Vassar is a small, private liberal arts school in Poughkeepsie Town, NY. It started as the 2nd ever college for women, and an original member of the Seven Sisters, but became co-ed in 1969. Like a lot of other liberal arts schools, popular majors include bio, econ, poli sci, and English.

Wesleyan University is a small, private, liberal arts college in Middletown, Connecticut. A liberal arts school not named after the town it’s in? Unheard of. Wesleyan started out as a men’s college, tried to admit women for a bit in the late 1800s (the “Wesleyan Experiment), then suspended that program in 1912 for sexist reasons (“losing their masculine edge”), but finally became co-ed in 1970.

Williams College is a small, private liberal arts college in the Berkshires, more specifically Williamstown, Massachusetts. It was started as a men’s college in 1793 (old!!), but became co-ed in 1970. Williams is known for their liberal arts curriculum, and their most popular majors include econ, bio, computer science, art, and English.

Tufts University, located just outside of Boston, is a private research university with a liberal arts feel. Because of its proximity to all the other Boston (and near-Boston, wink wink) schools, Tufts has a ton of programs/affiliations/and crossover opportunities with schools in the area. Since the school did start as a liberal arts college, majors like econ, psych, poli sci, and international relations reign supreme.

Swarthmore College is a formerly Quaker, private liberal arts college in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. We’re shocked – a liberal arts school named after the town it’s in! Who’d have thought?? Anyways, Swarthmore is part of the Quaker and Tri-College consortiums (consortii?) which means you can take classes at UPenn, Bryn Mawr, and Haverford.

Scripps College is a small, all-women’s liberal arts school in Claremont, California. It’s part of the Claremont Colleges, a consortium of liberal arts schools designed to mimic that New England school feel. They all share resources, buildings, and sometimes classes!

Pomona College is a small liberal arts school located in Claremont, California. It’s a part of the Claremont Colleges, a consortium of schools that all share resources (and a campus!), made up of Pomona (duh), Claremont McKenna, Scripps, Pitzer, and Harvey Mudd. Each school has their own vibe and focus, but Pomona definitely has a broader liberal arts focus.

Oberlin College in (you guessed it) Oberlin, Ohio (groundbreaking) is a small, private liberal arts school and music conservatory. Founded in 1833, Oberlin is the oldest co-ed school in the United States, the first college to admit Black students (1835), and the first college to admit women (1837), so it’s safe to assume that progressive politics and student activism are a huge part of the school’s culture.

Pitzer College is a small liberal arts school located in Claremont, California, and it’s a part of the Claremont Colleges – a unique consortium of 5 undergrad colleges that share resources and a campus, but each school kinda has their own flavor. Pitzer is known for the social sciences, behavioral sciences, international programs, and media studies. It’s also a really progressive school with a huge social justice focus.

Harvey Mudd College is a small liberal arts school located in Claremont, California, and it’s a part of the Claremont Colleges – a unique consortium of 5 undergrad colleges that share resources and a campus. Harvey Mudd is the STEM Claremont College, with the most popular degrees being computer science, engineering, and math. If you’re looking for a stellar liberal arts school to get a well-rounded STEM education, then Harvey Mudd’s your ticket.

Haverford College, located in Haverford, PA, is a small liberal arts college that was founded by the Quakers (and is still very influenced by their philosophies, despite being secular today). Compared to many other similar liberal arts schools, Haverford definitely has more of a STEM bend, and even offers a Bachelor of Science degree.

Middlebury College is a super small liberal arts school located in Middlebury, VT. They’re known for their emphasis on the arts and the humanities, and they’re a pretty outdoorsy school to boot.

Amherst College is a small liberal arts school located smack dab in the middle of Massachusetts. Amherst (the town) is peak college town vibes, with Amherst College, UMass Amherst, and Hampshire College all packed into 27 square miles. In addition to Amherst classes, students can take classes at UMass Amherst, Hampshire, or the nearby Smith College and Mount Holyoke College. Amherst is known for a totally open curriculum – no core classes to mess with. They’re also known for having an academic culture in line with the Ivy League, and they have the admissions stats to back it. In 2022, Amherst’s acceptance rate was 7.25%, and their transfer acceptance rate was 6%. To put it more plainly, 503 people applied to transfer to Amherst in 2022, and only 30 were admitted.