by our College Data Analytics TeamDartmouth College ranks #1 of 13 colleges in College Factual’s 2027 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges in New Hampshire ranking, which scores schools on more than 20 measures of academic quality and student outcomes. The top 13 colleges average a 57% six-year graduation rate and $69,015 in median earnings five years after graduation.
Source: IPEDS 2025; College Scorecard July 2026; College Factual rankings 2027. Data as of: July 2026.
With all of the college options in New Hampshire, it can be hard to know where to start. We have ranked **13** colleges by overall quality and student outcomes, using our 2027 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, College Factual analyzed 13 colleges across over 20 objective factors such as graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, and per-student spending, drawing primarily on U.S. Department of Education data (IPEDS and College Scorecard). Learn more about our ranking methodology.
Dartmouth College leads the 13 ranked colleges in New Hampshire, followed by University Of New Hampshire Main Campus (#2) and Saint Anselm College (#3). Explore the leading colleges below:
No school ranked higher than Dartmouth College this year in New Hampshire. Located in Hanover, NH, Dartmouth College is a private not-for-profit institution. Dartmouth College graduates 96% of students within six years. In-state tuition and fees average $68,019. Graduates go on to earn a median of $81,992 early in their careers. Graduates carry a median of $16,989 in student loans.
You'll be in good company at University Of New Hampshire Main Campus, which ranked #2 this year. Based in Durham, NH, University Of New Hampshire Main Campus is a public institution. University Of New Hampshire Main Campus posts a six-year graduation rate of 76%. Students from in state pay about $19,202 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $39,852. Median early-career earnings reach $52,064. Typical student debt is $26,368.
Out of the 13 colleges in New Hampshire in this year's ranking, Saint Anselm College landed the #3 spot. Located in Manchester, NH, Saint Anselm College is a private not-for-profit institution. The six-year graduation rate is 80%. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $48,920. Saint Anselm College graduates report median early-career earnings of $48,228. Saint Anselm College students take on a median of $26,863 in debt.
A rank of #4 makes University Of New Hampshire At Manchester one of the top colleges in New Hampshire. This public school is set in Manchester, NH. The six-year graduation rate is 59%. Students from in state pay about $15,838 in tuition and fees, compared with $36,418 for out-of-state students. Median early-career earnings reach $49,649. Students borrow a median of $26,393 to complete a degree here.
A rank of #5 makes Keene State College one of the top colleges in New Hampshire. Keene State College is a public school based in Keene, NH. The six-year graduation rate is 60%. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $14,784, compared with $26,840 for out-of-state students. Graduates go on to earn a median of $41,049 early in their careers. Typical student debt is $26,185.
Rivier College ranked #6 on our 2027 list of the best colleges. Based in Nashua, NH, Rivier College is a private not-for-profit institution. Rivier College graduates 51% of students within six years. In-state tuition and fees average $39,488. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $60,796. Graduates carry a median of $28,917 in student loans.
Colby Sawyer College came in at #7 in this year's ranking. Based in New London, NH, Colby Sawyer College is a private not-for-profit institution. Roughly 54% of students complete a degree within six years here. Students from in state pay about $19,125 in tuition and fees. Median early-career earnings reach $54,655. Students borrow a median of $26,832 to complete a degree here.
Plymouth State University landed the #8 spot in New Hampshire this year. Plymouth State University is a public school based in Plymouth, NH. Plymouth State University posts a six-year graduation rate of 52%. In-state tuition and fees run about $14,626, with out-of-state students paying around $25,566. Graduates go on to earn a median of $44,487 early in their careers. The median student debt is $26,972.
Southern New Hampshire University ranked #9 on our 2027 list of the best colleges. This private not-for-profit school is set in Manchester, NH. Southern New Hampshire University posts a six-year graduation rate of 44%. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $17,200. Southern New Hampshire University graduates report median early-career earnings of $53,211. Graduates carry a median of $29,103 in student loans.
Granite State College ranked #10 on our 2027 list of the best colleges. Based in Manchester, NH, Granite State College is a public institution. About 23% of students finish within six years. In-state tuition and fees average $7,724, compared with $9,284 for out-of-state students. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $54,169. Granite State College students take on a median of $26,770 in debt.
Franklin Pierce University came in at #11 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Rindge, NH. Roughly 54% of students complete a degree within six years here. In-state tuition and fees run about $46,442. Early-career graduates earn a median of $59,350. Franklin Pierce University students take on a median of $26,937 in debt.
Thomas More College Of Liberal Arts landed the #12 spot in New Hampshire this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Merrimack, NH. About 62% of students finish within six years. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $30,400. Early-career graduates earn a median of $33,863. Graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans.
New England College ranked #13 on our 2027 list of the best colleges. New England College is a private not-for-profit school based in Henniker, NH. The six-year graduation rate is 35%. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $27,474. Early-career graduates earn a median of $68,950. Students borrow a median of $35,038 to complete a degree here.
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. The methodology weighs a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and per-student spending drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
References
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.