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2023 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Physical Sciences

1,192 Ranked Colleges
30,906 Degrees Awarded
$36,876 Avg Salary
Schools for a Bachelor's Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major” ranking.

Physical Sciences is the 19th most popular major in the country with 50,306 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, physical sciences graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $39,880 and had an average of $22,620 in loans still to pay off.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 30,906 physical sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,682 and $26,217 respectively.

This year’s “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major” ranking analyzed 1,192 colleges that offered a degree in physical sciences. This a ranking of the schools where the largest percentage of students has enrolled in physical sciences.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Physical Sciences Schools

Rankings by Degree Other Award Levels
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More Physical Sciences Rankings Other Ranking Categories

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 for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major” list to help you make the college decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major

The colleges and universities below are the best for bachelor’s degree physical sciences students.

Top 25 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Physical Sciences

1
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Haverford College
Haverford, Pennsylvania

Out of the 1,192 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Haverford College landed the #1 spot on the list. Haverford is a private not-for-profit institution located in Haverford, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 59 bachelors’s 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. With a freshman retention rate of 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Haverford College Physical Sciences Report

2
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Northland College
Ashland, Wisconsin

Out of the 1,192 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Northland College landed the #2 spot on the list. Northland is a private not-for-profit institution located in Ashland, Wisconsin. The school has a small population, and it awarded 22 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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.

Full Northland College Physical Sciences Report

3
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Whitman College
Walla Walla, Washington

Out of the 1,192 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Whitman College landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Walla Walla, Washington, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 48 degrees to qualified bachelors’s physical sciences students in 2020-2021.

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%. 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.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Whitman College

4
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Kalamazoo College
Kalamazoo, Michigan

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Kalamazoo College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major list. K College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Kalamazoo, Michigan. The school has a small population, and it awarded 61 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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%.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at K College

5
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Carleton College
Northfield, Minnesota

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Carleton College. The school came in at #5 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major. Carleton College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Northfield, Minnesota. The school has a small population, and it awarded 61 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Carleton

6
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Reed College
Portland, Oregon

Reed College ranked #6 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major list. Reed College is located in Portland, Oregon and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 37 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.1%, 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 more about Physical Sciences at Reed

7
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United States Coast Guard Academy
New London, Connecticut

United States Coast Guard Academy ranked #7 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major list. United States Coast Guard Academy is located in New London, Connecticut and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 27 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

Full USCGA Physical Sciences Report

8
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Dillard University
New Orleans, Louisiana

With a ranking of #8, Dillard University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major list. Dillard University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in New Orleans, Louisiana. It awarded 18 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Dillard University

9
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United States Naval Academy
Annapolis, Maryland

With a ranking of #9, United States Naval Academy did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major list. Annapolis is a public institution located in Annapolis, Maryland. The school has a small population, and it awarded 104 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Annapolis

10
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West Virginia Wesleyan College
Buckhannon, West Virginia

West Virginia Wesleyan College landed the #10 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major ranking. West Virginia Wesleyan College is located in Buckhannon, West Virginia and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 26 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

Full West Virginia Wesleyan Physical Sciences Report

11
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Williams College
Williamstown, Massachusetts

Williams College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major ranking. Williams is located in Williamstown, Massachusetts and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 63 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

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 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Williams College

12
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Pomona College
Claremont, California

Pomona College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major ranking. Located in Claremont, California, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 34 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physical sciences students in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Pomona

13

University of Puerto Rico - Humacao ranked #13 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major list. This small school is located in Humacao, , and it awarded 46 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read more about Physical Sciences at University of Puerto Rico - Humacao

14
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Bates College
Lewiston, Maine

With a ranking of #14, Bates College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major list. Bates College is a small school located in Lewiston, Maine that handed out 46 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

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 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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.5% 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%.

Full Bates Physical Sciences Report

15
Beloit crest
Beloit College
Beloit, Wisconsin

Beloit College came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major ranking. Beloit College is located in Beloit, Wisconsin and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 26 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. 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%.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Beloit College

16
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Lycoming College
Williamsport, Pennsylvania

Lycoming College ranked #16 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major list. Lycoming College is a small school located in Williamsport, Pennsylvania that handed out 17 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Lycoming

17
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Monmouth College
Monmouth, Illinois

With a ranking of #17, Monmouth College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major list. Monmouth, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to 19 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. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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 Physical Sciences at Monmouth College

18
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Amherst College
Amherst, Massachusetts

Amherst College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major ranking, coming in at #18. Amherst is a small school located in Amherst, Massachusetts that handed out 36 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 91%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Amherst Physical Sciences Report

19
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Fisk University
Nashville, Tennessee

Fisk University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major ranking. Fisk University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Nashville, Tennessee. It awarded 8 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Fisk University

20
Harvey Mudd College crest
Harvey Mudd College
Claremont, California

With a ranking of #20, Harvey Mudd College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major list. Harvey Mudd College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Claremont, California. The school has a small population, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s 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 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Physical Sciences at Harvey Mudd College

21

With a ranking of #21, California Institute of Technology did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major list. Caltech is located in Pasadena, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 40 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 3 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 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Physical Sciences at California Institute of Technology

22
Rhodes College crest
Rhodes College
Memphis, Tennessee

With a ranking of #22, Rhodes College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major list. Rhodes College is located in Memphis, Tennessee and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 36 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.1%, which is much lower than the national rate of 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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Rhodes College Physical Sciences Report

23
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Hendrix College
Conway, Arkansas

Hendrix College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major ranking, coming in at #23. Hendrix is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Conway, Arkansas. It awarded 19 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

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 3.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Physical Sciences at Hendrix

24
Colorado College crest
Colorado College
Colorado Springs, Colorado

Colorado College ranked #24 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major list. Located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 37 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s physical sciences students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.5%, 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. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Colorado College Physical Sciences Report

25
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Washington & Jefferson College
Washington, Pennsylvania

Washington & Jefferson College ranked #25 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major list. This small school is located in Washington, Pennsylvania, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s physical sciences degrees in 2020-2021.

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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.7% 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 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Washington & Jefferson College Physical Sciences Report

Rest of the Best 50 in Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physical Sciences 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
Bethany College West Virginia crest
Bethany College West Virginia
Bethany, West Virginia
27
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Lawrence University
Appleton, Wisconsin
28
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Washington College
Chestertown, Maryland
29
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Hamilton College
Clinton, New York
30
31
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Xavier University of Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
32
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Coe College
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
33
34
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Kentucky Wesleyan College
Owensboro, Kentucky
35
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Colby College
Waterville, Maine
36
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Alma College
Alma, Michigan
37
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Ripon College
Ripon, Wisconsin
38
Wellesley crest
Wellesley College
Wellesley, Massachusetts
39
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Grinnell College
Grinnell, Iowa
40
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Juniata College
Huntingdon, Pennsylvania
41
Hampden - Sydney crest
Hampden - Sydney College
Hampden-Sydney, Virginia
42
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Wesleyan University
Middletown, Connecticut
43
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Mount Holyoke College
South Hadley, Massachusetts
44
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Skidmore College
Saratoga Springs, New York
45
46
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Davidson College
Davidson, North Carolina
47
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Randolph College
Lynchburg, Virginia
48
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Bowdoin College
Brunswick, Maine
49
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Morehouse College
Atlanta, Georgia
50
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Ursinus College
Collegeville, Pennsylvania

Rest of the Top 15% Colleges in Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Physical Sciences Major

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

Rank College Location
51 Occidental College Los Angeles, CA
52 Macalester College Saint Paul, MN
53 South Dakota School of Mines and Technology Rapid City, SD
54 Albion College Albion, MI
55 Smith College Northampton, MA
56 Knox College Galesburg, IL
57 Pacific Lutheran University Tacoma, WA
58 Franklin and Marshall College Lancaster, PA
59 St Olaf College Northfield, MN
60 Union College New York Schenectady, NY
61 Wells College Aurora, NY
62 Tougaloo College Tougaloo, MS
63 Marietta College Marietta, OH
64 Oberlin College Oberlin, OH
65 Wofford College Spartanburg, SC
Rank College Location
66 Westmont College Santa Barbara, CA
67 Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY
68 Kenyon College Gambier, OH
69 College of the Holy Cross Worcester, MA
70 Emory and Henry College Emory, VA
71 University of California - Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, CA
72 Covenant College Lookout Mountain, GA
73 Allegheny College Meadville, PA
74 Bryn Mawr College Bryn Mawr, PA
75 Middlebury College Middlebury, VT
76 SUNY Geneseo Geneseo, NY
77 Hanover College Hanover, IN
78 Randolph - Macon College Ashland, VA
79 Hope College Holland, MI
80 University of Mary Washington Fredericksburg, VA
81 Centre College Danville, KY
82 Valparaiso University Valparaiso, IN
83 Swarthmore College Swarthmore, PA
84 Whitworth University Spokane, WA
85 University of Pittsburgh - Bradford Bradford, PA
86 Berea College Berea, KY
87 Hobart and William Smith Colleges Geneva, NY
88 Gustavus Adolphus College Saint Peter, MN
89 SUNY Empire State College Saratoga Springs, NY
90 Wheaton College Massachusetts Norton, MA
Rank College Location
91 Virginia Military Institute Lexington, VA
92 Washington and Lee University Lexington, VA
93 Fort Lewis College Durango, CO
94 University of California - Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA
95 University of North Carolina at Asheville Asheville, NC
96 St Lawrence University Canton, NY
97 University of Puerto Rico - Cayey Cayey, PR
98 Roanoke College Salem, VA
99 Saint Norbert College De Pere, WI
100 Greenville University Greenville, IL
101 Willamette University Salem, OR
102 Erskine College Due West, SC
103 Colgate University Hamilton, NY
104 Agnes Scott College Decatur, GA
105 University of California - Merced Merced, CA
106 Southwestern University Georgetown, TX
107 Princeton University Princeton, NJ
108 Earlham College Richmond, IN
109 University of Puerto Rico - Mayaguez Mayaguez, PR
110 Central Methodist University - College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Fayette, MO
110 Dickinson College Carlisle, PA
112 William & Mary Williamsburg, VA
113 Susquehanna University Selinsgrove, PA
114 Wright State University - Lake Campus Celina, OH
115 Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania Bloomsburg, PA
Rank College Location
116 University of California - San Diego La Jolla, CA
117 Lake Superior State University Sault Ste Marie, MI
118 Scripps College Claremont, CA
119 Central College Pella, IA
120 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Troy, NY
121 Concordia College at Moorhead Moorhead, MN
122 Furman University Greenville, SC
123 Wheaton College Illinois Wheaton, IL
124 McMurry University Abilene, TX
125 Houghton College Houghton, NY
125 Luther College Decorah, IA
127 University of Pittsburgh - Johnstown Johnstown, PA
128 Geneva College Beaver Falls, PA
129 Centenary College of Louisiana Shreveport, LA
129 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Prescott Prescott, AZ
131 Shepherd University Shepherdstown, WV
132 Salem College Winston-Salem, NC
133 Carthage College Kenosha, WI
134 Kansas Wesleyan University Salina, KS
135 Carlow University Pittsburgh, PA
136 Guilford College Greensboro, NC
137 Pitzer College Claremont, CA
138 United States Air Force Academy USAF Academy, CO
139 Inter American University of Puerto Rico - Guayama Guayama, PR
140 Wabash College Crawfordsville, IN
Rank College Location
141 Millersville University of Pennsylvania Millersville, PA
142 Austin College Sherman, TX
143 Carroll College Helena, MT
144 Transylvania University Lexington, KY
145 Whittier College Whittier, CA
146 University of Alabama in Huntsville Huntsville, AL
147 Rust College Holly Springs, MS
148 Humboldt State University Arcata, CA
149 Saint Johns University Collegeville, MN
150 University of the Virgin Islands Charlotte Amalie, VI
151 Westminster College Pennsylvania New Wilmington, PA
152 Drury University Springfield, MO
153 University of Missouri - Kansas City Kansas City, MO
154 Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA
155 Northern Vermont University Johnson, VT
156 University of Washington - Seattle Campus Seattle, WA
157 Trinity University San Antonio, TX
158 Montana State University Bozeman, MT
159 Lyon College Batesville, AR
160 Westminster College Utah Salt Lake City, UT
161 Ohio Wesleyan University Delaware, OH
162 College of Saint Benedict Saint Joseph, MN
163 Saint Anselm College Manchester, NH
164 John Carroll University University Heights, OH
165 Saint Mary’s College Notre Dame, IN
Rank College Location
166 Southern Arkansas University Main Campus Magnolia, AR
167 Goucher College Baltimore, MD
168 Le Moyne College Syracuse, NY
169 Texas Lutheran University Seguin, TX
170 Johnson C Smith University Charlotte, NC
171 Lake Forest College Lake Forest, IL
172 University of Puget Sound Tacoma, WA
173 Western Washington University Bellingham, WA
174 Auburn University at Montgomery Montgomery, AL
175 Bucknell University Lewisburg, PA
176 Cornell College Mount Vernon, IA
177 Birmingham Southern College Birmingham, AL
178 Newberry College Newberry, SC
179 Bethel University Minnesota Saint Paul, MN

Notes and References

References

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