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2023 Schools Highly Focused on English Major

1,514 Ranked Colleges
40,481 Degrees Awarded
$30,800 Avg Cost*
Schools Highly Focused on English Major

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Schools Highly Focused on English Major” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2020-2021, 40,481 people earned their degree in general English literature, making the major the 24th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, general English literature graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $29,881 and had an average of $23,769 in loans still to pay off.

For this year’s “Schools Highly Focused on English Major” ranking, we looked at 1,514 colleges that offer a degree in general English literature. That schools that top this list have a program in general English literature in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank General English Literature Schools

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
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When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Schools Highly Focused on English Major” list to help you make the college decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Schools Highly Focused on English Major

The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools Highly Focused on English Major”.

Top 25 Most Focused Colleges for General English Literature

1
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Kenyon College
Gambier, Ohio

Out of the 1,514 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on English Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Kenyon College landed the #1 spot on the list. Kenyon is a small school located in Gambier, Ohio that handed out 53 ’s English degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% 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%. 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. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about General English Literature at Kenyon College

2
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Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts
North Adams, Massachusetts

Out of the 1,514 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on English Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts landed the #2 spot on the list. MCLA is a public institution located in North Adams, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 30 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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.

Read more about General English Literature at MCLA

3
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St Mary's College of Maryland
St. Mary's City, Maryland

Out of the 1,514 schools in the Schools Highly Focused on English Major that were part of this year’s ranking, St Mary’s College of Maryland landed the #3 spot on the list. This small school is located in St. Mary’s City, Maryland, and it awarded 38 ’s English degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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.

Read more about General English Literature at SMCM

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Sewanee - The University of the South. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on English Major list. Sewanee, Tennessee is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s English degrees to 43 students in 2020-2021.

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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General English Literature at Sewanee

5
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Hollins University
Roanoke, Virginia

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Hollins University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Schools Highly Focused on English Major list. Hollins is located in Roanoke, Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 20 ’s English degrees to qualified students.

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. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General English Literature at Hollins

6
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Spelman College
Atlanta, Georgia

Spelman College ranked #6 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on English Major list. Spelman is a private not-for-profit institution located in Atlanta, Georgia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 39 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Full Spelman General English Literature Report

7
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University of Saint Katherine
San Marcos, California

University of Saint Katherine came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on English Major ranking. University of Saint Katherine is a private not-for-profit institution located in San Marcos, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 4 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Full University of Saint Katherine General English Literature Report

8
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Hillsdale College
Hillsdale, Michigan

Hillsdale College ranked #8 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on English Major list. Hillsdale College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Hillsdale, Michigan. The school has a small population, and it awarded 30 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on General English Literature at Hillsdale College

9
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Skidmore College
Saratoga Springs, New York

Skidmore College ranked #9 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on English Major list. Saratoga Springs, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s English degrees to 46 students in 2020-2021.

The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 8 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 2.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Skidmore College General English Literature Report

10
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College of the Holy Cross
Worcester, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #10, College of the Holy Cross did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on English Major list. Holy Cross is a small school located in Worcester, Massachusetts that handed out 59 ’s English 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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.2% 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 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full College of the Holy Cross General English Literature Report

11
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University of Dallas
Irving, Texas

University of Dallas landed the #11 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on English Major ranking. UD is a private not-for-profit institution located in Irving, Texas. The school has a small population, and it awarded 50 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UD General English Literature Report

12
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Bryn Mawr College
Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania

Bryn Mawr College ranked #12 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on English Major list. This small school is located in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 31 ’s English degrees in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 8 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 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General English Literature at Bryn Mawr

13
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Bethany Lutheran College
Mankato, Minnesota

Bethany Lutheran College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on English Major ranking, coming in at #13. Bethany Lutheran College is located in Mankato, Minnesota and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 8 ’s English degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Bethany Lutheran College General English Literature Report

14
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University of Mary Washington
Fredericksburg, Virginia

University of Mary Washington landed the #14 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on English Major ranking. Located in Fredericksburg, Virginia, this small public school awarded 80 diplomas to qualified ’s English students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General English Literature at University of Mary Washington

15
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Washington & Jefferson College
Washington, Pennsylvania

Washington & Jefferson College did quite well in the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on English Major ranking, coming in at #15. Washington, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s English degrees to 19 students in 2020-2021.

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. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about General English Literature at W&J

16
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Wittenberg University
Springfield, Ohio

Wittenberg University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on English Major ranking. This small school is located in Springfield, Ohio, and it awarded 26 ’s English degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Wittenberg General English Literature Report

17
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Kalamazoo College
Kalamazoo, Michigan

Kalamazoo College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on English Major ranking. Kalamazoo College is located in Kalamazoo, Michigan and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 31 ’s English degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full K College General English Literature Report

18
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Rhodes College
Memphis, Tennessee

Rhodes College ranked #18 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on English Major list. Rhodes College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Memphis, Tennessee. The school has a small population, and it awarded 31 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default 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. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on General English Literature at Rhodes College

19
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Barnard College
New York, New York

Barnard College landed the #19 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on English Major ranking. Barnard is a private not-for-profit institution located in New York, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 42 ’s 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General English Literature at Barnard

20
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Southern Virginia University
Buena Vista, Virginia

Southern Virginia University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on English Major ranking. SVU is a small school located in Buena Vista, Virginia that handed out 13 ’s English degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on General English Literature at SVU

21
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Williams College
Williamstown, Massachusetts

Williams College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on English Major ranking. Williams is a private not-for-profit institution located in Williamstown, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 42 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on General English Literature at Williams

22
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Ripon College
Ripon, Wisconsin

With a ranking of #22, Ripon College did quite well on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on English Major list. This small school is located in Ripon, Wisconsin, and it awarded 12 ’s English degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General English Literature at Ripon College

23
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The King's College
New York, New York

The King’s College ranked #23 on this year’s Schools Highly Focused on English Major list. The King’s College is a private not-for-profit institution located in New York, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 7 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full TKC General English Literature Report

24
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Haverford College
Haverford, Pennsylvania

Haverford College landed the #24 spot on the 2023 Schools Highly Focused on English Major ranking. Haverford is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Haverford, Pennsylvania. It awarded 22 ’s English 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%.

Read more about General English Literature at Haverford College

25
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Colgate University
Hamilton, New York

Colgate University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Schools Highly Focused on English Major ranking. This small school is located in Hamilton, New York, and it awarded 54 ’s English degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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. 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 General English Literature at Colgate

Rest of the Best 50 in Schools Highly Focused on English 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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Wabash College
Crawfordsville, Indiana
27
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Lawrence University
Appleton, Wisconsin
28
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Vassar College
Poughkeepsie, New York
29
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Hanover College
Hanover, Indiana
30
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Mount Holyoke College
South Hadley, Massachusetts
31
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Blinn College
Brenham, Texas
32
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Westmont College
Santa Barbara, California
33
34
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Wesleyan University
Middletown, Connecticut
35
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Whittier College
Whittier, California
36
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Washington College
Chestertown, Maryland
37
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Grinnell College
Grinnell, Iowa
38
Alice Lloyd crest
Alice Lloyd College
Pippa Passes, Kentucky
38
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Bennett College
Greensboro, North Carolina
38
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Lyon College
Batesville, Arkansas
38
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Centre College
Danville, Kentucky
42
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Trinity College
Hartford, Connecticut
43
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Wofford College
Spartanburg, South Carolina
44
45
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Carleton College
Northfield, Minnesota
46
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Hendrix College
Conway, Arkansas
47
48
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Centenary College of Louisiana
Shreveport, Louisiana
49
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Virginia Military Institute
Lexington, Virginia
50
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Corban University
Salem, Oregon

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

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

Rank College Location
51 Louisiana State University - Alexandria Alexandria, LA
52 Allegheny College Meadville, PA
53 Southwestern University Georgetown, TX
54 Eastern Connecticut State University Willimantic, CT
55 United States Naval Academy Annapolis, MD
56 Reed College Portland, OR
57 Davidson College Davidson, NC
58 Presbyterian College Clinton, SC
59 East-West University Chicago, IL
60 Morehouse College Atlanta, GA
61 Philander Smith College Little Rock, AR
62 Wheaton College Massachusetts Norton, MA
63 Fisk University Nashville, TN
64 Salem College Winston-Salem, NC
65 Allen University Columbia, SC
Rank College Location
66 St Olaf College Northfield, MN
67 Chowan University Murfreesboro, NC
68 Amherst College Amherst, MA
68 Oglethorpe University Atlanta, GA
70 St Lawrence University Canton, NY
71 Georgian Court University Lakewood, NJ
72 Bowdoin College Brunswick, ME
73 Lake Forest College Lake Forest, IL
74 Virginia Wesleyan University Virginia Beach, VA
75 College of Saint Benedict Saint Joseph, MN
76 SUNY Old Westbury Old Westbury, NY
77 Truman State University Kirksville, MO
78 University of Minnesota - Morris Morris, MN
79 Holy Cross College Notre Dame, IN
80 Tougaloo College Tougaloo, MS
81 Eureka College Eureka, IL
82 Transylvania University Lexington, KY
83 Mills College Oakland, CA
84 Westminster College Pennsylvania New Wilmington, PA
85 Mount Saint Mary College Newburgh, NY
86 University of Guam Mangilao, GU
87 Connecticut College New London, CT
88 Saint Anselm College Manchester, NH
89 Bates College Lewiston, ME
90 Agnes Scott College Decatur, GA
Rank College Location
91 Gettysburg College Gettysburg, PA
92 Miami University - Hamilton Hamilton, OH
93 Belmont Abbey College Belmont, NC
94 Sonoma State University Rohnert Park, CA
95 SUNY New Paltz New Paltz, NY
96 Hunter College New York, NY
97 College of Staten Island CUNY Staten Island, NY
98 Fort Lewis College Durango, CO
99 Assumption University Worcester, MA
100 Gustavus Adolphus College Saint Peter, MN
101 Millsaps College Jackson, MS
102 Wheaton College Illinois Wheaton, IL
103 Alma College Alma, MI
104 Lycoming College Williamsport, PA
104 University of New Hampshire at Manchester Manchester, NH
106 Monmouth University West Long Branch, NJ
107 Dickinson College Carlisle, PA
108 Welch College Gallatin, TN
109 Lafayette College Easton, PA
110 Hope College Holland, MI
111 Siena College Loudonville, NY
112 Ohio Dominican University Columbus, OH
113 Thiel College Greenville, PA
113 Huntingdon College Montgomery, AL
113 Ohio State University - Marion Campus Marion, OH
Rank College Location
116 Swarthmore College Swarthmore, PA
117 Indiana University - East Richmond, IN
118 Concordia College at Moorhead Moorhead, MN
119 Drew University Madison, NJ
120 Christopher Newport University Newport News, VA
121 Randolph - Macon College Ashland, VA
122 Bridgewater College Bridgewater, VA
123 Montreat College Montreat, NC
124 Luther College Decorah, IA
124 Whitman College Walla Walla, WA
126 Central Baptist College Conway, AR
127 Indiana University of Pennsylvania - Main Campus Indiana, PA
128 SUNY Geneseo Geneseo, NY
129 Moravian College Bethlehem, PA
130 University of Maine at Farmington Farmington, ME
131 Scripps College Claremont, CA
132 Winthrop University Rock Hill, SC
133 Willamette University Salem, OR
134 Oberlin College Oberlin, OH
135 Bridgewater State University Bridgewater, MA
136 Union College New York Schenectady, NY
137 William Jewell College Liberty, MO
138 Austin College Sherman, TX
139 Benedict College Columbia, SC
140 Hobart and William Smith Colleges Geneva, NY
Rank College Location
141 Smith College Northampton, MA
142 Rollins College Winter Park, FL
143 Muhlenberg College Allentown, PA
144 The College of New Jersey Ewing, NJ
145 University of Montevallo Montevallo, AL
146 Wellesley College Wellesley, MA
147 Mount Mary University Milwaukee, WI
148 Williams Baptist University Walnut Ridge, AR
149 Brenau University Gainesville, GA
150 Roanoke College Salem, VA
151 Illinois Wesleyan University Bloomington, IL
152 Multnomah University Portland, OR
152 Pitzer College Claremont, CA
154 Middlebury College Middlebury, VT
155 Berea College Berea, KY
156 Central College Pella, IA
156 Bryn Athyn College of the New Church Bryn Athyn, PA
158 California State University - Stanislaus Turlock, CA
159 University of Maryland Eastern Shore Princess Anne, MD
160 Claremont McKenna College Claremont, CA
161 The City College of New York New York, NY
162 Millersville University of Pennsylvania Millersville, PA
163 Albion College Albion, MI
164 Loyola Marymount University Los Angeles, CA
165 Southwestern Adventist University Keene, TX
Rank College Location
166 Gallaudet University Washington, DC
167 William Jessup University Rocklin, CA
168 Covenant College Lookout Mountain, GA
169 Trinity University San Antonio, TX
170 John Carroll University University Heights, OH
171 University of Maine at Presque Isle Presque Isle, ME
172 Kentucky Wesleyan College Owensboro, KY
172 Rosemont College Rosemont, PA
172 West Virginia State University Institute, WV
172 University of the West Rosemead, CA
172 Wagner College Staten Island, NY
177 Washington and Lee University Lexington, VA
178 Florida State University Tallahassee, FL
179 Colorado College Colorado Springs, CO
180 Bucknell University Lewisburg, PA
181 Knox College Galesburg, IL
182 University of Massachusetts - Boston Boston, MA
183 Lewis & Clark College Portland, OR
184 Salisbury University Salisbury, MD
185 Rutgers University - Camden Camden, NJ
186 Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania Slippery Rock, PA
187 University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire Eau Claire, WI
188 Trinity Christian College Palos Heights, IL
188 University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma Chickasha, OK
190 Eastern Oregon University La Grande, OR
Rank College Location
191 Centenary University Hackettstown, NJ
192 Guilford College Greensboro, NC
193 University of Southern Maine Portland, ME
194 Naropa University Boulder, CO
195 Warren Wilson College Swannanoa, NC
196 Arizona State University - Skysong Scottsdale, AZ
197 Texas A & M University - Central Texas Killeen, TX
198 California State University - Bakersfield Bakersfield, CA
199 Hartwick College Oneonta, NY
200 Benedictine College Atchison, KS
201 Ohio Christian University Circleville, OH
202 University of New Orleans New Orleans, LA
203 Saint Michael’s College Colchester, VT
204 Queens College Queens, NY
205 Northeastern Illinois University Chicago, IL
206 Dartmouth College Hanover, NH
207 Longwood University Farmville, VA
208 Toccoa Falls College Toccoa Falls, GA
208 Sul Ross State University Alpine, TX
210 Goucher College Baltimore, MD
211 Northwest University Kirkland, WA
212 Northern State University Aberdeen, SD
213 Indiana University - South Bend South Bend, IN
214 San Francisco State University San Francisco, CA
215 Ursinus College Collegeville, PA
Rank College Location
216 University of Puget Sound Tacoma, WA
217 Lebanon Valley College Annville, PA
218 University of California - Riverside Riverside, CA
219 Lander University Greenwood, SC
220 California State University - Long Beach Long Beach, CA
221 Black Hills State University Spearfish, SD
222 Wesleyan College Macon, GA
223 The College at Brockport Brockport, NY
224 Bethel College - North Newton North Newton, KS
225 University of Vermont Burlington, VT
226 The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Edinburg, TX
227 Albright College Reading, PA
228 Binghamton University Vestal, NY

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Notes and References

References

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