by our College Data Analytics Team
With all of the college options in New Hampshire, choosing the right one can feel overwhelming. Our ranking highlights **17** schools by overall quality and student outcomes, using our 2026 methodology.
To arm you with the information you need, College Factual reviewed 17 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.
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Learn more about these excellent colleges below:
Leading the list is Dartmouth College, our #1 college in New Hampshire. Based in Hanover, NH, Dartmouth College is a private not-for-profit institution. About 96% of students finish within six years. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $68,019. Graduates go on to earn a median of $81,992 early in their careers. The median student debt is $16,989.
Upper Valley Educators Institute came in at #2 on this year's Best Colleges ranking in New Hampshire. This private not-for-profit school is set in Lebanon, NH. Upper Valley Educators Institute graduates report median early-career earnings of $43,549. Graduates carry a median of $19,250 in student loans.
A rank of #3 makes University Of New Hampshire Main Campus one of the top colleges in New Hampshire. University Of New Hampshire Main Campus is a public school based in Durham, NH. About 76% of students finish within six years. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $19,202, while out-of-state students pay about $39,852. Graduates go on to earn a median of $52,064 early in their careers. The median student debt is $26,368.
You'll be in good company at University Of New Hampshire School Of Law, which ranked #4 this year. University Of New Hampshire School Of Law is a public school based in Concord, NH.
A rank of #5 makes Saint Anselm College one of the top colleges in New Hampshire. Located in Manchester, NH, Saint Anselm College is a private not-for-profit institution. Roughly 80% of students complete a degree within six years here. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $48,920. Saint Anselm College graduates report median early-career earnings of $48,228. The median student debt is $26,863.
Rivier College came in at #6 in this year's ranking. Rivier College is a private not-for-profit school based in Nashua, NH. The six-year graduation rate is 51%. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $39,488. Rivier College graduates report median early-career earnings of $60,796. Students borrow a median of $28,917 to complete a degree here.
University Of New Hampshire At Manchester placed #7 among the best colleges in New Hampshire. Set in Manchester, NH, University Of New Hampshire At Manchester is a public institution. University Of New Hampshire At Manchester posts a six-year graduation rate of 59%. In-state tuition and fees average $15,838, compared with $36,418 for out-of-state students. University Of New Hampshire At Manchester graduates report median early-career earnings of $48,035. Graduates carry a median of $26,277 in student loans.
Keene State College ranked #8 on our 2026 list of the best colleges. This public school is set in Keene, NH. Roughly 60% of students complete a degree within six years here. In-state tuition and fees run about $14,784, with out-of-state students paying around $26,840. Graduates go on to earn a median of $41,049 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $26,185 to complete a degree here.
Colby Sawyer College placed #9 among the best colleges in New Hampshire. Based in New London, NH, Colby Sawyer College is a private not-for-profit institution. Colby Sawyer College graduates 54% of students within six years. In-state tuition and fees run about $19,125. Colby Sawyer College graduates report median early-career earnings of $54,655. Graduates carry a median of $26,832 in student loans.
Southern New Hampshire University ranked #10 on our 2026 list of the best colleges. This private not-for-profit school is set in Manchester, NH. Roughly 44% of students complete a degree within six years here. In-state tuition and fees run about $17,200. Graduates go on to earn a median of $53,211 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $29,103 to complete a degree here.
Franklin Pierce University ranked #11 on our 2026 list of the best colleges. Based in Rindge, NH, Franklin Pierce University is a private not-for-profit institution. The six-year graduation rate is 54%. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $46,442. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $59,350. The median student debt is $26,937.
Plymouth State University ranked #12 on our 2026 list of the best colleges. Plymouth State University is a public school based in Plymouth, NH. The six-year graduation rate is 52%. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $14,626, with out-of-state students paying around $25,566. Plymouth State University graduates report median early-career earnings of $45,528. The median student debt is $26,972.
Granite State College came in at #13 in this year's ranking. This public school is set in Manchester, NH. The six-year graduation rate is 23%. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $7,724, with out-of-state students paying around $9,284. Median early-career earnings reach $55,121. Students borrow a median of $27,522 to complete a degree here.
Nhti Concords Community College ranked #14 on our 2026 list of the best colleges. Nhti Concords Community College is a public school based in Concord, NH. Students from in state pay about $7,200 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $15,450. Nhti Concords Community College graduates report median early-career earnings of $50,550. The median student debt is $18,046.
Antioch University New England did well this year, earning the #15 position. This private not-for-profit school is set in Keene, NH. Graduates go on to earn a median of $51,191 early in their careers.
New England College came in at #16 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Henniker, NH. About 35% of students finish within six years. Students from in state pay about $27,474 in tuition and fees. Median early-career earnings reach $68,950. Students borrow a median of $35,038 to complete a degree here.
Nashua Community College did well this year, earning the #17 position. Based in Nashua, NH, Nashua Community College is a public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $7,140, while out-of-state students pay about $15,390. Graduates go on to earn a median of $24,074 early in their careers. The median student debt is $10,608.
Great Bay Community College did well this year, earning the #18 position. Located in Portsmouth, NH, Great Bay Community College is a public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $7,200, compared with $15,450 for out-of-state students. Graduates go on to earn a median of $48,692 early in their careers. Graduates carry a median of $17,639 in student loans.
Thomas More College Of Liberal Arts landed the #19 spot in New Hampshire this year. Located in Merrimack, NH, Thomas More College Of Liberal Arts is a private not-for-profit institution. Thomas More College Of Liberal Arts posts a six-year graduation rate of 62%. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $30,400. Median early-career earnings reach $33,863. Students borrow a median of $27,000 to complete a degree here.
Manchester Community College Nh came in at #20 in this year's ranking. Located in Manchester, NH, Manchester Community College Nh is a public institution. In-state tuition and fees run about $7,090, with out-of-state students paying around $15,340.
River Valley Community College ranked #21 on our 2026 list of the best colleges. Based in Claremont, NH, River Valley Community College is a public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $6,940, while out-of-state students pay about $15,190. Graduates go on to earn a median of $50,859 early in their careers. Typical student debt is $25,669.
White Mountains Community College did well this year, earning the #22 position. White Mountains Community College is a public school based in Berlin, NH. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $7,050, with out-of-state students paying around $15,300. White Mountains Community College graduates report median early-career earnings of $60,162. White Mountains Community College students take on a median of $18,250 in debt.
Lakes Region Community College ranked #23 on our 2026 list of the best colleges. Based in Laconia, NH, Lakes Region Community College is a public institution. In-state tuition and fees run about $6,720, compared with $14,970 for out-of-state students.
St Joseph School Of Nursing did well this year, earning the #24 position. Based in Nashua, NH, St Joseph School Of Nursing is a private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees run about $23,438. Graduates go on to earn a median of $71,623 early in their careers. The median student debt is $24,167.
Harmony Health Care Institute came in at #25 in this year's ranking. This private for-profit school is set in Merrimack, NH. Early-career graduates earn a median of $85,953. Graduates carry a median of $12,685 in student loans.
These colleges also placed among the very best this year:
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
These rankings are produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 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
More about our data sources and methodologies.