America’s 50 Best Colleges

Rank

School

Cost*

Class Size

Student to
Faculty Ratio

SAT Range

ACT Range

% of applicants
admitted

Application
deadline

Early
admission

1

Princeton University

$47,975/year

1,242

5 to 1

2000-2280

30-34

10.00%

Jan. 1

N/A

2

California Institute of Technology

$47,975/year

231

3 to 1

2170-2300

32-35

17.00%

Jan. 1

Nov. 1

3

Harvard University

$48,550/year

1,668

8 to 1

2080-2370

31-35

9.00%

Jan. 1

Dec. 1

4

Swarthmore College(PA)

$48,215/year

365

8 to 1

2040-2300

27 - 33

18.00%

Jan. 1

Nov. 14

5

Williams College(MA)

$47,140/year

540

7 to 1

1340-1520**

29-33

18.50%

Jan. 1

Nov. 10

6

United States Military Academy(NY)

$0/year

1,272

1 to 6

1700-2000

26-29

12.75%

Feb. 28

N/A

7

Amherst College(MA)

$49,352/year

 NA

8 to 1

1990-2280

N/A

18.00%

Jan. 15

Nov. 15

8

Wellesley College(MA)

$47,870/year

590

9 to 1

1920-2215

29-32

35.00%

Jan. 15

Nov. 1

9

Yale University

$50,350/year

1,318

5 to 1

2080-2370

30-34

10.00%

Dec. 31

N/A

10

Columbia University

$49,260/year

1,333

7 to 1

2050-2320

28-33

8.68%

Jan. 2

Nov. 1

11

Northwestern University

$49,779/year

1,981

7 to 1

2050-2320

30-34

27.00%

Jan. 1

Nov. 1

12

Wabash College(IN)

$35,550/year

250

10 to 1

1520-1880

21-27

47.00%

Mar. 31

N/A

13

Centre College(KY)

$37,000/year

316

11 to 1

1680-2050

26-30

60.00%

Feb. 1

Dec. 1

14

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

$48,200/year

1,067

6 to 1

2040-2310

31-34

11.90%

Jan. 1

Nov. 1

15

Bowdoin College(ME)

$48,260/year

476

10 to 1

1960-2260

N/A

19.00%

Jan. 1

N/A

16

United States Air Force Academy(CO)

$0 /year

1,214

8 to 1

1775-2040

27 - 31

14.00%

Jan. 30

N/A

17

Middlebury College(VT)

$50,160/year

644

9 to 1

1910-2220

29-33

18.00%

Jan. 1

Nov. 1

18

University of Chicago

$49,976/year

1,300

6 to 1

1330-1530**

28-33

35.00%

Jan. 1

N/A

19

Smith College(MA)

$47,976/year

656

10 to 1

1740-2080

N/A

52.00%

Jan. 15

Nov. 15

20

Pomona College(CA)

$47,580/year

375

8 to 1

2070-2330

N/A

16.00%

Jan. 2

Nov. 1

21

Wesleyan University(CT)

$49,346/year

110

9 to 1

1940-2220

27-32

27.00%

Jan. 1

N/A

22

Haverford College(PA)

$48,932/year

315

8 to 1

1960-2230

NA

25.00%

Jan. 15

Jan. 15

23

Stanford University

$49,227/year

1,721

6 to 1

2000-2300

29 - 33

10.00%

Dec. 31

Oct. 31

24

Hamilton College(NY)

$47,900/year

468

9.7 to 1

1280-1460**

N/A

28.00%

Jan. 1

Jan. 1

25

Sarah Lawrence College(NY)

$52,210/year

363

6 to 1

N/A

N/A

45.00%

Jan. 1

Nov. 15

26

Barnard College(NY)

$49,174/year

559

10 to 1

1900-2190

N/A

29.00%

Jan. 1

Nov. 15

27

Brown University

$48,660/year

1,479

9 to 1

1980-2310

N/A

14.00%

Jan. 1

Nov. 1

28

Whitman College(WA)

$43,490/year

400

10 to 1

1850-2130

27-32

44.90%

Jan. 15

Nov. 15

29

New College of Florida

$15,430/year

202

10 to 1

1820-2090

N/A

57.00%

April. 15

Feb.15

30

Brandeis University

$47,310/year

701

8 to 1

1930-2180

N/A

34.00%

Jan. 15

Nov. 15

31

Vassar College(NY)

$48,565/year

678

9 to 1

1980-2220

29-32

25.00%

Jan. 1

Nov. 15

32

Boston College

$48,384/year

2,291

13 to 1

1870-2140

N/A

27.00%

Jan. 1

Nov. 1

33

Bryn Mawr College(PA)

$47,674/year

352

8 to 1

1920-2120

N/A

45.00%

Jan. 15

Nov. 15

34

Kenyon College(OH)

$46,690/year

458

10 to 1

1870-2150

28-32

29.00%

Jan. 15

Nov. 15

35

Franklin and Marshall College(PA)

$47,254/year

569

10 to 1

1210-1380**

N/A

37.00%

Feb. 1

N/A

36

United States Naval Academy(MD)

$0/year

1,161

1160-1350**

N/A

12.00%

Jan. 31

N/A

37

Colby College(ME)

$47,700/year

467

10 to 1

1910-2140

28-31

32.00%

Jan. 1

Nov. 15

38

Washington and Lee University(VA)

$47,096/year

463

10 to 1

1300-1470**

28-31

27.40%

Jan. 15

N/A

39

Westminster College(MO)

$25,316/year

224

14 to 1

1293-1770

23-28

70.00%

Rolling

N/A

40

Claremont McKenna College(CA)

$48,520/year

268

9 to 1

1290-1480**

N/A

16.00%

Jan. 2

Nov. 15

41

Rice University

$41,775/year

742

5 to 1

1950-2260

29-34

25.00%

Jan. 2

Nov. 1

42

Cooper Union(NY)

$50,225/year

219

8 to 1

1250-1470**

29-33

11.00%

Jan. 1

N/A

43

University of Virginia

$19,325/year

3,248

15 to 1

1830-2160

N/A

35.00%

Jan. 2

N/A

44

Colgate University(NY)

$48,710/year

744

10 to 1

1260-1430**

29-32

24.00%

Jan. 15

Nov. 15

45

Bates College(ME)

$48,850/year

442

10 to 1

1890-2150

N/A

30.00%

Jan. 1

Nov. 15

46

Knox College(IL)

$36,678/year

307

12 to 1

1730-2030

27-31

61.00%

Feb. 1

Dec. 1

47

DePauw University(IN)

$39,400/year

664

10 to 1

1650-1960

25-29

69.00%

Feb. 1

N/A

48

Tufts University

$48,900/year

1,370

9 to 1

2010-2260

29 - 32

28.00%

Dec. 31

Oct. 31

49

College of William and Mary

$37,119/year

1,346

11 to 1

1860-2160

27-32

34.00%

Jan. 1

Nov. 1

50

Hampden-Sydney College(VA)

$38,603/year

334

11 to 1

1495-1810

20-26

67.00%

Mar. 1

Mar. 1