Central Christian College of Kansas
- Fort Hays State University
- Kansas Wesleyan University
- McPherson College
- MidAmerica Nazarene University
- Ottawa University
- Sterling College
- Washburn University
Kentucky
- Alice Lloyd College
- Asbury University
- Bellarmine University
- Berea College
- Centre College
- Georgetown College
- Kentucky Wesleyan College
- Lindsey Wilson College
- Midway University
- St. Catharine College
- Thomas More College
- Transylvania University
- Union College
- University of the Cumberlands
- University of Pikeville
Louisiana
- Centenary College of Louisiana
- Dillard University
- Louisiana College
- Xavier University of Louisiana
Maine
- Bates College
- Bowdoin College
- Colby College
- College of the Atlantic
- Saint Joseph's College of Maine
- Unity College
- University of Maine at Farmington
- University of Maine at Fort Kent
Maryland
- Goucher College
- Hood College
- McDaniel College
- Mount Saint Mary's University
- Notre Dame of Maryland University
- St. John's College
- St. Mary's College of Maryland
- Stevenson University
- United States Naval Academy
- Washington College
Massachusetts
- Amherst College
- Assumption College
- Bard College at Simon's Rock
- Boston College
- Bridgewater State College
- Clark University
- College of the Holy Cross
- Curry College
- Dean College
- Eastern Nazarene College
- Elms College
- Emerson College
- Emmanuel College
- Five Colleges (the fifth "college" is the University of Massachusetts Amherst)
- Amherst College
- Hampshire College
- Mount Holyoke College
- Smith College
- Gordon College
- Lesley College
- Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts
- Merrimack College
- Mount Ida College
- Pine Manor College
- Regis College
- Simmons College
- Stonehill College
- Wellesley College
- Wheaton College
- Williams College
Michigan
- Adrian College
- Albion College
- Alma College
- Aquinas College
- Calvin College
- Concordia University
- Grand Valley State University
- Hillsdale College
- Hope College
- Kalamazoo College
- Madonna University
- Marygrove College
- Olivet College
- Rochester College
- Siena Heights University
Minnesota
- Augsburg University
- Bethany Lutheran College
- Carleton College
- College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University
- Concordia College
- Gustavus Adolphus College
- Hamline University
- Macalester College
- St. Olaf College
- University of Minnesota Morris
- University of St. Thomas
Mississippi
- Blue Mountain College
- Millsaps College
- Rust College
- Tougaloo College
- William Carey University
Missouri
- College of the Ozarks
- Columbia College of Missouri
- Culverâ€"Stockton College
- Drury University
- Evangel University
- Fontbonne University
- Lindenwood University
- Missouri Valley College
- Stephens College
- Truman State University
- Westminster College
- William Jewell College
Montana
- Carroll College
- Rocky Mountain College
- University of Great Falls
Nebraska
- Dana College (closed July 2010)
- Doane College
- Hastings College
- Midland University
- Nebraska Wesleyan University
Nevada
- Sierra Nevada College
New Hampshire
- Colbyâ€"Sawyer College
- Franklin Pierce University
- Granite State College
- Keene State College
- New England College
- Northeast Catholic College
- Plymouth State University
- Rivier University
- Saint Anselm College
- Thomas More College of Liberal Arts
New Jersey
- Caldwell College
- College of Saint Elizabeth
- Drew University
- Ramapo College
- Saint Peter's University
New Mexico
- St. John's College
- Santa Fe University of Art and Design (formerly College of Santa Fe as of August, 2010)
New York
- Adelphi University
- Bard College
- Barnard College
- Buffalo State College
- Canisius College
- Cazenovia College
- Colgate University
- College of Mount Saint Vincent
- Concordia College
- Daemen College
- D'Youville College
- Elmira College
- Empire State College
- Eugene Lang College The New School for Liberal Arts (a division of The New School university)
- Hamilton College
- Hartwick College
- Hobart and William Smith Colleges
- Hofstra University
- Houghton College
- Ithaca College
- Keuka College
- The King's College
- Le Moyne College
- Long Island University C.W. Post Campus
- Manhattan College
- Manhattanville College
- Marist College
- Marymount Manhattan College
- Medaille College
- Mercy College
- Mount Saint Mary College
- Nyack College
- Roberts Wesleyan College
- St. Bonaventure University
- St. John Fisher College
- St. Joseph's College
- St. Lawrence University
- St. Thomas Aquinas College
- Sarah Lawrence College
- Siena College
- Skidmore College
- State University of New York at Fredonia
- State University of New York at Geneseo
- State University of New York at Oneonta
- State University of New York at Plattsburgh
- State University of New York at Purchase
- Union College
- United States Military Academy
- Vassar College
- Wagner College
- Wells College
- Yeshiva University
North Carolina
- Barton College
- Belmont Abbey College
- Bennett College
- Brevard College
- Catawba College
- Davidson College
- Elon University
- Greensboro College
- Guilford College
- High Point University
- Lenoirâ€"Rhyne University
- Mars Hill College
- Meredith College
- Montreat College
- Mount Olive College
- North Carolina Wesleyan College
- Peace College
- Salem College
- University of North Carolina at Asheville
- University of North Carolina at Pembroke
- University of North Carolina at Wilmington
- Wake Forest University
- Warren Wilson College
North Dakota
- Jamestown College
Ohio
- Ashland University
- Antioch College
- Baldwin Wallace University
- Bluffton University
- Capital University
- Cedarville University
- College of Mount St. Joseph
- College of Wooster
- Defiance College
- Denison University
- Heidelberg University
- Hiram College
- John Carroll University
- Kenyon College
- Malone University
- Marietta College
- Miami University
- Mount Vernon Nazarene University
- Muskingum University
- Oberlin College
- Ohio Dominican University
- Ohio Northern University
- Ohio Wesleyan University
- Otterbein College
- Tiffin University
- University of Findlay
- University of Mount Union
- Urbana University
- Wilmington College
- Wittenberg University
Oklahoma
- Bacone College
- Oklahoma Baptist University
- Southern Nazarene University
- University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma
- Oklahoma Wesleyan University
Oregon
- George Fox University
- Gutenberg College
- Lewis & Clark College
- Linfield College
- Marylhurst University
- Reed College
- Southern Oregon University
- University of Portland
- Warner Pacific College
- Western Oregon University
- Willamette University
Pennsylvania
- Albright College
- Allegheny College
- Bryn Athyn College
- Bryn Mawr College
- Bucknell University
- Carlow University
- Cedar Crest College
- Chatham University
- Chestnut Hill College
- Dickinson College
- Elizabethtown College
- Franklin & Marshall College
- Gannon University
- Geneva College
- Gettysburg College
- Grove City College
- Gwynedd-Mercy College
- Haverford College
- Immaculata University
- Juniata College
- Keystone College
- King's College
- La Salle University
- Lafayette College
- Lebanon Valley College
- Lycoming College
- Mansfield University of Pennsylvania
- Mercyhurst University
- Messiah College
- Misericordia University
- Moravian College
- Muhlenberg College
- Point Park University
- Rosemont College
- Saint Vincent College
- Susquehanna University
- Swarthmore College
- Thiel College
- University of Scranton
- Ursinus College
- Washington & Jefferson College
- Waynesburg University
- Westminster College
- Wilson College
- York College of Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
- Providence College
- Roger Williams University
South Carolina
- Allen University
- Benedict College
- Charleston Southern University
- Coker College
- College of Charleston
- Columbia College
- Converse College
- Erskine College
- Furman University
- Lander University
- Limestone College
- Morris College
- Newberry College
- North Greenville University
- Presbyterian College
- Wofford College
South Dakota
- Augustana College
- Mount Marty College
- University of Sioux Falls
Tennessee
- Belmont University
- Bethel University
- Carsonâ€"Newman University
- Cumberland University
- Fisk University
- King University
- Lane College
- Lee University
- Lincoln Memorial University
- Lipscomb University
- Martin Methodist College
- Maryville College
- Milligan College
- Rhodes College
- Sewanee: The University of the South
- Tennessee Wesleyan College
- Union University
Texas
- Abilene Christian University
- Austin College
- College of Saint Thomas More
- Dallas Baptist University
- Hardin-Simmons University
- Houston Baptist University
- Howard Payne University
- Midwestern State University
- St. Edward's University
- St. Mary's University
- Schreiner University
- Southwestern University
- Texas Wesleyan University
- Trinity University
- University of Dallas
- University of the Incarnate Word
- University of St. Thomas
- Wayland Baptist University
Utah
- Westminster College
Vermont
- Bennington College
- Burlington College
- Castleton University
- Goddard College
- Green Mountain College
- Johnson State College
- Landmark College
- Lyndon State College
- Marlboro College
- Middlebury College
- Saint Michael's College
- Southern Vermont College
Virginia
- Bluefield College
- Bridgewater College
- Christendom College
- Christopher Newport University
- Emory and Henry College
- Hampdenâ€"Sydney College
- Hollins University
- Lynchburg College
- Mary Baldwin University
- Patrick Henry College
- Randolph College
- Randolphâ€"Macon College
- Roanoke College
- Shenandoah University
- Southern Virginia University
- Sweet Briar College
- University of Mary Washington
- University of Richmond
- University of Virginia's College at Wise
- Virginia Intermont College
- Virginia Wesleyan College
- Washington and Lee University
Washington
- The Evergreen State College
- Gonzaga University
- Pacific Lutheran University
- St. Martin's University
- Seattle Pacific University
- Seattle University
- University of Puget Sound
- University of Washington, Bothell
- Western Washington University
- Whitman College
- Whitworth University
West Virginia
- Alderson Broaddus University
- Bethany College
- Concord University
- Davis & Elkins College
- Shepherd University
- West Virginia Wesleyan College
- Wheeling Jesuit University
Wisconsin
- Alverno College
- Beloit College
- Carroll University
- Carthage College
- Edgewood College
- Lakeland University
- Lawrence University
- Marian University
- Mount Mary University
- Northland College
- Ripon College
- St. Norbert College
- Silver Lake College
- University of Wisconsin-Superior
- Viterbo University
- Wisconsin Lutheran College
Wyoming
- Wyoming Catholic College
See also
- Great Books Program
- Great Books programs in Canada
References
- Howard Greene; Mathew W. Greene (2000). Greene's Guides to Educational Planning: The Hidden Ivies: Thirty Colleges of Excellence. New York: HarperCollins. ISBNÂ 0-06-095362-4.Â
- Koblik, Steven and Stephen Richards Graubard. Distinctively American: The Residential Liberal Arts Colleges, 2000.
- Pope, Loren. Colleges That Change Lives. New York: Penguin, 2006.
- Compiled and Edited by the Staff of the Yale Daily News (2007). The Insider's Guide to the Colleges, 2008 (34th edition). New York: St. Martin's Griffin. ISBNÂ 978-0-312-36689-6.Â
External links
- How To Choose a College That's Right For You - NPR