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2023 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Political Science & Government

1,115 Ranked Colleges
43,812 Degrees Awarded
$33,885 Avg Salary
Schools for a Bachelor's Highly Focused on Political Science Major

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Political Science Major” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Political Science & Government is the 20th most popular major in the country with 49,282 degrees awarded in 2020-2021. In 2019-2020, political science and government graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $34,387 and had an average of $23,175 in loans still to pay off.

At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 43,812 political science and government 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 Political Science Major” ranking, we looked at 1,115 colleges that offer a degree in political science and government. That schools that top this list have a program in political science and government in which the largest percentage of students at the school are enrolled.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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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 for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Political Science 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. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Political Science Major

The following schools top our list of the Best “Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Political Science Major”.

Top 25 Most Focused Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Political Science & Government

1
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Antioch College
Yellow Springs, Ohio

Out of the 1,115 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Political Science Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Antioch College landed the #1 spot on the list. Antioch College is a small school located in Yellow Springs, Ohio that handed out 2 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Antioch College

2
Patrick Henry College crest
Patrick Henry College
Purcellville, Virginia

Out of the 1,115 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Political Science Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Patrick Henry College landed the #2 spot on the list. Located in Purcellville, Virginia, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 16 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2020-2021.

Full Patrick Henry College Political Science & Government Report

3
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United States Coast Guard Academy
New London, Connecticut

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend United States Coast Guard Academy. The school came in at #3 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Political Science Major. United States Coast Guard Academy is located in New London, Connecticut and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 48 bachelors’s political science degrees to qualified students.

Full United States Coast Guard Academy Political Science & Government Report

4
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Bowdoin College
Brunswick, Maine

Out of the 1,115 schools in the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Political Science Major that were part of this year’s ranking, Bowdoin College landed the #4 spot on the list. Bowdoin College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Brunswick, Maine. It awarded 100 bachelors’s political science degrees 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. 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%. 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 Political Science & Government at Bowdoin

5
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Pine Manor College
Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Pine Manor College. The school came in at #5 for the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Political Science Major. Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 12 students 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.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Pine Manor College

6
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Bennett College
Greensboro, North Carolina

Bennett College ranked #6 on this year’s Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Political Science Major list. Located in Greensboro, North Carolina, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 5 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2020-2021.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 7 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Bennett College

7
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Davidson College
Davidson, North Carolina

With a ranking of #7, Davidson College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Political Science Major list. Davidson, North Carolina is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 79 students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 93%. 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%. 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 full report on Political Science & Government at Davidson College

8
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College of the Holy Cross
Worcester, Massachusetts

College of the Holy Cross came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Political Science Major ranking. 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 110 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 89%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. 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%. 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.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Holy Cross

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 Political Science Major list. Annapolis is a small public school situated in Annapolis, Maryland. It awarded 137 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at United States Naval Academy

10
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Union College New York
Schenectady, New York

With a ranking of #10, Union College New York did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Political Science Major list. Schenectady, New York is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 63 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 low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.4% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 88%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Union College New York

11
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Bates College
Lewiston, Maine

Bates College came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Political Science Major ranking. Bates is a small school located in Lewiston, Maine that handed out 65 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.5%, 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 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.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Bates

12
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Trinity College
Hartford, Connecticut

Trinity College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Political Science Major ranking, coming in at #12. Trinity College is a small school located in Hartford, Connecticut that handed out 74 bachelors’s political science 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. 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 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%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Trinity College

13
Colby crest
Colby College
Waterville, Maine

Colby College came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Political Science Major ranking. Located in Waterville, Maine, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 76 degrees to qualified bachelors’s political science students in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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. With a freshman retention rate of 91%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.

Full Colby Political Science & Government Report

14
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Wabash College
Crawfordsville, Indiana

With a ranking of #14, Wabash College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Political Science Major list. This small school is located in Crawfordsville, Indiana, and it awarded 20 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national 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 Political Science & Government at Wabash

15
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Gettysburg College
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

Gettysburg College landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Political Science Major ranking. Gettysburg, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 71 students in 2020-2021.

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. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.1% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Gettysburg College Political Science & Government Report

16
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Hillsdale College
Hillsdale, Michigan

Hillsdale College came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Political Science Major ranking. This small school is located in Hillsdale, Michigan, and it awarded 39 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Hillsdale College Political Science & Government Report

17
Bethany College West Virginia crest
Bethany College West Virginia
Bethany, West Virginia

Bethany College West Virginia did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Political Science Major ranking, coming in at #17. This small school is located in Bethany, West Virginia, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Bethany College West Virginia

18

Sewanee - The University of the South landed the #18 spot on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Political Science Major ranking. Sewanee is a private not-for-profit institution located in Sewanee, Tennessee. The school has a small population, and it awarded 45 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.

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 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 87%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Sewanee

19
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Spelman College
Atlanta, Georgia

Spelman College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Political Science Major ranking, coming in at #19. Spelman College is a small school located in Atlanta, Georgia that handed out 46 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 89%. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Spelman Political Science & Government Report

20
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Sweet Briar College
Sweet Briar, Virginia

With a ranking of #20, Sweet Briar College did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Political Science Major list. Sweet Briar College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Sweet Briar, Virginia. The school has a small population, and it awarded 6 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 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%.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at Sweet Briar College

21
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Furman University
Greenville, South Carolina

With a ranking of #21, Furman University did quite well on the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Political Science Major list. Furman is a private not-for-profit institution located in Greenville, South Carolina. The school has a small population, and it awarded 82 bachelors’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. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Furman

22
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Haverford College
Haverford, Pennsylvania

Haverford College did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Political Science Major ranking, coming in at #22. Haverford, Pennsylvania is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s political science degrees to 33 students in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 88%. 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.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Haverford College

23
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St Lawrence University
Canton, New York

St Lawrence University did quite well in the 2023 Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Political Science Major ranking, coming in at #23. This small school is located in Canton, New York, and it awarded 67 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.2% 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 88%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate 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.

Read full report on Political Science & Government at St Lawrence University

24
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Scripps College
Claremont, California

Scripps College came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Political Science Major ranking. Scripps is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Claremont, California. It awarded 29 bachelors’s political science 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 0.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Political Science & Government at Scripps 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 for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Political Science Major ranking. This small school is located in Hamilton, New York, and it awarded 79 bachelors’s political science degrees in 2020-2021.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, 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%. 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 Political Science & Government at Colgate University

Rest of the Best 50 in Schools for a Bachelor’s Highly Focused on Political Science 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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Dickinson College
Carlisle, Pennsylvania
27
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Hampden - Sydney College
Hampden-Sydney, Virginia
28
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Claremont McKenna College
Claremont, California
29
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Connecticut College
New London, Connecticut
30
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Lafayette College
Easton, Pennsylvania
31
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Wesleyan University
Middletown, Connecticut
32
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Washington and Lee University
Lexington, Virginia
33
34
35
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Bucknell University
Lewisburg, Pennsylvania
36
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Colorado College
Colorado Springs, Colorado
37
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Dartmouth College
Hanover, New Hampshire
38
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Wilberforce University
Wilberforce, Ohio
39
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Wells College
Aurora, New York
40
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Morehouse College
Atlanta, Georgia
41
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Whitman College
Walla Walla, Washington
42
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Middlebury College
Middlebury, Vermont
43
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Occidental College
Los Angeles, California
44
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Pomona College
Claremont, California
45
46
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Millsaps College
Jackson, Mississippi
47
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Vassar College
Poughkeepsie, New York
48
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Barnard College
New York, New York
49
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Kenyon College
Gambier, Ohio
50
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Christopher Newport University
Newport News, Virginia

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

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

Rank College Location
51 Franklin and Marshall College Lancaster, PA
52 Fisk University Nashville, TN
52 Macalester College Saint Paul, MN
54 Wofford College Spartanburg, SC
55 Lyon College Batesville, AR
56 Grinnell College Grinnell, IA
57 University of Puget Sound Tacoma, WA
58 Oberlin College Oberlin, OH
59 Amherst College Amherst, MA
60 Pitzer College Claremont, CA
61 Hamilton College Clinton, NY
62 Allegheny College Meadville, PA
63 The College of Idaho Caldwell, ID
64 Centre College Danville, KY
65 Smith College Northampton, MA
Rank College Location
66 St Mary’s College of Maryland St. Mary’s City, MD
67 University of the Ozarks Clarksville, AR
68 Skidmore College Saratoga Springs, NY
69 Wellesley College Wellesley, MA
70 William & Mary Williamsburg, VA
71 Tougaloo College Tougaloo, MS
72 Howard Payne University Brownwood, TX
73 Gustavus Adolphus College Saint Peter, MN
74 Hobart and William Smith Colleges Geneva, NY
74 Ripon College Ripon, WI
76 Willamette University Salem, OR
77 Williams College Williamstown, MA
78 Saint Johns University Collegeville, MN
79 Oglethorpe University Atlanta, GA
80 Lawrence University Appleton, WI
81 Hartwick College Oneonta, NY
82 Rhodes College Memphis, TN
83 St Olaf College Northfield, MN
84 Albion College Albion, MI
85 Kalamazoo College Kalamazoo, MI
86 University of the District of Columbia Washington, DC
87 Lake Forest College Lake Forest, IL
88 Howard University Washington, DC
89 American University Washington, DC
90 Hendrix College Conway, AR
Rank College Location
91 Ohio Wesleyan University Delaware, OH
92 Simpson College Indianola, IA
93 Swarthmore College Swarthmore, PA
94 Washington College Chestertown, MD
95 University of California - Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA
96 SUNY Old Westbury Old Westbury, NY
97 Berea College Berea, KY
98 Southwestern University Georgetown, TX
99 Boston College Chestnut Hill, MA
100 Citadel Military College of South Carolina Charleston, SC
101 Austin College Sherman, TX
102 University of California - Merced Merced, CA
103 Stonehill College Easton, MA
104 Roanoke College Salem, VA
105 United States Air Force Academy USAF Academy, CO
106 Wake Forest University Winston-Salem, NC
107 Virginia Wesleyan University Virginia Beach, VA
108 Beloit College Beloit, WI
109 Elon University Elon, NC
110 Siena College Loudonville, NY
111 Bryn Mawr College Bryn Mawr, PA
112 University of Notre Dame Notre Dame, IN
113 Wheaton College Massachusetts Norton, MA
114 Ave Maria University Ave Maria, FL
115 Denison University Granville, OH
Rank College Location
116 Fairmont State University Fairmont, WV
116 Luther College Decorah, IA
118 Saint Michael’s College Colchester, VT
119 Catholic University of America Washington, DC
120 Illinois Wesleyan University Bloomington, IL
121 Francis Marion University Florence, SC
122 Emory and Henry College Emory, VA
123 University of California - Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, CA
124 Hiram College Hiram, OH
125 Brigham Young University - Hawaii Laie, HI
126 St. Mary’s University San Antonio, TX
127 Clark University Worcester, MA
128 Principia College Elsah, IL
129 College of Saint Benedict Saint Joseph, MN
130 Rollins College Winter Park, FL
131 Eckerd College Saint Petersburg, FL
132 Saint Mary’s College Notre Dame, IN
133 Providence College Providence, RI
134 Centenary College of Louisiana Shreveport, LA
135 Susquehanna University Selinsgrove, PA
136 College of Charleston Charleston, SC
137 University of California - San Diego La Jolla, CA
138 University of California - Riverside Riverside, CA
139 Alma College Alma, MI
140 Monmouth College Monmouth, IL
Rank College Location
141 University of Washington - Bothell Campus Bothell, WA
142 Texas Christian University Fort Worth, TX
143 SUNY Geneseo Geneseo, NY
144 Agnes Scott College Decatur, GA
145 Reed College Portland, OR
146 Mount Holyoke College South Hadley, MA
147 Washington & Jefferson College Washington, PA
148 Florida State University Tallahassee, FL
149 Whittier College Whittier, CA
150 Santa Clara University Santa Clara, CA
151 Thiel College Greenville, PA
152 Saint Anselm College Manchester, NH
153 Drew University Madison, NJ
154 Hanover College Hanover, IN
155 Randolph - Macon College Ashland, VA
156 University of Dallas Irving, TX
157 Lincoln University Lincoln University, PA
158 University of Hawaii at Hilo Hilo, HI
159 Harris - Stowe State University Saint Louis, MO
160 Tulane University of Louisiana New Orleans, LA
161 University of Mary Washington Fredericksburg, VA
162 Princeton University Princeton, NJ
163 DePauw University Greencastle, IN
164 Nebraska Wesleyan University Lincoln, NE
165 Georgetown University Washington, DC
Rank College Location
166 John Carroll University University Heights, OH
167 University of California - Berkeley Berkeley, CA
168 University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC

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