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2023 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Economics

780 Ranked Colleges
39,397 Degrees Awarded
$47,696 Avg Salary
Schools for a Bachelor's Highly Focused on Economics Major

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Economics Major” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

Economics is the 19th most popular major in the country with 49,055 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, economics graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $48,736 and had an average of $22,046 in loans still to pay off.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 39,397 economics graduates with average earnings and debt of $39,682 and $26,217 respectively.

For this year’s “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Economics Major” ranking, we looked at 780 colleges that offer a degree in economics. That schools that top this list have a program in economics in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.

See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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The economics school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Economics Major”.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Economics Major

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

Top 25 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Economics

1
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Claremont McKenna College
Claremont, California

Out of the 780 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Economics Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Claremont McKenna College landed the #1 spot on the list. Claremont McKenna is located in Claremont, California and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 116 bachelors’s economics degrees to qualified 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. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Read more about Economics at Claremont McKenna College

2
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College of the Holy Cross
Worcester, Massachusetts

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend College of the Holy Cross. The school came in at #2 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Economics Major. College of the Holy Cross is a private not-for-profit institution located in Worcester, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 140 bachelors’s 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 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%.

Read full report on Economics at Holy Cross

3
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Hampden - Sydney College
Hampden-Sydney, Virginia

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Hampden - Sydney College. The school came in at #3 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Economics Major. Hampden - Sydney College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Hampden-Sydney, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 36 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 4.7% 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 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 Economics at Hampden - Sydney

4
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Centre College
Danville, Kentucky

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Centre College. The school came in at #4 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Economics Major. Located in Danville, Kentucky, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 63 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s economics students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.8% 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 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Economics at Centre College of Kentucky

5
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DePauw University
Greencastle, Indiana

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend DePauw University. The school came in at #5 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Economics Major. Greencastle, Indiana is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s economics degrees to 90 students 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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Economics at DePauw

6
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Lafayette College
Easton, Pennsylvania

With a ranking of #6, Lafayette College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Economics Major list. Lafayette is located in Easton, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 110 bachelors’s economics degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.3% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. 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.

Full Lafayette College Economics Report

7
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United States Naval Academy
Annapolis, Maryland

United States Naval Academy ranked #7 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Economics Major list. Annapolis is a small public school situated in Annapolis, Maryland. It awarded 166 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Annapolis Economics Report

8

Hobart and William Smith Colleges landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Economics Major ranking. The Colleges is a private not-for-profit institution located in Geneva, New York. The school has a small population, and it awarded 94 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.1%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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.

Read more about Economics at Hobart and William Smith Colleges

9
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Williams College
Williamstown, Massachusetts

Williams College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Economics Major ranking, coming in at #9. Williams is a private not-for-profit institution located in Williamstown, Massachusetts. The school has a small population, and it awarded 100 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Economics at Williams College

10
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Davidson College
Davidson, North Carolina

Davidson College ranked #10 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Economics Major list. Davidson College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Davidson, North Carolina. It awarded 84 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

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 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Economics at Davidson

11
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Tougaloo College
Tougaloo, Mississippi

Tougaloo College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Economics Major ranking, coming in at #11. Tougaloo is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Tougaloo, Mississippi. It awarded 19 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Economics at Tougaloo College

12
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Colorado College
Colorado Springs, Colorado

Colorado College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Economics Major ranking. Colorado College is located in Colorado Springs, Colorado and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 69 bachelors’s economics degrees to qualified students.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.5%, 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 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read full report on Economics at Colorado College

13
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Colgate University
Hamilton, New York

Colgate University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Economics Major ranking, coming in at #13. Located in Hamilton, New York, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 117 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s economics students in 2020-2021.

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 undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Economics at Colgate University

14
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Hamilton College
Clinton, New York

Hamilton College ranked #14 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Economics Major list. Hamilton is located in Clinton, New York and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 75 bachelors’s economics degrees to qualified students.

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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 92%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Hamilton Economics Report

15
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Swarthmore College
Swarthmore, Pennsylvania

Swarthmore College ranked #15 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Economics Major list. Swarthmore, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s economics degrees to 60 students in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, 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. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Economics at Swarthmore College

16
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Ursinus College
Collegeville, Pennsylvania

Ursinus College landed the #16 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Economics Major ranking. Ursinus is located in Collegeville, Pennsylvania and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 48 bachelors’s economics degrees to qualified students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read more about Economics at Ursinus

17
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Frostburg State University
Frostburg, Maryland

Frostburg State University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Economics Major ranking. Frostburg State University is a small school located in Frostburg, Maryland that handed out 165 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Economics at Frostburg State

18
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Bucknell University
Lewisburg, Pennsylvania

Bucknell University ranked #18 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Economics Major list. Bucknell is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. The school has a small population, and it awarded 135 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 freshman retention rate of 92%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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 full report on Economics at Bucknell

19
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Wellesley College
Wellesley, Massachusetts

With a ranking of #19, Wellesley College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Economics Major list. This small school is located in Wellesley, Massachusetts, and it awarded 91 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, 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 93%. 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 full report on Economics at Wellesley

20
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Denison University
Granville, Ohio

Denison University landed the #20 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Economics Major ranking. Denison University is a small school located in Granville, Ohio that handed out 74 bachelors’s economics 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 school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Read more about Economics at Denison

21
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Barnard College
New York, New York

Barnard College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Economics Major ranking, coming in at #21. This small school is located in New York, New York, and it awarded 79 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

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%. 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 93%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Barnard College Economics Report

22
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Pomona College
Claremont, California

With a ranking of #22, Pomona College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Economics Major list. Claremont, California is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s economics degrees to 46 students in 2020-2021.

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. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Economics at Pomona

23
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Bowdoin College
Brunswick, Maine

Bowdoin College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Economics Major ranking, coming in at #23. Bowdoin College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Brunswick, Maine. It awarded 72 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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.

Read full report on Economics at Bowdoin College

24
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Virginia Military Institute
Lexington, Virginia

Virginia Military Institute did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Economics Major ranking, coming in at #24. Virginia Military Institute is a public institution located in Lexington, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 48 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Economics at Virginia Military Institute

25
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Trinity College
Hartford, Connecticut

With a ranking of #25, Trinity College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Economics Major list. Trinity Bantams is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Hartford, Connecticut. It awarded 77 bachelors’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Economics at Trinity Bantams

Rest of the Best 50 in Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Economics 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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Middlebury College
Middlebury, Vermont
27
28
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St Lawrence University
Canton, New York
29
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Wabash College
Crawfordsville, Indiana
30
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Occidental College
Los Angeles, California
31
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Colby College
Waterville, Maine
32
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Whitman College
Walla Walla, Washington
33
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Macalester College
Saint Paul, Minnesota
34
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Bates College
Lewiston, Maine
35
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St Mary's College of Maryland
St. Mary's City, Maryland
36
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St Olaf College
Northfield, Minnesota
37
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Connecticut College
New London, Connecticut
38
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Gettysburg College
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
39
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Albion College
Albion, Michigan
40
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Washington and Lee University
Lexington, Virginia
41
42
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Dickinson College
Carlisle, Pennsylvania
43
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Willamette University
Salem, Oregon
44
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Covenant College
Lookout Mountain, Georgia
45
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Wesleyan University
Middletown, Connecticut
46
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Hillsdale College
Hillsdale, Michigan
47
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Haverford College
Haverford, Pennsylvania
48
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Grinnell College
Grinnell, Iowa
49
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Lyon College
Batesville, Arkansas
50
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Queens College
Queens, New York

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

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

Rank College Location
51 Union College New York Schenectady, NY
52 Amherst College Amherst, MA
53 Washington College Chestertown, MD
53 Principia College Elsah, IL
55 Dartmouth College Hanover, NH
56 Franklin and Marshall College Lancaster, PA
57 Boston College Chestnut Hill, MA
58 Allegheny College Meadville, PA
59 Kenyon College Gambier, OH
60 Spelman College Atlanta, GA
61 University of Chicago Chicago, IL
62 Lycoming College Williamsport, PA
63 Lake Forest College Lake Forest, IL
64 Brandeis University Waltham, MA
65 Hendrix College Conway, AR
Rank College Location
66 Saint Johns University Collegeville, MN
67 Knox College Galesburg, IL
68 Wesleyan College Macon, GA
69 Brown University Providence, RI
70 Wheaton College Massachusetts Norton, MA
71 Utah State University Logan, UT
72 Binghamton University Vestal, NY
73 Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY
74 Lawrence University Appleton, WI
75 Austin College Sherman, TX
76 University of Virginia - Main Campus Charlottesville, VA
77 Carleton College Northfield, MN
78 University of Notre Dame Notre Dame, IN
79 Trinity University San Antonio, TX
80 United States Military Academy West Point, NY
81 Smith College Northampton, MA
82 Morehouse College Atlanta, GA
83 University of California - Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA
84 University at Albany Albany, NY
85 Monmouth College Monmouth, IL
86 University of Puget Sound Tacoma, WA
87 Pitzer College Claremont, CA
88 Tufts University Medford, MA
89 University of California - Berkeley Berkeley, CA
90 University of California - Davis Davis, CA
Rank College Location
91 Ripon College Ripon, WI
92 University of California - Riverside Riverside, CA
93 Washington & Jefferson College Washington, PA
94 Mount Holyoke College South Hadley, MA
95 United States Air Force Academy USAF Academy, CO
96 University of Connecticut Storrs, CT
97 Beloit College Beloit, WI
98 Scripps College Claremont, CA
99 Southern Methodist University Dallas, TX
100 Reed College Portland, OR
101 Princeton University Princeton, NJ
102 Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN
103 Oberlin College Oberlin, OH
104 Yale University New Haven, CT
105 Gustavus Adolphus College Saint Peter, MN
106 Clark University Worcester, MA
107 Kalamazoo College Kalamazoo, MI
108 William & Mary Williamsburg, VA
109 University of Massachusetts Amherst Amherst, MA
110 Providence College Providence, RI
111 Furman University Greenville, SC
112 Siena College Loudonville, NY
113 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC
114 Wheaton College Illinois Wheaton, IL
115 Wake Forest University Winston-Salem, NC
Rank College Location
116 Rice University Houston, TX
117 Drew University Madison, NJ
118 Moravian College Bethlehem, PA

Notes and References

References

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