top colleges in us

Tuition and fees:

$38,416 (2010-11)

Enrollment:

6,655

Setting:

urban

#1 Harvard University

Cambridge, MA

Harvard University is a private institution in Cambridge, Mass., just outside of Boston. This Ivy League school is the oldest higher education institution in the country and has the largest endowment of any school in the world.

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Tuition and fees:

$36,640 (2010-11)

Enrollment:

5,113

Setting:

suburban

#2 Princeton University

Princeton, NJ

The ivy-covered campus of Princeton University, a private institution, is located in the quiet town of Princeton, N.J. Princeton was the first university to offer a “no loan” policy to financially needy students, giving grants instead of loans to accepted students who need help paying tuition.

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Tuition and fees:

$38,300 (2010-11)

Enrollment:

5,275

Setting:

urban

#3 Yale University

New Haven, CT

Yale University, located in New Haven, Conn., offers a small college life with the resources of a major research institution. Yale students are divided into 12 residential colleges that foster a supportive environment for living, learning, and socializing.

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Tuition and fees:

$43,304 (2010-11)

Enrollment:

7,743

Setting:

urban

#4 Columbia University

New York, NY

Columbia University has three undergraduate schools: Columbia College, The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS), and the School of General Studies. This Ivy League, private school guarantees students housing for all four years on campus in Manhattan’s Morningside Heights neighborhood in New York City.

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Tuition and fees:

$39,201 (2010-11)

Enrollment:

6,602

Setting:

suburban

#5 Stanford University

Stanford, CA

The sunny campus of Stanford University is located in California’s Bay Area, about 30 miles from San Francisco. The private institution stresses a multidisciplinary combination of teaching, learning, and research, and students have many opportunities to get involved in research projects.

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Tuition and fees:

$40,514 (2010-11)

Enrollment:

9,768

Setting:

urban

#5 University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA

Founded by Benjamin Franklin, the University of Pennsylvania is a private institution in the University City neighborhood of Philadelphia, Pa., near Drexel University. Undergraduates can study in four academic departments: Arts and Sciences, Nursing, Engineering and Applied Sciences, and Wharton.

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Tuition and fees:

$36,282 (2010-11)

Enrollment:

951

Setting:

suburban

#7 California Institute of Technology

Pasadena, CA

The California Institute of Technology focuses on science and engineering education and has a low student-to-faculty ratio of 3:1. This private institution in Pasadena, Calif. is actively involved in research projects with grants from NASA, the National Science Foundation, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

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Tuition and fees:

$39,212 (2010-11)

Enrollment:

4,232

Setting:

urban

#7 Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge, MA

Though the Massachusetts Institute of Technology may be best known for its math, science, and engineering education, this private research university also offers architecture, humanities, management, and social science programs. The school is located in Cambridge, Mass., just across the Charles River from downtown Boston.

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Tuition and fees:

$40,437 (2010-11)

Enrollment:

4,196

Setting:

rural

#9 Dartmouth College

Hanover, NH

Dartmouth College, a private institution in Hanover, N.H., uses quarters, not semesters, to divide the school year. Among more than 300 student organizations at Dartmouth is the Outing Club, the nation’s oldest and largest collegiate club of its kind, which offers outdoor activities, expeditions, gear rentals, and courses.

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Tuition and fees:

$40,472 (2010-11)

Enrollment:

6,578

Setting:

suburban

#9 Duke University

Durham, NC

Located in Durham, N.C., Duke University is a private institution that has liberal arts and engineering programs for undergraduates. The Duke Blue Devils sports teams have a fierce rivalry with the University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill Tar Heels and are best known for their outstanding men's basketball program.

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National University Rankings

National University Methodology

Schools in the National Universities category, such as University of Chicago and Stanford University, offer a full range of undergraduate majors, master's, and doctoral degrees. These colleges also are committed to producing ground breaking research.

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Tuition and fees:

$41,091 (2010-11)

Enrollment:

5,066

Setting:

urban

#9 University of Chicago

Chicago, IL

The University of Chicago, situated in Chicago’s Hyde Park community, offers a rich campus life in a big-city setting. Since 1987, the private institution has hosted the University of Chicago Scavenger Hunt, a four-day event that is regarded as the largest scavenger hunt in the world.

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Tuition and fees:

$40,247 (2010-11)

Enrollment:

8,536

Setting:

suburban

#12 Northwestern University

Evanston, IL

Northwestern University is a private school in Evanston, Ill., about 30 minutes outside of Chicago. Undergraduate students have more than 70 options for majors or can design their own non-traditional degree program.

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Tuition and fees:

$40,680 (2010-11)

Enrollment:

5,932

Setting:

urban

#13 Johns Hopkins University

Baltimore, MD

Johns Hopkins University is a private institution in Baltimore, Md. that offers a wide array of academic programs in the arts, humanities, social and natural sciences, and engineering disciplines. The Hopkins Blue Jays men’s lacrosse team is consistently dominant in the NCAA Division I; other sports teams at Hopkins compete at the Division III level.

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Tuition and fees:

$40,374 (2010-11)

Enrollment:

7,046

Setting:

suburban

#13 Washington University in St. Louis

St. Louis, MO

Students can study architecture, art, arts and sciences, business, and engineering at  Washington University in St. Louis, a private research institution in Missouri. Outside of class, about a quarter of the student body is involved in Greek life.

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Tuition and fees:

$40,820 (2010-11)

Enrollment:

6,244

Setting:

urban

#15 Brown University

Providence, RI

At Brown University, undergraduate students are responsible for designing their own academic study with more than 70 concentration programs to choose from. Another unique offering at this private, Ivy League institution in Providence, R.I. is the Program in Liberal Medical Education, which grants both a bachelor’s degree and medical degree in eight years.

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Tuition and fees:

$39,666 (2010-11)

Enrollment:

13,931

Setting:

rural

#15 Cornell University

Ithaca, NY

Cornell University, a private school in Ithaca, N.Y., started the country’s first colleges for hotel administration, industrial and labor relations, and veterinary medicine. Cornell now offers a wide variety of undergraduate programs and runs interdisciplinary research centers for nanotechnology, supercomputing, and more.

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Tuition and fees:

$33,771 (2010-11)

Enrollment:

3,319

Setting:

urban

#17 Rice University

Houston, TX

Rice University is located in the heart of the Museum District in Houston, TX. The private institution has a need-blind admissions policy and meets the full demonstrated need of any accepted student who requires help paying tuition.

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Tuition and fees:

$39,932 (2010-11)

Enrollment:

6,794

Setting:

urban

#17 Vanderbilt University

Nashville, TN

Vanderbilt University has a total undergraduate enrollment of 6,794, with a gender distribution of 48.0 percent male students and 52.0 percent female students. 90.0 percent of the students live in college-owned, -operated, or -affiliated housing and 10.0 percent of students live off campus.

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Tuition and fees:

$39,919 (2010-11)

Enrollment:

8,372

Setting:

urban

#19 University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame, IN

The University of Notre Dame is a private, independent, Catholic institution in South Bend, Ind. Notre Dame’s athletic teams, known as the Fighting Irish, play in the NCAA Division I and are particularly competitive on the football field.

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Tuition and fees:

$39,158 (2010-11)

Enrollment:

6,980

Setting:

suburban

#20 Emory University

Atlanta, GA

Students can begin their education at the school's main location in a suburb of Atlanta, known as Emory College, or at Oxford College, a smaller campus about 40 miles away. This private institution offers about 70 majors in the arts and sciences, as well as degrees in business administration and nursing.

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Tuition and fees:

$40,203 (2010-11)

Enrollment:

7,433

Setting:

urban

#21 Georgetown University

Washington, DC

Georgetown University is the oldest Catholic university in the country. The school's location in Washington, D.C. gives students many opportunities for internships throughout the nation's capital.

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In-state tuition and fees:

$10,868 (2010-11)

Out-of-state tuition and fees:

$33,747 (2010-11)

Enrollment:

25,530

Setting:

urban

#22 University of California--Berkeley

Berkeley, CA

The University of California—Berkeley overlooks the San Francisco Bay in Berkeley, Calif. Students at this public school have more than 700 organizations to get involved in, including more than 55 fraternity and sorority chapters.

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Tuition and fees:

$41,940 (2010-11)

Enrollment:

6,023

Setting:

urban

#23 Carnegie Mellon University

Pittsburgh, PA

Carnegie Mellon University, a private institution in Pittsburgh, Pa., is the country’s only school founded by industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. The school specializes in academic areas including engineering, business, computer science, and fine arts.

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Tuition and fees:

$41,022 (2010-11)

Enrollment:

16,751

Setting:

urban

#23 University of Southern California

Los Angeles, CA

Undergraduates study in the College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences at the University of Southern California, a private school based in Los Angeles. The USC Trojans compete in the NCAA Division I Pacific-10 Conference and are particularly competitive in football.

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In-state tuition and fees:

$10,781 (2010-11)

Out-of-state tuition and fees:

$33,660 (2010-11)

Enrollment:

26,687

Setting:

urban

#25 University of California--Los Angeles

Los Angeles, CA

The University of California—Los Angeles is just five miles away from the Pacific Ocean. The public institution offers more than more than 3,000 courses and more than 130 majors to undergraduate students.

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In-state tuition and fees:

$10,628 (2010-11)

Out-of-state tuition and fees:

$33,574 (2010-11)

Enrollment:

15,476

Setting:

suburban

#25 University of Virginia

Charlottesville, VA

A public institution, University of Virginia was founded in 1819. University of Virginia offers a Greek system, where 30.0 percent of the student body is involved in a sorority and 30.0 percent is involved in a fraternity.

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Tuition and fees:

$39,970 (2010-11)

Enrollment:

4,569

Setting:

suburban

#25 Wake Forest University

Winston-Salem, NC

Wake Forest University has a total undergraduate enrollment of 4,569, with a gender distribution of 49.0 percent male students and 51.0 percent female students. 70.0 percent of the students live in college-owned, -operated, or -affiliated housing and 30.0 percent of students live off campus.

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Tuition and fees:

$41,598 (2010-11)

Enrollment:

5,164

Setting:

suburban

#28 Tufts University

Medford, MA

Founded in 1852, Tufts University is a private institution. Tufts University follows a semester-based academic calendar and its admissions are considered most selective.

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In-state tuition and fees:

$12,400 (2010-11)

Out-of-state tuition and fees:

$36,163 (2010-11)

Enrollment:

26,208

Setting:

urban

#29 University of Michigan--Ann Arbor

Ann Arbor, MI

University of Michigan--Ann Arbor is a public institution that was founded in 1817. The school has 46.1 percent of its classes with fewer than 20 students, and the student-faculty ratio at University of Michigan--Ann Arbor is 15:1.

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In-state tuition and fees:

$6,665 (2010-11)

Out-of-state tuition and fees:

$25,280 (2010-11)

Enrollment:

17,981

Setting:

suburban

#30 University of North Carolina--Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill, NC

University of North Carolina--Chapel Hill was established in 1789 as a public institution. University of North Carolina--Chapel Hill follows a semester-based academic calendar and its admissions are considered most selective.

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Tuition and fees:

$40,542 (2010-11)

Enrollment:

9,171

Setting:

suburban

#31 Boston College

Chestnut Hill, MA

Boston College has a total undergraduate enrollment of 9,171, with a gender distribution of 48.1 percent male students and 51.9 percent female students. 80.0 percent of the students live in college-owned, -operated, or -affiliated housing and 20.0 percent of students live off campus.

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In-state tuition and fees:

$12,188 (2010-11)

Out-of-state tuition and fees:

$33,212 (2010-11)

Enrollment:

5,836

Setting:

suburban

#31 College of William and Mary

Williamsburg, VA

Founded in 1693, College of William and Mary is a public institution. College of William and Mary follows a semester-based academic calendar and its admissions are considered most selective.

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Tuition and fees:

$38,765 (2009-10)

Enrollment:

21,638

Setting:

urban

#33 New York University

New York, NY

New York University is a private institution that was founded in 1831. The school has 60.4 percent of its classes with fewer than 20 students, and the student-faculty ratio at New York University is 11:1.

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Tuition and fees:

$40,274 (2010-11)

Enrollment:

3,317

Setting:

suburban

#34 Brandeis University

Waltham, MA

Brandeis University was established in 1948 as a private institution. Brandeis University follows a semester-based academic calendar and its admissions are considered most selective.

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In-state tuition and fees:

$8,716 (2010-11)

Out-of-state tuition and fees:

$26,926 (2010-11)

Enrollment:

13,515

Setting:

urban

#35 Georgia Institute of Technology

Atlanta, GA

A public institution, Georgia Institute of Technology was founded in 1885. Georgia Institute of Technology offers a Greek system, where 33.0 percent of the student body is involved in a sorority and 23.0 percent is involved in a fraternity.

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In-state tuition and fees:

$11,306 (2010-11)

Out-of-state tuition and fees:

$34,185 (2010-11)

Enrollment:

23,143

Setting:

urban

#35 University of California--San Diego

La Jolla, CA

University of California--San Diego has a total undergraduate enrollment of 23,143, with a gender distribution of 48.1 percent male students and 51.9 percent female students. 34.0 percent of the students live in college-owned, -operated, or -affiliated housing and 66.0 percent of students live off campus.

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Tuition and fees:

$37,648 (2010-11)

Enrollment:

4,228

Setting:

urban

#41 Case Western Reserve University

Cleveland, OH

Founded in 1826, Case Western Reserve University is a private institution. Case Western Reserve University follows a semester-based academic calendar and its admissions are considered more selective.

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Tuition and fees:

$40,680 (2010-11)

Enrollment:

5,659

Setting:

urban

#41 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Troy, NY

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is a private institution that was founded in 1824. The school has 52.6 percent of its classes with fewer than 20 students, and the student-faculty ratio at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is 16:1.

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In-state tuition and fees:

$11,913 (2010-11)

Out-of-state tuition and fees:

$34,792 (2010-11)

Enrollment:

22,226

Setting:

suburban

#41 University of California--Irvine

Irvine, CA

University of California--Irvine was established in 1965 as a public institution. University of California--Irvine follows a quarter-based academic calendar and its admissions are considered most selective.

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In-state tuition and fees:

$8,701 (2010-11)

Out-of-state tuition and fees:

$25,329 (2010-11)

Enrollment:

29,574

Setting:

urban

#41 University of Washington

Seattle, WA

A public institution, University of Washington was founded in 1861. University of Washington offers a Greek system, where 5.0 percent of the student body is involved in a sorority and 6.0 percent is involved in a fraternity.

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In-state tuition and fees:

$9,418 (2010-11)

Out-of-state tuition and fees:

$31,218 (2010-11)

Enrollment:

38,168

Setting:

urban

#45 University of Texas--Austin

Austin, TX

University of Texas--Austin has a total undergraduate enrollment of 38,168, with a gender distribution of 48.5 percent male students and 51.5 percent female students. 19.7 percent of the students live in college-owned, -operated, or -affiliated housing and 80.3 percent of students live off campus.

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In-state tuition and fees:

$9,050 (2010-11)

Out-of-state tuition and fees:

$24,300 (2010-11)

Enrollment:

30,343

Setting:

urban

#45 University of Wisconsin--Madison

Madison, WI

Founded in 1848, University of Wisconsin--Madison is a public institution. University of Wisconsin--Madison follows a semester-based academic calendar and its admissions are considered more selective.

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In-state tuition and fees:

$15,250 (2010-11)

Out-of-state tuition and fees:

$27,114 (2010-11)

Enrollment:

38,630

Setting:

urban

#47 Pennsylvania State University--University Park

University Park, PA

Pennsylvania State University--University Park is a public institution that was founded in 1855. The school has 30.5 percent of its classes with fewer than 20 students, and the student-faculty ratio at Pennsylvania State University--University Park is 17:1.

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In-state tuition and fees:

$13,640 (2010-11)

Out-of-state tuition and fees:

$27,782 (2010-11)

Enrollment:

31,477

Setting:

urban

#47 University of Illinois--Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL

University of Illinois--Urbana-Champaign was established in 1867 as a public institution. University of Illinois--Urbana-Champaign follows a semester-based academic calendar and its admissions are considered more selective.

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Tuition and fees:

$37,836 (2010-11)

Enrollment:

10,370

Setting:

suburban

#47 University of Miami

Coral Gables, FL

A private institution, University of Miami was founded in 1925. University of Miami offers a Greek system, where 14.0 percent of the student body is involved in a sorority and 15.0 percent is involved in a fraternity.

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Tuition and fees:

$33,050 (2010-11)

Enrollment:

2,853

Setting:

urban

#50 Yeshiva University

New York, NY

Yeshiva University has a total undergraduate enrollment of 2,853, with a gender distribution of 54.1 percent male students and 45.9 percent female students. 78.0 percent of the students live in college-owned, -operated, or -affiliated housing and 22.0 percent of students live off campus.

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Rank	Name	State	Cost	Total Student Population
1	Williams College	MA	49,530	2,072
2	Princeton University	NJ	49,830	7,330
3	Amherst College	MA	50,230	1,697
4	United States Military Academy	NY	0	4,553
5	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	MA	50,100	10,299
6	Stanford University	CA	51,760	17,833
7	Swarthmore College	PA	50,381	1,490
8	Harvard University	MA	50,250	26,496
9	Claremont McKenna College	CA	50,990	1,212
10	Yale University	CT	51,400	10,192
11	United States Air Force Academy	CO	0	4,537
12	Wellesley College	MA	50,026	2,498
13	Columbia University	NY	51,406	23,196
14	Haverford College	PA	51,637	1,169
15	Wesleyan University	CT	51,935	3,149
16	Whitman College	WA	46,212	1,458
17	Pomona College	CA	49,745	1,532
18	Northwestern University	IL	52,120	19,291
19	California Institute of Technology	CA	48,990	2,126
20	University of Chicago	IL	53,310	14,788
21	Carleton College	MN	50,000	1,983
22	Harvey Mudd College	CA	50,073	738
23	Vassar College	NY	51,370	2,389
24	Centre College	KY	39,200	1,197
25	Rice University	TX	43,586	5,357

26	Middlebury College	VT	52,460	2,455
27	Boston College	MA	52,060	14,836
28	Colgate University	NY	51,090	2,844
29	United States Naval Academy	MD	1,000	4,488
30	Dartmouth College	NH	50,547	5,848
31	Colby College	ME	50,120	1,847
32	Kenyon College	OH	49,260	1,644
33	University of Notre Dame	IN	49,030	11,731
34	Tufts University	MA	51,400	10,030
35	Smith College	MA	50,588	3,101
36	University of Pennsylvania	PA	51,299	24,107
37	Washington and Lee University	VA	49,268	2,155
38	Bryn Mawr College	PA	50,060	1,745
39	College of the Holy Cross	MA	49,102	2,898
40	Bowdoin College	ME	50,570	1,723
41	Duke University	NC	50,925	14,060
42	Wabash College	IN	37,750	911
43	Vanderbilt University	TN	52,303	12,093
44	University of Virginia	VA	40,709	24,541
45	Brown University	RI	50,560	8,318
46	College of William and Mary	VA	39,886	7,892
47	Rhodes College	TN	43,680	1,678
48	Davidson College	NC	45,725	1,668
49	Union College	NY	50,060	2,240
50	Lawrence University	WI	42,301	1,496

51	Colorado College	CO	48,000	2,026
52	Georgetown University	DC	54,200	15,318
53	Emory University	GA	49,708	12,755
54	Bates College	ME	51,400	1,776
55	Macalester College	MN	46,730	1,900
56	Bucknell University	PA	50,250	3,759
57	Brandeis University	MA	50,148	5,327
58	Wofford College	SC	40,835	1,429
59	Wheaton College	IL	50,130	2,915
60	Virginia Military Institute	VA	36,573	1,428
61	Lafayette College	PA	49,188	2,382
62	University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill	NC	33,091	28,567
63	Barnard College	NY	51,976	2,359
64	DePauw University	IN	42,175	2,298
65	University of California, Berkeley	CA	47,194	35,396
66	Oberlin College	OH	50,658	2,864
67	Dickinson College	PA	50,334	2,388
68	Principia College	IL	33,075	519
69	Reed College	OR	49,960	1,471
70	Cornell University	NY	50,384	20,273
71	University of California, Los Angeles	CA	45,152	38,220
72	Wake Forest University	NC	49,820	6,862
73	Kalamazoo College	MI	40,416	1,389
74	Hamilton College	NY	50,210	1,872
75	Knox College	IL	38,433	1,379

76	Washington University, St. Louis	MO	52,464	13,339
77	Denison University	OH	45,980	2,200
78	Grinnell College	IA	46,400	1,678
79	Mount Holyoke College	MA	51,516	2,241
80	Skidmore College	NY	51,501	2,777
81	Westmont College	CA	47,786	1,340
82	Juniata College	PA	40,550	1,526
83	Connecticut College	CT	51,685	1,852
84	University of Richmond	VA	49,090	4,249
85	St. Mary's College of California	CA	NA	NA
86	Occidental College	CA	50,409	1,868
87	Sweet Briar College	VA	39,971	828
88	Johns Hopkins University	MD	51,478	19,758
89	St. Mary's College of Maryland	MD	36,494	2,068
90	Furman University	SC	47,040	2,977
91	Drew University	NJ	52,106	2,581
92	University of Michigan, Ann Arbor	MI	44,761	41,028
93	University of Florida	FL	32,093	51,474
94	Cooper Union	NY	51,755	972
95	Wells College	NY	40,280	579
96	Trinity College	CT	50,645	2,504
97	University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign	IL	38,364	43,246
98	Gustavus Adolphus College	MN	39,760	2,503
99	Franklin and Marshall College	PA	50,100	2,164
100	Washington & Jefferson College	PA	41,684	1,519

 

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