College Guide

Rankings

Below are the Washington Monthly's 2010 liberal arts college rankings. We rate schools based on their contribution to the public good in three broad categories: Social Mobility (recruiting and graduating low-income students), Research (producing cutting-edge scholarship and PhDs), and Service (encouraging students to give something back to their country). For an explanation of each category, click here. For more information about the overall goals of the rankings, click here. To learn more about our methodology, click here.

Use the above dropdown menu to switch to different categories of schools. Click on the "sort" button at the top of each column to sort schools by that category. You can also sort the list by state or by name of college. * Indicates a public school.

sort	Institution sort a-z sort by state		Social Mobility sort				Research sort			Service sort

		Overall Score	Students receiving Pell grants	Predicted grad rate Actual grad rate Rank			Research expenditures, in millions Rank		Bachelor's to PhD rank	Peace Corps Rank	ROTC Rank	Federal work-study funds spent on service Rank		Community service participation and hours served Rank	Service staff, courses and financial aid support Rank
1	Morehouse College (GA)	100	65%	45%	67%	3	$5.45	5	101	164	7	11%	152	41	33
2	Bryn Mawr College (PA)	94	14%	82%	86%	87	$3.88	9	7	83	125	35%	10	10	10
3	Swarthmore College (PA)	89	10%	94%	92%	161	$1.45	35	2	45	125	9%	178	34	31
4	Berea College (KY)	89	82%	45%	64%	5	$0.00	95	139	79	125	10%	166	13	25
5	Amherst College (MA)	85	16%	91%	95%	91	$2.93	14	5	31	125	36%	6	104	101
6	Harvey Mudd College (CA)	80	10%	99%	90%	210	$2.74	18	1	95	83	25%	24	104	101
7	Williams College (MA)	79	14%	92%	96%	86	$3.98	8	9	4	125	9%	181	104	101
8	Spelman College (GA)	77	45%	54%	80%	1	$3.74	10	45	117	21	10%	162	104	101
9	Wesleyan University (CT)	77	12%	90%	93%	101	$7.88	2	15	46	102	12%	128	101	91
10	Wellesley College (MA)	76	13%	87%	91%	95	$4.63	7	10	63	70	23%	34	104	101
11	Bowdoin College (ME)	76	13%	91%	91%	142	$2.19	22	20	16	125	19%	56	31	73
12	Carleton College (MN)	75	10%	91%	93%	118	$1.85	28	6	33	125	12%	124	92	52
13	Reed College (OR)	73	11%	89%	78%	224	$1.22	36	3	1	125	16%	81	104	101
14	Tougaloo College (MS)	73	100%	50%	47%	173	$1.68	32	91	201	59	9%	182	54	84
15	College of the Holy Cross (MA)	72	14%	78%	98%	4	$0.99	48	89	136	25	19%	61	11	38
16	Whitman College (WA)	71	13%	83%	92%	43	$0.30	82	21	10	125	35%	11	97	97
17	Occidental College (CA)	71	19%	78%	86%	48	$1.65	33	30	119	110	21%	48	20	34
18	Davidson College (NC)	71	6%	89%	94%	73	$0.85	52	22	70	38	15%	95	3	62
19	Bates College (ME)	71	10%	86%	89%	105	$1.02	46	36	64	125	21%	43	9	9
20	Smith College (MA)	71	16%	79%	88%	39	$3.50	11	16	22	121	17%	72	104	101
21	Emory and Henry College (VA)	70	42%	49%	55%	70	$0.00	95	104	168	125	11%	146	1	1
22	Macalester College (MN)	69	14%	87%	87%	140	$2.35	20	14	3	112	12%	135	104	101
23	Wofford College (SC)	67	11%	73%	83%	30	$0.00	95	151	94	2	7%	215	6	30
24	Pomona College (CA)	66	12%	97%	95%	158	$3.11	13	8	102	105	7%	211	104	101
25	Centre College (KY)	65	13%	78%	82%	94	$0.00	95	38	58	20	17%	78	30	22
26	Oberlin College (OH)	65	12%	87%	84%	169	$0.77	55	23	32	125	22%	40	47	57
27	Dillard University (LA)	64	75%	27%	39%	21	$2.85	15	138	109	23	0%	245	104	101
28	Rhodes College (TN)	64	9%	79%	72%	206	$0.43	69	70	42	39	8%	201	2	2
29	Fisk University (TN)	63	46%	42%	53%	24	$6.00	4	33	201	62	7%	231	104	101
30	New College of Florida*	63	14%	82%	63%	244	$0.00	95	4	201	125	84%	1	104	101
31	Middlebury College (VT)	63	10%	91%	93%	109	$1.83	29	32	13	100	21%	49	104	101
32	Ripon College (WI)	62	26%	60%	69%	40	$0.00	95	110	66	12	14%	102	43	18
33	Haverford College (PA)	62	12%	90%	94%	84	$1.18	37	12	103	125	16%	85	104	101
34	Grinnell College (IA)	62	14%	85%	85%	143	$0.79	53	13	9	125	7%	233	104	101
35	Colby College (ME)	62	6%	88%	90%	120	$1.13	38	28	30	75	23%	35	90	83
36	Allegheny College (PA)	61	18%	73%	74%	128	$0.79	53	46	44	125	24%	28	35	32
37	Knox College (IL)	61	21%	80%	75%	189	$0.00	95	27	68	125	36%	8	68	96
38	Westminster College (PA)	61	20%	59%	73%	12	$0.00	95	85	123	125	38%	5	46	17
39	Bucknell University (PA)	60	8%	84%	88%	85	$1.74	30	40	85	44	9%	186	26	63
40	Furman University (SC)	60	8%	81%	85%	90	$1.04	44	50	92	10	22%	38	95	98
41	Alma College (MI)	60	28%	60%	70%	33	$0.00	95	88	185	101	9%	193	4	13
42	Mount Holyoke College (MA)	60	16%	82%	82%	146	$3.13	12	29	26	116	11%	141	104	101
43	Agnes Scott College (GA)	60	30%	65%	71%	65	$0.00	95	43	12	84	13%	111	96	100
44	DePauw University (IN)	59	16%	73%	85%	20	$0.22	88	129	43	118	17%	71	17	41
45	St. John's University (MN)	59	11%	70%	83%	17	$0.00	95	102	47	3	18%	63	104	101
46	St. Olaf College (MN)	59	12%	82%	86%	88	$1.06	42	52	15	125	7%	229	58	64
47	Wesleyan College (GA)	59	33%	58%	61%	103	$0.00	95	64	142	125	33%	14	99	15
48	Colgate University (NY)	59	7%	89%	91%	114	$2.22	21	37	27	80	23%	37	104	101
49	Illinois College	59	29%	61%	63%	123	$0.00	95	109	50	125	11%	139	24	7
50	St. John's College (MD)	58	18%	80%	71%	211	$0.00	95	11	2	125	9%	189	104	101
51	Ohio Wesleyan University	58	20%	70%	63%	200	$0.38	76	39	60	125	29%	18	25	43
52	Lawrence University (WI)	58	15%	82%	75%	197	$0.30	81	17	35	125	8%	202	64	49
53	Susquehanna University (PA)	57	17%	65%	82%	7	$0.00	95	154	78	43	27%	22	28	78
54	Claremont McKenna College (CA)	57	13%	90%	94%	92	$0.68	59	57	75	16	13%	110	104	101
55	University of Richmond (VA)	57	9%	80%	87%	57	$1.96	26	96	96	31	14%	106	59	70
56	Gustavus Adolphus Col. (MN)	57	15%	73%	83%	34	$0.17	93	59	51	45	14%	97	61	72
57	Hamilton College (NY)	57	9%	89%	91%	119	$1.91	27	73	81	125	14%	99	93	35
58	Vassar College (NY)	56	12%	89%	92%	99	$0.60	61	18	72	120	17%	75	104	101
59	Simpson College (IA)	56	26%	64%	68%	77	$0.00	95	176	148	125	11%	143	8	3
60	Hobart & Wm. Smith Col. (NY)	56	15%	73%	73%	138	$0.69	58	103	23	114	25%	26	40	60
61	Connecticut College	56	9%	85%	88%	98	$1.02	46	31	11	125	15%	90	104	101
62	Coe College (IA)	56	24%	67%	70%	104	$0.45	67	72	145	17	23%	36	78	95
63	Dickinson College (PA)	56	9%	82%	84%	115	$1.08	41	118	49	19	11%	153	37	71
64	Wheaton College (IL)	56	13%	82%	86%	83	$0.00	95	48	121	9	18%	64	104	101
65	Calif. State U., Monterey Bay*	55	32%	49%	39%	217	$7.03	3	229	167	125	22%	42	49	8
66	Johnson C. Smith University (NC)	55	57%	40%	39%	150	$0.00	95	206	201	27	23%	32	38	76
67	Barnard College (NY)	55	15%	85%	89%	89	$2.76	17	47	139	119	17%	74	104	101
68	Earlham College (IN)	55	16%	74%	72%	157	$0.00	95	24	56	125	16%	87	32	79
69	Beloit College (WI)	54	14%	76%	78%	125	$0.00	95	68	38	125	13%	113	23	48
70	Willamette University (OR)	54	15%	75%	71%	177	$0.38	75	86	8	111	16%	84	33	80
71	Carson-Newman College (TN)	54	31%	56%	53%	168	$0.00	95	162	201	6	10%	170	27	40
72	Calvin College (MI)	54	19%	69%	76%	56	$2.06	24	71	138	54	7%	216	81	55
73	Central College (IA)	53	25%	62%	68%	67	$0.00	95	131	129	125	7%	223	12	11
74	Denison University (OH)	53	11%	79%	81%	112	$0.32	80	92	29	115	13%	109	50	44
75	Kenyon College (OH)	53	7%	86%	88%	121	$0.00	95	19	21	125	14%	105	104	101
76	St. Mary's Col. of Maryland*	53	10%	76%	75%	155	$0.42	72	63	6	113	15%	91	62	74
77	Juniata College (PA)	52	18%	71%	80%	38	$0.33	78	42	189	125	9%	184	60	39
78	Wartburg College (IA)	52	25%	62%	64%	122	$0.00	95	160	73	125	7%	235	22	6
79	Union College (NY)	52	16%	77%	85%	49	$2.09	23	126	178	52	10%	172	87	67
80	Kalamazoo College (MI)	52	13%	78%	76%	165	$0.24	87	34	69	125	10%	154	44	47
81	Drew University (NJ)	52	21%	67%	77%	31	$0.00	95	67	131	86	21%	50	91	86
82	Washington and Lee University (VA)	51	3%	93%	89%	178	$0.33	79	55	112	41	40%	4	104	101
83	Rust College (MS)	51	80%	19%	31%	18	$0.00	95	166	201	125	9%	183	103	101
84	Cornell College (IA)	51	22%	71%	72%	132	$0.00	95	53	70	125	15%	94	48	93
85	West Virginia State University*	51	56%	36%	29%	198	$2.77	16	221	201	15	32%	16	104	101
86	Skidmore College (NY)	51	15%	78%	81%	97	$0.73	56	90	61	123	12%	130	88	56
87	Bennett College (NC)	51	68%	25%	38%	14	$0.00	95	82	201	125	10%	157	104	101
88	Southwestern University (TX)	50	14%	74%	75%	137	$0.00	95	81	143	125	14%	107	21	23
89	William Jewell College (MO)	50	21%	68%	63%	188	$0.00	95	60	181	98	16%	82	19	20
90	Pitzer College (CA)	50	10%	79%	69%	218	$0.27	84	84	201	95	10%	159	5	4
91	McDaniel College (MD)	50	23%	64%	73%	35	$0.00	95	157	111	5	8%	208	104	101
92	Judson College (AL)	50	39%	54%	49%	182	$0.00	95	184	201	28	7%	210	74	5
93	St. Michael's College (VT)	50	10%	68%	81%	16	$0.00	95	186	39	58	10%	160	18	37
94	St. Mary's College (IN)	49	14%	68%	76%	50	$0.00	95	107	106	24	14%	103	86	51
95	Linfield College (OR)	49	23%	62%	73%	28	$0.00	95	145	37	108	9%	188	57	65
96	Paine College (GA)	49	78%	21%	25%	80	$0.00	95	140	201	49	9%	176	104	101
97	Mount Union College (OH)	49	30%	54%	65%	25	$0.00	95	123	201	30	7%	237	14	101
98	Presbyterian College (SC)	49	20%	65%	73%	52	$0.00	95	177	180	4	10%	158	104	101
99	Colorado College	48	7%	84%	87%	108	$0.00	95	26	25	125	7%	218	104	101
100	College of Wooster (OH)	48	15%	73%	76%	107	$0.94	50	25	55	125	10%	165	104	101

For items 101-252, click here »