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Once students achieve their SAT scores, the next major step especially for U.S. citizens and NRI students is choosing the right college in the United States.
While many students automatically think of large universities, a growing number of SAT-qualified applicants are actively looking at small colleges in the U.S. These institutions offer a very different academic experience one that emphasizes close faculty interaction, personalized learning, and focused communities.
If you are wondering whether studying at a small college in the United States is right for you, you are not alone. Thousands of students intentionally choose smaller campuses every year.

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Are You Wondering Why These Colleges, So Small?
Might be, you are thinking, these colleges are like your high school class. But you are not 100% right. The fact is, some of these colleges are smaller than the size of your last attending high school class.
Is there any solid reason behind this myth? Yup! There are some reasons for being smaller in size:
1. Offer Specialized Curriculum
These small colleges in the US have a specialized curriculum that fulfills to a narrow demographic of students. Some of these small colleges are religious and belong to a particular denomination. These focus on a particular mode of learning and exploration of subjects.
2. Got Split from the Larger Universities
These small colleges were part of prominent universities. With the passage of time, these had split and formed their community, whereby they become more specialized and influence a much smaller group of esteemed students.
3. Established to offer personalized academic’s experience
These small colleges were set up to offer personalized attention to each student. They keep their batches as small as possible, whereby each student can get massive attention. It endows the students to often collaborate with their professors, which is lacking actually in the high colleges.
List of Small Colleges in the US:
In the United States, there are four-year, non-profit colleges which are sorted by type and enrollment number. These have less than 500 students but at least above the 50 students.
Smallest Colleges in the United States (By Category)
Below is a categorized list of four-year, non-profit U.S. colleges with enrollments generally between 50 and 500 students.
Smallest Medical, Engineering & Professional Colleges in the U.S.
These institutions focus primarily on professional education such as medicine, engineering, health sciences, or applied disciplines.
| College Name |
Enrollment |
| California Institute of Integral Studies |
50 |
| Northwestern Polytechnic University |
52 |
| Webb Institute |
98 |
| Rush University |
109 |
| Columbia College of Nursing |
116 |
| Lincoln University |
120 |
| St. John’s College |
122 |
| United States Sports Academy |
124 |
| Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science |
169 |
| Bastyr University |
197 |
| Saint Anthony College of Nursing |
199 |
| Trinity College |
213 |
| Amberton University |
217 |
| Blessing–Rieman College of Nursing & Health Sciences |
272 |
| Maharishi University of Management |
324 |
| Allen College |
329 |
| University of Puerto Rico – Medical Sciences |
341 |
| Boston Architectural College |
343 |
| Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering |
380 |
| Bellin College |
397 |
| St. Francis Medical Center College of Nursing |
406 |
| Cabarrus College of Health Sciences |
419 |
| Touro University Worldwide |
484 |
| Saint Luke’s College of Health Sciences |
490 |

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Smallest Religious Colleges & Seminaries in the U.S.
These institutions primarily identify as seminaries or faith-based colleges.
| College Name |
Enrollment |
| Mount Angel Seminary |
51 |
| St. Charles Borromeo Seminary |
57 |
| Baptist Missionary Association Theological Seminary |
58 |
| Southern California Seminary |
62 |
| American Jewish University |
67 |
| Kentucky Mountain Bible College |
76 |
| Hellenic College / Holy Cross |
78 |
| New Hope Christian College |
87 |
| Crossroads College |
96 |
| Clear Creek Baptist Bible College |
98 |
| Montana Bible College |
100 |
| Huntsville Bible College |
118 |
| Southwestern Christian College |
123 |
| Boise Bible College |
130 |
| Faith International University |
144 |
| Nebraska Christian College |
145 |
| Jewish Theological Seminary |
162 |
| Arlington Baptist University |
162 |
| Holy Apostles College and Seminary |
164 |
| Baptist University of the Americas |
177 |
| Johnson University—Florida |
180 |
| Kuyper College |
184 |
| Trinity College |
189 |
| Trinity Bible College |
191 |
| Mid-Atlantic Christian University |
192 |
| Criswell College |
198 |
| Dallas Christian College |
213 |
| Calvary University |
223 |
| Virginia Baptist College |
227 |
| Barclay College |
229 |
| Ecclesia College |
232 |
| Central Christian College of the Bible |
239 |
| Bethesda University of California |
256 |
| John Paul the Great Catholic University |
260 |
| Emmaus Bible College |
269 |
| Appalachian Bible College |
274 |
| Marygrove College |
285 |
| Beulah Heights University |
288 |
| Luther Rice College and Seminary |
295 |
| Faith Baptist Theological Seminary |
300 |
| Davis College |
302 |
| Northpoint Bible College |
323 |
| Grace Bible College |
336 |
| Piedmont International University |
339 |
| Welch College |
348 |
| Trinity Baptist College |
353 |
| Multnomah University |
394 |
| The King’s University |
400 |
| Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary |
406 |
| Baptist College of Florida |
427 |
| College of Biblical Studies—Houston |
428 |
| Lincoln Christian University |
464 |
| Columbia International University |
486 |
| Williams Baptist University |
493 |
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Smallest Art & Music Colleges in the U.S.
These colleges specialize in visual arts, music, design, or performance-based education.
| College Name |
Enrollment |
| Oregon College of Art & Craft |
109 |
| VanderCook College of Music |
122 |
| Visible Music College |
127 |
| Art Academy of Cincinnati |
175 |
| Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts |
188 |
| San Francisco Conservatory of Music |
205 |
| Watkins College of Art, Design & Film |
205 |
| Cleveland Institute of Music |
227 |
| Pennsylvania College of Art and Design |
260 |
| American Academy of Art |
260 |
| Johns Hopkins University – Peabody Conservatory |
265 |
| San Francisco Art Institute |
299 |
| New Hampshire Institute of Art |
308 |
| School of the Museum of Fine Arts |
349 |
| Moore College of Art and Design |
373 |
| McNally Smith College of Music |
409 |
| Pacific Northwest College of Art |
419 |
| Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico |
433 |
| New England Conservatory of Music |
436 |
| Escuela de Artes Plásticas de Puerto Rico |
441 |
| Columbia College Hollywood |
453 |
| Manhattan School of Music |
488 |

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Smallest Liberal Arts Colleges in the U.S.
These colleges provide a full liberal arts education with very small student bodies.
| College Name |
Enrollment |
| Thomas More College of Liberal Arts |
90 |
| Logan University |
98 |
| Antioch University |
103 |
| Antioch College |
133 |
| University of the West |
185 |
| New Saint Andrews College |
141 |
| Medaille College—Rochester |
145 |
| Sterling College |
146 |
| Marlboro College |
183 |
| Goddard College |
189 |
| College of St. Joseph (Vermont) |
237 |
| Cottey College |
270 |
| Patrick Henry College |
277 |
| Alaska Pacific University |
296 |
| Randall University |
304 |
| Selma University |
311 |
| Aquinas College |
312 |
| Sweet Briar College |
319 |
| St. John’s College |
322 |
| Bryn Athyn College |
326 |
| Beacon College |
348 |
| College of the Atlantic |
349 |
| Southern Vermont College |
361 |
| Marylhurst University |
364 |
| Judson College |
366 |
| Thomas Aquinas College |
370 |
| Bard College at Simon’s Rock |
390 |
| Prescott College |
391 |
| Warner Pacific University |
400 |
| Soka University of America |
412 |
| Pine Manor College |
419 |
| Naropa University |
419 |
| Sierra Nevada College |
435 |
| Principia College |
455 |
| Penn State—Wilkes-Barre |
456 |
| St. John’s College |
458 |
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