Top 50 Liberal Arts Colleges Tuition Comparison

A liberal arts college is a four(4) years institute with an emphasis on undergraduate study in the liberal arts and sciences. Such colleges aim to impart a broad general knowledge and develop general intellectual capacities, in contrast to a professional, vocational, or technical curriculum.
Here, we introduce the 2023 Top 50 Liberal Arts Colleges and compare them with admission and tuition information. Pomona College ranks first in Top 50 Liberal Arts Colleges ranking and Harvey Mudd College is placed in second. (Ranking data from College Evaluator)

Academic Comparison Between Top 50 Liberal Arts Colleges

Top 50 Liberal Arts Colleges Comparison
2 public and 48 private schools are included in the Top 50 Liberal Arts Colleges ranking. The average acceptance rate of the schools is 31.25% where Pomona College has the tightest acceptance rate of 7.00% and College of Saint Benedict has the highest rate of 87.98%.
The average SAT score of the schools is 1,409 where Harvey Mudd College has the highest SAT score of 1,530. Total 108,853 students are attending the Top 50 Liberal Arts Colleges where United States Naval Academy is the largest with 4,528 students and University of New Hampshire at Manchester is the smallest with 664 students.
The average graduation rate is 86.64% and the average students to faculty ratio is 9.12:1 at those colleges.
The following table compares the key academic facts between the Top 50 Liberal Arts Colleges with acceptance rate, SAT scores, graduation rates, student population, and students to faculty ratio.
Table. Top 50 Liberal Arts Colleges Key Academic Facts
RankNameAcceptance RateSAT ScoreGraduation RatePopulationStudent-Faculty Ratio
1Pomona College
Claremont, CA
7.00%1,52093%1,7647:1
2Harvey Mudd College
Claremont, CA
13.00%1,53094%9059:1
3Swarthmore College
Swarthmore, PA
7.00%1,52094%1,6518:1
4Amherst College
Amherst, MA
7.00%1,51092%1,9717:1
5Claremont McKenna College
Claremont, CA
10.00%1,51093%1,4228:1
6Williams College
Williamstown, MA
8.00%1,53094%2,2246:1
7Bowdoin College
Brunswick, ME
9.00%1,52094%1,9519:1
8Barnard College
New York, NY
9.00%1,50593%3,04310:1
9Colby College
Waterville, ME
8.00%1,49087%2,26210:1
10Washington and Lee University
Lexington, VA
17.00%1,48094%2,2388:1
11Middlebury College
Middlebury, VT
13.00%1,49091%2,9379:1
12Grinnell College
Grinnell, IA
11.00%1,48087%1,7489:1
13Wellesley College
Wellesley, MA
14.00%1,49092%2,4618:1
14Hamilton College
Clinton, NY
12.00%1,49092%2,0559:1
15Carleton College
Northfield, MN
17.00%1,49091%2,0448:1
16Haverford College
Haverford, PA
14.00%1,50090%1,4208:1
17Colgate University
Hamilton, NY
12.00%1,48090%3,1769:1
18Wesleyan University
Middletown, CT
14.00%1,42091%3,5818:1
19College of the Holy Cross
Worcester, MA
36.00%1,35093%3,02910:1
20Vassar College
Poughkeepsie, NY
19.00%1,49093%2,5168:1
21Davidson College
Davidson, NC
16.99%1,43090%1,97310:1
22Bates College
Lewiston, ME
14.00%1,48092%1,82110:1
23Union College
Schenectady, NY
47.00%1,39085%2,0969:1
24Bucknell University
Lewisburg, PA
33.00%1,39088%3,7579:1
25Scripps College
Claremont, CA
28.01%1,46082%1,11610:1
26Colorado College
Colorado Springs, CO
16.00%1,37086%2,2669:1
27Pitzer College
Claremont, CA
18.00%-88%1,16812:1
28Lafayette College
Easton, PA
34.00%1,41088%2,72510:1
29University of Richmond
University of Richmond, VA
24.00%1,47089%3,8908:1
30United States Naval Academy
Annapolis, MD
8.45%1,31091%4,5288:1
31Trinity College
Hartford, CT
36.00%1,38085%2,1909:1
32Connecticut College
New London, CT
40.00%1,42081%1,8299:1
33Smith College
Northampton, MA
23.00%1,44091%2,9249:1
34Muhlenberg College
Allentown, PA
66.00%1,31082%2,0959:1
35Saint Johns University
Collegeville, MN
85.99%1,07079%1,64311:1
36DePauw University
Greencastle, IN
66.00%1,25083%1,7249:1
37Illinois Wesleyan University
Bloomington, IL
41.99%1,25081%1,65312:1
38Oberlin College
Oberlin, OH
35.00%1,45082%2,9539:1
39Macalester College
Saint Paul, MN
28.01%1,42090%2,24410:1
40Kenyon College
Gambier, OH
33.99%1,42087%1,8759:1
41Occidental College
Los Angeles, CA
39.00%1,43083%1,9649:1
42Skidmore College
Saratoga Springs, NY
26.00%1,39084%2,6868:1
43Bryn Mawr College
Bryn Mawr, PA
31.00%1,40087%1,7789:1
44Westmont College
Santa Barbara, CA
81.99%1,37573%1,23810:1
45University of New Hampshire at Manchester
Manchester, NH
85.00%1,09060%6649:1
46Hobart William Smith Colleges
Geneva, NY
68.00%1,31073%1,6849:1
47Dickinson College
Carlisle, PA
35.00%-82%2,1869:1
48Saint Anselm College
Manchester, NH
81.99%1,21077%1,97711:1
49Gustavus Adolphus College
Saint Peter, MN
74.00%-78%2,25112:1
50College of Saint Benedict
Saint Joseph, MN
87.98%1,12477%1,55711:1
Average31.25%1,40986.64%108,853 (Total)9.12:1

Top 50 Liberal Arts Colleges 2023 Tuition Comparison and 2024 Estimated Costs

The following table lists 2022-2023 tuition & fees and compares them between Top 50 Liberal Arts Colleges. The 2022-2023 costs are officially published by NCES, National Center for Education Statistics.
The estimated costs for the academic year 2023-2024 are estimated based on each school's rate of tuition change from 2022 to 2023.
For the undergraduate programs, the average tuition & fees of Top 50 Liberal Arts Colleges is $59,814 where Kenyon College has the most expensive costs at $66,490 and University of New Hampshire at Manchester has the lowest amount of tuition at $34,664.
The average graduate tuition & fees of Top 50 Liberal Arts Colleges is $36,252 where Claremont McKenna College has the highest tuition with $65,574 and Dickinson College has the lowest amount of graduate school tuition with $3,750.
UndergraduateGraduate
Table. Top 50 Liberal Arts Colleges 2023 Undergraduate Tuition Comparison and 2024 Estimation
RankSchool Name 2023 Tuition & Fees2024 Estimated Tuition & Fees
In-StateOut-of-StateIn-StateOut-of-State
1Pomona College $59,238$61,905
2Harvey Mudd College $62,817$65,005
3Swarthmore College $59,328$62,791
4Amherst College $64,100$67,192
5Claremont McKenna College $60,715$63,436
6Williams College $61,770$63,955
7Bowdoin College $61,528$64,910
8Barnard College $62,525$65,498
9Colby College $63,520$65,906
10Washington and Lee University $61,750$64,215
11Middlebury College $62,460$65,271
12Grinnell College $61,480$64,449
13Wellesley College $61,920$63,110
14Hamilton College $62,670$65,492
15Carleton College $62,634$65,139
16Haverford College $63,628$66,435
17Colgate University $64,290$66,701
18Wesleyan University $64,322$67,002
19College of the Holy Cross $58,360$60,239
20Vassar College $64,800$66,789
21Davidson College $57,340$59,780
22Bates College $61,066$63,138
23Union College $63,954$66,334
24Bucknell University $61,746$63,753
25Scripps College $60,712$63,070
26Colorado College $65,028$68,127
27Pitzer College $60,578$63,295
28Lafayette College $59,368$62,532
29University of Richmond $60,330$62,143
30United States Naval Academy -- - -
31Trinity College $63,930$66,597
32Connecticut College $63,005$65,295
33Smith College $58,768$61,548
34Muhlenberg College $58,205$59,893
35Saint Johns University $52,164$54,594
36DePauw University $55,410$56,967
37Illinois Wesleyan University $53,814$55,148
38Oberlin College $62,024$63,858
39Macalester College $62,500$64,547
40Kenyon College $66,490$69,830
41Occidental College $60,566$62,784
42Skidmore College $62,398$64,728
43Bryn Mawr College $59,330$62,501
44Westmont College $50,066$51,513
45University of New Hampshire at Manchester $15,804$34,664 $15,823 $35,357
46Hobart William Smith Colleges $61,725$63,341
47Dickinson College $61,351$64,113
48Saint Anselm College $45,340$46,817
49Gustavus Adolphus College $53,030$55,698
50College of Saint Benedict $52,108$54,168
Average$15,804$59,814$15,823$62,182
Table. Top 50 Liberal Arts Colleges 2023 Graduate School Tuition Comparison and 2024 Estimation
RankSchool Name 2023 Tuition & Fees2024 Estimated Tuition & Fees
In-StateOut-of-StateIn-StateOut-of-State
1Pomona College --
2Harvey Mudd College --
3Swarthmore College --
4Amherst College --
5Claremont McKenna College $65,574$66,886
6Williams College $61,775$63,892
7Bowdoin College --
8Barnard College --
9Colby College --
10Washington and Lee University $47,437-
11Middlebury College $14,550-
12Grinnell College --
13Wellesley College --
14Hamilton College --
15Carleton College --
16Haverford College --
17Colgate University $64,290$66,701
18Wesleyan University $63,742$66,099
19College of the Holy Cross --
20Vassar College $64,800$66,789
21Davidson College --
22Bates College --
23Union College --
24Bucknell University $26,960$27,836
25Scripps College $48,598$50,493
26Colorado College $27,600$22,209
27Pitzer College --
28Lafayette College --
29University of Richmond $26,280$26,957
30United States Naval Academy -- --
31Trinity College $18,880$18,880
32Connecticut College $13,950-
33Smith College $58,480$61,256
34Muhlenberg College $19,200$19,200
35Saint Johns University $18,030$18,304
36DePauw University --
37Illinois Wesleyan University --
38Oberlin College $29,995$29,995
39Macalester College --
40Kenyon College --
41Occidental College $60,566$62,784
42Skidmore College --
43Bryn Mawr College $50,730$53,251
44Westmont College --
45University of New Hampshire at Manchester $14,624$16,044 $14,624$14,643
46Hobart William Smith Colleges $27,458$48,336
47Dickinson College $3,750$3,750
48Saint Anselm College $25,000$25,000
49Gustavus Adolphus College --
50College of Saint Benedict $16,359$12,979
Average$14,624$36,252$14,643$39,412