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2023 Schools Highly Focused on Political Science Major

1,309 Ranked Colleges
49,282 Degrees Awarded
$31,600 Avg Cost*
Schools Highly Focused on Political Science Major

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Schools Highly Focused on Political Science Major” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Political Science & Government is the 20th most popular major in the country with 49,282 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, political science and government graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $34,387 and had an average of $23,175 in loans still to pay off.

This year’s “Schools Highly Focused on Political Science Major” ranking analyzed 1,309 colleges that offered a degree in political science and government. The colleges and universities that top this list are recognized because their political science and government program is one of the largest majors offered at the school.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Political Science & Government Schools

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Schools Highly Focused on Political Science Major” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Schools Highly Focused on Political Science Major

The colleges and universities below are the best for political science students.

Top 25 Most Focused Colleges for Political Science & Government

1
Antioch College crest
Antioch College
Yellow Springs, Ohio

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Antioch College. The school came in at #1 for the Schools Highly Focused on Political Science Major. Located in Yellow Springs, Ohio, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 2 diplomas to qualified ’s political science students in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Antioch College

2
Patrick Henry College crest
Patrick Henry College
Purcellville, Virginia

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Patrick Henry College. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Political Science Major list. Patrick Henry College is a small school located in Purcellville, Virginia that handed out 16 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Patrick Henry College

3
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United States Coast Guard Academy
New London, Connecticut

Out of the 1,309 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Political Science Major that were part of this year’s ranking, United States Coast Guard Academy landed the #3 spot on the list. United States Coast Guard Academy is a public institution located in New London, Connecticut. The school has a small population, and it awarded 48 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at United States Coast Guard Academy

4
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Bowdoin College
Brunswick, Maine

Out of the 1,309 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on Political Science Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Bowdoin College landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Brunswick, Maine, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 100 diplomas to qualified ’s political science students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Bowdoin College

5
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Pine Manor College
Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Pine Manor College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Political Science Major list. Located in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 12 diplomas to qualified ’s political science students in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Pine Manor Political Science & Government Report

6
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Hillsdale College
Hillsdale, Michigan

Hillsdale College landed the #6 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Political Science Major ranking. Hillsdale College is a small school located in Hillsdale, Michigan that handed out 54 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Hillsdale College

7
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Bennett College
Greensboro, North Carolina

Bennett College came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Political Science Major ranking. Bennett is a private not-for-profit institution located in Greensboro, North Carolina. The school has a small population, and it awarded 5 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Bennett College

8
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Davidson College
Davidson, North Carolina

Davidson College landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Political Science Major ranking. Davidson is located in Davidson, North Carolina and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 79 ’s political science degrees to qualified students.

With a freshman retention rate of 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Davidson

9
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College of the Holy Cross
Worcester, Massachusetts

College of the Holy Cross came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Political Science Major ranking. Holy Cross is a small school located in Worcester, Massachusetts that handed out 110 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 89%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Holy Cross Political Science & Government Report

10
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United States Naval Academy
Annapolis, Maryland

United States Naval Academy came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Political Science Major ranking. United States Naval Academy is a small school located in Annapolis, Maryland that handed out 137 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Political Science & Government at United States Naval Academy

11
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Union College New York
Schenectady, New York

Union College New York did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Political Science Major ranking, coming in at #11. Schenectady, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s political science degrees to 63 students in 2020-2021.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Union College Political Science & Government Report

12
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Bates College
Lewiston, Maine

Bates College ranked #12 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Political Science Major list. Bates is a small school located in Lewiston, Maine that handed out 65 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Bates Political Science & Government Report

13
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Trinity College
Hartford, Connecticut

Trinity College came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Political Science Major ranking. Trinity College is a small school located in Hartford, Connecticut that handed out 74 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Trinity College

14
Colby crest
Colby College
Waterville, Maine

Colby College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Political Science Major ranking, coming in at #14. Colby is a small school located in Waterville, Maine that handed out 76 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Colby College

15
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Wabash College
Crawfordsville, Indiana

Wabash College came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Political Science Major ranking. Wabash is a small school located in Crawfordsville, Indiana that handed out 20 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Wabash College Political Science & Government Report

16
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Gettysburg College
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #16, Gettysburg College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Political Science Major list. Gettysburg is located in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 71 ’s political science degrees to qualified students.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.1% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Gettysburg

17
Bethany College West Virginia crest
Bethany College West Virginia
Bethany, West Virginia

Bethany College West Virginia landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Political Science Major ranking. Bethany College West Virginia is located in Bethany, West Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 10 ’s political science degrees to qualified students.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Bethany College West Virginia

18

Sewanee - The University of the South ranked #18 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on Political Science Major list. Sewanee is a small school located in Sewanee, Tennessee that handed out 45 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Sewanee

19
Spelman crest
Spelman College
Atlanta, Georgia

Spelman College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Political Science Major ranking, coming in at #19. Atlanta, Georgia is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s political science degrees to 46 students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Spelman College

20
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Sweet Briar College
Sweet Briar, Virginia

With a ranking of #20, Sweet Briar College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Political Science Major list. Sweet Briar is a small school located in Sweet Briar, Virginia that handed out 6 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Sweet Briar College Political Science & Government Report

21
Furman crest
Furman University
Greenville, South Carolina

Furman University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Political Science Major ranking. This small school is located in Greenville, South Carolina, and it awarded 82 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Furman

22
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Haverford College
Haverford, Pennsylvania

Haverford College landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Political Science Major ranking. Haverford, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s political science degrees to 33 students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Haverford Political Science & Government Report

23
St. Lawrence crest
St Lawrence University
Canton, New York

St Lawrence University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on Political Science Major ranking. St. Lawrence is located in Canton, New York and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 67 ’s political science degrees to qualified students.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.2%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.

Full St. Lawrence Political Science & Government Report

24
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Scripps College
Claremont, California

With a ranking of #24, Scripps College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Political Science Major list. Scripps is a small school located in Claremont, California that handed out 29 ’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Scripps Political Science & Government Report

25
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Colgate University
Hamilton, New York

Colgate University landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on Political Science Major ranking. Hamilton, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s political science degrees to 79 students in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Colgate University

Rest of the Best 50 in Schools Highly Focused on Political Science Major

Not only did these schools make the top 50 list, but they also landed in the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

26
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Dickinson College
Carlisle, Pennsylvania
27
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Hampden - Sydney College
Hampden-Sydney, Virginia
28
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Claremont McKenna College
Claremont, California
29
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Connecticut College
New London, Connecticut
30
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Lafayette College
Easton, Pennsylvania
31
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Wesleyan University
Middletown, Connecticut
32
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Washington and Lee University
Lexington, Virginia
33
34
35
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Bucknell University
Lewisburg, Pennsylvania
36
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Colorado College
Colorado Springs, Colorado
37
Dartmouth crest
Dartmouth College
Hanover, New Hampshire
38
Wilberforce University crest
Wilberforce University
Wilberforce, Ohio
39
Wells crest
Wells College
Aurora, New York
40
Morehouse crest
Morehouse College
Atlanta, Georgia
41
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Whitman College
Walla Walla, Washington
42
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Middlebury College
Middlebury, Vermont
43
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Occidental College
Los Angeles, California
44
Pomona crest
Pomona College
Claremont, California
45
46
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Millsaps College
Jackson, Mississippi
47
Vassar crest
Vassar College
Poughkeepsie, New York
48
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Barnard College
New York, New York
49
Kenyon crest
Kenyon College
Gambier, Ohio
50
CNU crest
Christopher Newport University
Newport News, Virginia

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Schools Highly Focused on Political Science Major

While not in the ‘top 50’, these schools make the top 15% of this year’s ranking:

Rank College Location
51 Franklin and Marshall College Lancaster, PA
52 Macalester College Saint Paul, MN
52 Fisk University Nashville, TN
54 Wofford College Spartanburg, SC
55 Lyon College Batesville, AR
56 Grinnell College Grinnell, IA
57 University of Puget Sound Tacoma, WA
58 Oberlin College Oberlin, OH
59 Amherst College Amherst, MA
60 Pitzer College Claremont, CA
61 Hamilton College Clinton, NY
62 Allegheny College Meadville, PA
63 The College of Idaho Caldwell, ID
64 Centre College Danville, KY
65 Smith College Northampton, MA
Rank College Location
66 St Mary’s College of Maryland St. Mary’s City, MD
67 University of the Ozarks Clarksville, AR
68 Skidmore College Saratoga Springs, NY
69 Wellesley College Wellesley, MA
70 William & Mary Williamsburg, VA
71 Tougaloo College Tougaloo, MS
72 Howard Payne University Brownwood, TX
73 Gustavus Adolphus College Saint Peter, MN
74 Hobart and William Smith Colleges Geneva, NY
74 Ripon College Ripon, WI
76 Willamette University Salem, OR
77 Williams College Williamstown, MA
78 Saint Johns University Collegeville, MN
79 Howard University Washington, DC
80 Oglethorpe University Atlanta, GA
81 Lawrence University Appleton, WI
82 Hartwick College Oneonta, NY
83 American University Washington, DC
84 Rhodes College Memphis, TN
85 Citadel Military College of South Carolina Charleston, SC
86 Princeton University Princeton, NJ
87 St Olaf College Northfield, MN
88 Catholic University of America Washington, DC
89 Albion College Albion, MI
90 Kalamazoo College Kalamazoo, MI
Rank College Location
91 George Washington University Washington, DC
92 University of the District of Columbia Washington, DC
93 Lake Forest College Lake Forest, IL
94 University of California - Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA
95 Boston College Chestnut Hill, MA
96 Hendrix College Conway, AR
97 Ohio Wesleyan University Delaware, OH
98 Simpson College Indianola, IA
99 Swarthmore College Swarthmore, PA
100 Washington College Chestertown, MD
101 SUNY Old Westbury Old Westbury, NY
102 Berea College Berea, KY
103 Southwestern University Georgetown, TX
104 University of Notre Dame Notre Dame, IN
105 University of California - Merced Merced, CA
106 Austin College Sherman, TX
107 Stonehill College Easton, MA
108 Roanoke College Salem, VA
109 United States Air Force Academy USAF Academy, CO
110 Wake Forest University Winston-Salem, NC
111 Virginia Wesleyan University Virginia Beach, VA
112 Beloit College Beloit, WI
113 Georgetown University Washington, DC
114 Elon University Elon, NC
115 Siena College Loudonville, NY
Rank College Location
116 Bryn Mawr College Bryn Mawr, PA
117 Wheaton College Massachusetts Norton, MA
118 University of California - Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA
119 University of Dallas Irving, TX
120 Ave Maria University Ave Maria, FL
121 Denison University Granville, OH
122 Copper Mountain Community College Joshua Tree, CA
123 Fairmont State University Fairmont, WV
123 Luther College Decorah, IA
125 Saint Michael’s College Colchester, VT
126 Illinois Wesleyan University Bloomington, IL
127 Francis Marion University Florence, SC
128 Emory and Henry College Emory, VA
129 Hiram College Hiram, OH
130 Brigham Young University - Hawaii Laie, HI
131 St. Mary’s University San Antonio, TX
132 Clark University Worcester, MA
133 Principia College Elsah, IL
134 University of California - San Diego La Jolla, CA
135 Florida State University Tallahassee, FL
136 College of Saint Benedict Saint Joseph, MN
137 Rollins College Winter Park, FL
138 Eckerd College Saint Petersburg, FL
139 Saint Mary’s College Notre Dame, IN
140 Providence College Providence, RI
Rank College Location
141 University of California - Riverside Riverside, CA
142 Centenary College of Louisiana Shreveport, LA
143 Susquehanna University Selinsgrove, PA
144 College of Charleston Charleston, SC
145 Tulane University of Louisiana New Orleans, LA
146 Alma College Alma, MI
147 Monmouth College Monmouth, IL
148 University of Washington - Bothell Campus Bothell, WA
149 Texas Christian University Fort Worth, TX
150 SUNY Geneseo Geneseo, NY
151 Agnes Scott College Decatur, GA
152 University of California - Berkeley Berkeley, CA
153 Reed College Portland, OR
154 Mount Holyoke College South Hadley, MA
155 Washington & Jefferson College Washington, PA
156 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC
157 Whittier College Whittier, CA
158 Santa Clara University Santa Clara, CA
159 Thiel College Greenville, PA
160 Saint Anselm College Manchester, NH
161 University of Illinois at Springfield Springfield, IL
162 Drew University Madison, NJ
163 Hanover College Hanover, IN
164 Randolph - Macon College Ashland, VA
165 Lincoln University Lincoln University, PA
Rank College Location
166 University of Hawaii at Hilo Hilo, HI
167 Harris - Stowe State University Saint Louis, MO
168 University of Mary Washington Fredericksburg, VA
169 DePauw University Greencastle, IN
170 Nebraska Wesleyan University Lincoln, NE
171 John Carroll University University Heights, OH
172 University of Oregon Eugene, OR
173 University at Albany Albany, NY
174 Savannah State University Savannah, GA
175 University of California - Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, CA
176 Transylvania University Lexington, KY
177 Muhlenberg College Allentown, PA
178 Saint Vincent College Latrobe, PA
179 University of Minnesota - Morris Morris, MN
180 Miami University - Oxford Oxford, OH
181 McMurry University Abilene, TX
182 Trinity University San Antonio, TX
183 Villanova University Villanova, PA
184 Juniata College Huntingdon, PA
184 Linfield University - McMinnville Campus McMinnville, OR
186 Yale University New Haven, CT
187 University of Richmond University of Richmond, VA
188 Suffolk University Boston, MA
189 University of Portland Portland, OR
190 Saint Norbert College De Pere, WI
Rank College Location
191 University of Vermont Burlington, VT
192 Knox College Galesburg, IL
193 Brown University Providence, RI
194 Marietta College Marietta, OH
195 Heidelberg University Tiffin, OH
196 Hampton University Hampton, VA
197 Presbyterian College Clinton, SC
197 McDaniel College Westminster, MD

Notes and References

References

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