America’s Best Value Small Colleges and Universities — 2026 Study

As the Class of 2026 prepares to begin the next chapter of its educational journey, many graduating seniors will opt for a small college experience. Some students are drawn to small colleges and universities for the personalized attention and sense of community they can offer compared to larger schools. Although attending such institutions could come with a higher price tag than larger colleges and universities, many affordable, high-quality options are available.

SmartAsset evaluated more than 1,000 U.S. colleges and universities with undergraduate enrollments of fewer than 5,000 students to identify the best values among small schools. The 527 institutions with an average cost of attendance — including tuition, books, fees and living expenses — below the median for similarly sized schools were assigned composite scores based on their graduation rate and the median earnings of students 10 years after first enrollment. The 75 highest-scoring schools were named our best-value small colleges.

Key Findings

Immaculata University ranks No. 1. Founded in 1920, this private university in southeastern Pennsylvania reports an undergraduate enrollment of 1,320 and an average annual cost of attendance of less than $45,000. Its 68% graduation rate and median alumni earnings of $75,701 help place it at the top of the rankings.
Rutgers University-Camden is the top-ranked public institution. The regional campus of Rutgers University enrolls fewer than 4,000 undergraduates and reports an average annual cost of attendance of $35,178. It ranks No. 2 overall, supported by a 67% graduation rate and median alumni earnings of $74,479.
New York is home to more ranked colleges than any other state. Eleven institutions in the Empire State appeared among the 75 schools in the rankings.
Public and private schools are both well represented. While the small college experience is often associated with private institutions, 26 of the 75 schools in the rankings are state-affiliated.
Average enrollment is less than 2,200. Institutions named to the list were limited to those enrolling 5,000 or fewer undergraduates; the schools that made the final ranking have an average enrollment of 2,152.

Best Value Small Colleges and Universities

Immaculata University (Immaculata, PA)
• Type: Private
• Enrollment: 1,320
• Cost of Attendance: $43,979
• Graduation Rate: 68%
• Median Earnings: $75,701
Rutgers University-Camden (Camden, NJ)
• Type: Public
• Enrollment: 3,753
• Cost of Attendance: $35,178
• Graduation Rate: 67%
• Median Earnings: $74,479
University of Detroit Mercy (Detroit, MI)
• Type: Private
• Enrollment: 2,438
• Cost of Attendance: $42,211
• Graduation Rate: 68%
• Median Earnings: $71,030
SUNY College at Geneseo (Geneseo, NY)
• Type: Public
• Enrollment: 3,869
• Cost of Attendance: $27,709
• Graduation Rate: 72%
• Median Earnings: $67,316
Washington & Jefferson College (Washington, PA)
• Type: Private
• Enrollment: 1,295
• Cost of Attendance: $42,972
• Graduation Rate: 70%
• Median Earnings: $67,918
Ramapo College of New Jersey (Mahwah, NJ)
• Type: Public
• Enrollment: 4,898
• Cost of Attendance: $29,483
• Graduation Rate: 71%
• Median Earnings: $67,541
New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology (Socorro, NM)
• Type: Public
• Enrollment: 995
• Cost of Attendance: $24,967
• Graduation Rate: 57%
• Median Earnings: $76,489
Thomas Aquinas College (Santa Paula, CA)
• Type: Private
• Enrollment: 566
• Cost of Attendance: $43,426
• Graduation Rate: 83%
• Median Earnings: $55,619
Capitol Technology University (Laurel, MD)
• Type: Private
• Enrollment: 315
• Cost of Attendance: $42,471
• Graduation Rate: 44%
• Median Earnings: $85,035
Christopher Newport University (Newport News, VA)
• Type: Public
• Enrollment: 4,365
• Cost of Attendance: $33,766
• Graduation Rate: 73%
• Median Earnings: $60,509
Oregon Institute of Technology (Klamath Falls, OR)
• Type: Public
• Enrollment: 2,892
• Cost of Attendance: $27,524
• Graduation Rate: 56%
• Median Earnings: $72,273
St. Joseph’s University-New York (Brooklyn, NY)
• Type: Private
• Enrollment: 3,144
• Cost of Attendance: $41,897
• Graduation Rate: 67%
• Median Earnings: $63,905
South Dakota School of Mines and Technology (Rapid City, SD)
• Type: Public
• Enrollment: 2,071
• Cost of Attendance: $25,385
• Graduation Rate: 56%
• Median Earnings: $72,257
SUNY Oneonta (Oneonta, NY)
• Type: Public
• Enrollment: 4,643
• Cost of Attendance: $28,821
• Graduation Rate: 70%
• Median Earnings: $60,386
Canisius University (Buffalo, NY)
• Type: Private
• Enrollment: 1,685
• Cost of Attendance: $44,322
• Graduation Rate: 69%
• Median Earnings: $60,681
St. Mary’s College of Maryland (St. Mary’s City, MD)
• Type: Public
• Enrollment: 1,603
• Cost of Attendance: $31,865
• Graduation Rate: 69%
• Median Earnings: $60,110
University of Mary (Bismarck, ND)
• Type: Private
• Enrollment: 2,416
• Cost of Attendance: $33,672
• Graduation Rate: 67%
• Median Earnings: $60,909
University of Mary Washington (Fredericksburg, VA)
• Type: Public
• Enrollment: 3,566
• Cost of Attendance: $31,137
• Graduation Rate: 67%
• Median Earnings: $60,613
University of St Thomas (Houston, TX)
• Type: Private
• Enrollment: 3,220
• Cost of Attendance: $45,672
• Graduation Rate: 69%
• Median Earnings: $59,224
Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion (Marion, IN)
• Type: Private
• Enrollment: 1,974
• Cost of Attendance: $44,776
• Graduation Rate: 67%
• Median Earnings: $59,986
Truman State University (Kirksville, MO)
• Type: Public
• Enrollment: 2,513
• Cost of Attendance: $25,115
• Graduation Rate: 69%
• Median Earnings: $56,280
Holy Family University (Philadelphia, PA)
• Type: Private
• Enrollment: 2,464
• Cost of Attendance: $40,539
• Graduation Rate: 61%
• Median Earnings: $62,235
William Jewell College (Liberty, MO)
• Type: Private
• Enrollment: 924
• Cost of Attendance: $35,785
• Graduation Rate: 64%
• Median Earnings: $59,268
Franciscan University of Steubenville (Steubenville, OH)
• Type: Private
• Enrollment: 2,901
• Cost of Attendance: $44,580
• Graduation Rate: 76%
• Median Earnings: $50,030
York College of Pennsylvania (York, PA)
• Type: Private
• Enrollment: 3,265
• Cost of Attendance: $37,319
• Graduation Rate: 62%
• Median Earnings: $61,012
SUNY Polytechnic Institute (Utica, NY)
• Type: Public
• Enrollment: 1,849
• Cost of Attendance: $23,741
• Graduation Rate: 57%
• Median Earnings: $64,355
SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (Syracuse, NY)
• Type: Public
• Enrollment: 1,839
• Cost of Attendance: $28,133
• Graduation Rate: 68%
• Median Earnings: $55,763
John Brown University (Siloam Springs, AR)
• Type: Private
• Enrollment: 1,471
• Cost of Attendance: $44,710
• Graduation Rate: 69%
• Median Earnings: $53,907
Viterbo University (La Crosse, WI)
• Type: Private
• Enrollment: 1,249
• Cost of Attendance: $45,558
• Graduation Rate: 67%
• Median Earnings: $55,660
Daemen University (Amherst, NY)
• Type: Private
• Enrollment: 1,643
• Cost of Attendance: $45,192
• Graduation Rate: 59%
• Median Earnings: $61,808
Waynesburg University (Waynesburg, PA)
• Type: Private
• Enrollment: 1,009
• Cost of Attendance: $44,397
• Graduation Rate: 63%
• Median Earnings: $58,537
Harding University (Searcy, AR)
• Type: Private
• Enrollment: 3,382
• Cost of Attendance: $39,534
• Graduation Rate: 70%
• Median Earnings: $52,876
Central College (Pella, IA)
• Type: Private
• Enrollment: 1,070
• Cost of Attendance: $37,773
• Graduation Rate: 68%
• Median Earnings: $54,317
Warner Pacific University (Portland, OR)
• Type: Private
• Enrollment: 375
• Cost of Attendance: $38,948
• Graduation Rate: 66%
• Median Earnings: $55,204
Utica University (Utica, NY)
• Type: Private
• Enrollment: 2,278
• Cost of Attendance: $37,205
• Graduation Rate: 56%
• Median Earnings: $63,277
Andrews University (Berrien Springs, MI)
• Type: Private
• Enrollment: 1,224
• Cost of Attendance: $45,218
• Graduation Rate: 69%
• Median Earnings: $53,187
Worcester State University (Worcester, MA)
• Type: Public
• Enrollment: 3,930
• Cost of Attendance: $22,874
• Graduation Rate: 59%
• Median Earnings: $60,624
Dominican University (River Forest, IL)
• Type: Private
• Enrollment: 2,561
• Cost of Attendance: $43,891
• Graduation Rate: 59%
• Median Earnings: $60,327
Goldey-Beacom College (Wilmington, DE)
• Type: Private
• Enrollment: 691
• Cost of Attendance: $26,502
• Graduation Rate: 58%
• Median Earnings: $59,892
Gordon College (Wenham, MA)
• Type: Private
• Enrollment: 1,278
• Cost of Attendance: $42,446
• Graduation Rate: 68%
• Median Earnings: $52,119
Madonna University (Livonia, MI)
• Type: Private
• Enrollment: 1,632
• Cost of Attendance: $41,038
• Graduation Rate: 59%
• Median Earnings: $59,058
Aurora University (Aurora, IL)
• Type: Private
• Enrollment: 3,974
• Cost of Attendance: $40,625
• Graduation Rate: 59%
• Median Earnings: $58,709
North Park University (Chicago, IL)
• Type: Private
• Enrollment: 1,818
• Cost of Attendance: $44,172
• Graduation Rate: 57%
• Median Earnings: $59,572
Saint Xavier University (Chicago, IL)
• Type: Private
• Enrollment: 3,096
• Cost of Attendance: $43,244
• Graduation Rate: 58%
• Median Earnings: $58,656
Trinity Christian College (Palos Heights, IL)
• Type: Private
• Enrollment: 820
• Cost of Attendance: $35,012
• Graduation Rate: 61%
• Median Earnings: $55,700
University of Sioux Falls (Sioux Falls, SD)
• Type: Private
• Enrollment: 1,218
• Cost of Attendance: $34,274
• Graduation Rate: 62%
• Median Earnings: $54,521
State University of New York at Plattsburgh (Plattsburgh, NY)
• Type: Public
• Enrollment: 3,769
• Cost of Attendance: $28,244
• Graduation Rate: 59%
• Median Earnings: $56,403
Thomas More College of Liberal Arts (Merrimack, NH)
• Type: Private
• Enrollment: 97
• Cost of Attendance: $42,082
• Graduation Rate: 62%
• Median Earnings: $53,565
Freed-Hardeman University (Henderson, TN)
• Type: Private
• Enrollment: 1,212
• Cost of Attendance: $38,315
• Graduation Rate: 70%
• Median Earnings: $47,485
University of Illinois Springfield (Springfield, IL)
• Type: Public
• Enrollment: 2,263
• Cost of Attendance: $25,521
• Graduation Rate: 57%
• Median Earnings: $57,103
Eastern Connecticut State University (Willimantic, CT)
• Type: Public
• Enrollment: 3,418
• Cost of Attendance: $31,983
• Graduation Rate: 58%
• Median Earnings: $56,469
College of Saint Mary (Omaha, NE)
• Type: Private
• Enrollment: 445
• Cost of Attendance: $35,971
• Graduation Rate: 60%
• Median Earnings: $54,338
Concordia University-Saint Paul (Saint Paul, MN)
• Type: Private
• Enrollment: 3,018
• Cost of Attendance: $37,239
• Graduation Rate: 52%
• Median Earnings: $59,871
Keene State College (Keene, NH)
• Type: Public
• Enrollment: 2,699
• Cost of Attendance: $29,993
• Graduation Rate: 59%
• Median Earnings: $54,368
University of Wisconsin-River Falls (River Falls, WI)
• Type: Public
• Enrollment: 4,205
• Cost of Attendance: $19,781
• Graduation Rate: 59%
• Median Earnings: $54,458
Judson University (Elgin, IL)
• Type: Private
• Enrollment: 708
• Cost of Attendance: $43,137
• Graduation Rate: 56%
• Median Earnings: $56,313
Longwood University (Farmville, VA)
• Type: Public
• Enrollment: 3,015
• Cost of Attendance: $34,588
• Graduation Rate: 61%
• Median Earnings: $52,347
Ashland University (Ashland, OH)
• Type: Private
• Enrollment: 2,199
• Cost of Attendance: $43,434
• Graduation Rate: 61%
• Median Earnings: $52,928
Fresno Pacific University (Fresno, CA)
• Type: Private
• Enrollment: 1,544
• Cost of Attendance: $44,249
• Graduation Rate: 53%
• Median Earnings: $58,896
Westfield State University (Westfield, MA)
• Type: Public
• Enrollment: 3,615
• Cost of Attendance: $27,649
• Graduation Rate: 55%
• Median Earnings: $57,346
St. Francis College (Brooklyn, NY)
• Type: Private
• Enrollment: 1,684
• Cost of Attendance: $38,098
• Graduation Rate: 54%
• Median Earnings: $58,099
Montana Technological University (Butte, MT)
• Type: Public
• Enrollment: 1,480
• Cost of Attendance: $22,786
• Graduation Rate: 58%
• Median Earnings: $54,329
Spring Arbor University (Spring Arbor, MI)
• Type: Private
• Enrollment: 1,010
• Cost of Attendance: $44,703
• Graduation Rate: 61%
• Median Earnings: $51,732
University of Minnesota-Morris (Morris, MN)
• Type: Public
• Enrollment: 936
• Cost of Attendance: $27,039
• Graduation Rate: 62%
• Median Earnings: $50,919
Western Connecticut State University (Danbury, CT)
• Type: Public
• Enrollment: 3,511
• Cost of Attendance: $24,877
• Graduation Rate: 51%
• Median Earnings: $59,115
Hiram College (Hiram, OH)
• Type: Private
• Enrollment: 777
• Cost of Attendance: $40,572
• Graduation Rate: 57%
• Median Earnings: $54,311
Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania (Shippensburg, PA)
• Type: Public
• Enrollment: 4,086
• Cost of Attendance: $30,785
• Graduation Rate: 54%
• Median Earnings: $56,351
New College of Florida (Sarasota, FL)
• Type: Public
• Enrollment: 843
• Cost of Attendance: $24,449
• Graduation Rate: 64%
• Median Earnings: $48,082
Huntington University (Huntington, IN)
• Type: Private
• Enrollment: 1,082
• Cost of Attendance: $42,157
• Graduation Rate: 66%
• Median Earnings: $46,672
Geneva College (Beaver Falls, PA)
• Type: Private
• Enrollment: 1,096
• Cost of Attendance: $45,407
• Graduation Rate: 61%
• Median Earnings: $50,004
Salem State University (Salem, MA)
• Type: Public
• Enrollment: 4,291
• Cost of Attendance: $28,291
• Graduation Rate: 52%
• Median Earnings: $56,662
Houghton University (Houghton, NY)
• Type: Private
• Enrollment: 753
• Cost of Attendance: $31,143
• Graduation Rate: 65%
• Median Earnings: $46,721
Evangel University (Springfield, MO)
• Type: Private
• Enrollment: 1,229
• Cost of Attendance: $39,956
• Graduation Rate: 65%
• Median Earnings: $46,573
University of Minnesota-Crookston (Crookston, MN)
• Type: Public
• Enrollment: 1,729
• Cost of Attendance: $26,068
• Graduation Rate: 50%
• Median Earnings: $58,056
Plymouth State University (Plymouth, NH)
• Type: Public
• Enrollment: 3,153
• Cost of Attendance: $29,644
• Graduation Rate: 50%
• Median Earnings: $57,304

Methodology

Bachelor’s degree-granting institutions listed in the U.S. Department of Education’s College Scorecard were filtered to include regionally accredited schools with undergraduate enrollments of 5,000 or fewer students. For-profit institutions and some specialized schools, such as seminaries, maritime academies, conservatories and nursing schools, were omitted. The median cost of attendance for all qualifying institutions was calculated, and those with a cost of attendance for full-time, first-time, degree-seeking undergraduates who receive Title IV aid — including tuition, books, fees, and living expenses — below that median were included in the rankings. Institutions were ranked using a composite score based on graduation rate (pooled) six years after first enrollment and the median earnings of students who received federal financial aid 10 years after first enrollment. All metrics are based on data published in March 2026 and may not reflect current conditions. Source data providers are not affiliated with, and do not endorse or sponsor, this study or its findings.