Diverse, Small, Private Colleges Where Most Students Live On-Campus With Lowest Cost
College rankings on TheClassroom.com use recent data about four-year colleges from publicly available sources using transparent methodology. This is a ranking of colleges by typical cost in ascending order. Only colleges that are small, diverse, private and oncampus are included. See if your school is in the ranking!
Diverse, Small, Private Colleges Where Most Students Live On-Campus With Lowest Cost — Complete List
212 colleges ranked.
| Rank | College | Typical Cost | Diversity Score | # Students | % On Campus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Berea College Berea, KY | $6,106 | 0.740 | 1,513 | 100.0% |
| 2 | Princeton University Princeton, NJ | $6,128 | 0.791 | 5,709 | 98.0% |
| 3 | Brescia University Owensboro, KY | $8,709 | 0.627 | 545 | 62.4% |
| 4 | Christian Brothers University Memphis, TN | $9,854 | 0.809 | 905 | 66.9% |
| 5 | Saint Mary's University of Minnesota Winona, MN | $11,704 | 0.617 | 1,073 | 97.8% |
| 6 | Andrews University Berrien Springs, MI | $12,547 | 0.817 | 1,224 | 100.0% |
| 7 | Bethel University McKenzie, TN | $12,595 | 0.655 | 1,547 | 60.6% |
| 8 | Mary Baldwin University Staunton, VA | $12,756 | 0.692 | 1,090 | 72.5% |
| 9 | Rice University Houston, TX | $13,370 | 0.796 | 4,776 | 77.5% |
| 10 | Stanford University Stanford, CA | $13,807 | 0.804 | 7,554 | 100.0% |
| 11 | Chowan University Murfreesboro, NC | $14,086 | 0.669 | 603 | 100.0% |
| 12 | Albion College Albion, MI | $14,301 | 0.658 | 1,300 | 100.0% |
| 13 | Bowdoin College Brunswick, ME | $14,398 | 0.673 | 1,873 | 100.0% |
| 14 | Goshen College Goshen, IN | $14,493 | 0.702 | 773 | 100.0% |
| 15 | University of Chicago Chicago, IL | $14,860 | 0.806 | 7,569 | 60.4% |
| 16 | Maharishi International University Fairfield, IA | $14,956 | 0.713 | 922 | 98.3% |
| 17 | University of Tulsa Tulsa, OK | $15,000 | 0.711 | 2,813 | 97.2% |
| 18 | Harrisburg University of Science and Technology Harrisburg, PA | $15,376 | 0.702 | 615 | 65.0% |
| 19 | Goldey-Beacom College Wilmington, DE | $15,554 | 0.756 | 691 | 65.4% |
| 20 | Gallaudet University Washington, DC | $15,845 | 0.725 | 812 | 100.0% |
| 21 | Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN | $15,846 | 0.774 | 7,208 | 82.8% |
| 22 | Randolph College Lynchburg, VA | $15,921 | 0.610 | 658 | 94.4% |
| 23 | California Institute of Technology Pasadena, CA | $16,075 | 0.776 | 987 | 100.0% |
| 24 | Erskine College Due West, SC | $16,525 | 0.680 | 766 | 97.9% |
| 25 | Colby College Waterville, ME | $17,180 | 0.660 | 2,407 | 99.6% |
| 26 | Eureka College Eureka, IL | $17,349 | 0.651 | 522 | 89.3% |
| 27 | University of the Ozarks Clarksville, AR | $17,360 | 0.709 | 767 | 82.4% |
| 28 | Davidson College Davidson, NC | $17,379 | 0.602 | 1,867 | 96.9% |
| 29 | North Carolina Wesleyan University Rocky Mount, NC | $17,432 | 0.762 | 1,214 | 68.0% |
| 30 | William Jewell College Liberty, MO | $17,562 | 0.600 | 924 | 100.0% |
| 31 | Grinnell College Grinnell, IA | $17,648 | 0.698 | 1,729 | 82.1% |
| 32 | Gardner-Webb University Boiling Springs, NC | $17,674 | 0.661 | 1,856 | 73.7% |
| 33 | Williams College Williamstown, MA | $17,716 | 0.728 | 2,076 | 100.0% |
| 34 | Greensboro College Greensboro, NC | $17,882 | 0.708 | 708 | 69.8% |
| 35 | Missouri Valley College Marshall, MO | $18,086 | 0.747 | 1,443 | 78.7% |
| 36 | Davis & Elkins College Elkins, WV | $18,273 | 0.602 | 661 | 100.0% |
| 37 | Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago, IL | $18,425 | 0.776 | 2,833 | 60.8% |
| 38 | Graceland University-Lamoni Lamoni, IA | $18,504 | 0.722 | 798 | 93.4% |
| 39 | Judson University Elgin, IL | $18,558 | 0.720 | 708 | 77.4% |
| 40 | Bethany College Bethany, WV | $18,605 | 0.717 | 614 | 100.0% |
| 41 | Cedar Crest College Allentown, PA | $18,659 | 0.717 | 834 | 66.3% |
| 42 | Manchester University North Manchester, IN | $18,805 | 0.639 | 936 | 98.5% |
| 43 | Harvard University Cambridge, MA | $19,066 | 0.805 | 7,601 | 100.0% |
| 44 | Trinity Christian College Palos Heights, IL | $19,125 | 0.672 | 820 | 70.1% |
| 45 | Pomona College Claremont, CA | $19,285 | 0.819 | 1,666 | 100.0% |
| 46 | Stetson University DeLand, FL | $19,372 | 0.697 | 2,297 | 75.8% |
| 47 | La Salle University Philadelphia, PA | $19,409 | 0.748 | 1,953 | 100.0% |
| 48 | The College of Idaho Caldwell, ID | $19,481 | 0.626 | 1,041 | 71.8% |
| 49 | Greenville University Greenville, IL | $19,533 | 0.612 | 955 | 83.9% |
| 50 | Hardin-Simmons University Abilene, TX | $19,555 | 0.622 | 1,283 | 100.0% |
| 51 | Pacific Lutheran University Tacoma, WA | $19,589 | 0.733 | 2,401 | 60.6% |
| 52 | Lyon College Batesville, AR | $19,616 | 0.694 | 648 | 90.9% |
| 53 | Virginia Wesleyan University Virginia Beach, VA | $19,676 | 0.755 | 1,256 | 68.2% |
| 54 | St. Thomas Aquinas College Sparkill, NY | $19,994 | 0.736 | 972 | 67.6% |
| 55 | Albright College Reading, PA | $20,024 | 0.706 | 1,217 | 100.0% |
| 56 | Ohio Dominican University Columbus, OH | $20,079 | 0.642 | 760 | 70.5% |
| 57 | Ferrum College Ferrum, VA | $20,082 | 0.676 | 699 | 100.0% |
| 58 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, MA | $20,111 | 0.786 | 4,535 | 100.0% |
| 59 | Coker University Hartsville, SC | $20,286 | 0.697 | 840 | 71.8% |
| 60 | Spring Hill College Mobile, AL | $20,449 | 0.631 | 782 | 100.0% |
| 61 | Walsh University North Canton, OH | $20,493 | 0.627 | 1,390 | 67.8% |
| 62 | Wheeling University Wheeling, WV | $20,503 | 0.672 | 589 | 100.0% |
| 63 | Olivet Nazarene University Bourbonnais, IL | $20,729 | 0.613 | 2,603 | 95.2% |
| 64 | Wingate University Wingate, NC | $20,748 | 0.760 | 2,668 | 78.7% |
| 65 | Hood College Frederick, MD | $20,873 | 0.688 | 1,194 | 63.7% |
| 66 | Emmanuel University Franklin Springs, GA | $20,925 | 0.633 | 775 | 80.0% |
| 67 | Manhattanville University Purchase, NY | $20,991 | 0.639 | 1,362 | 72.6% |
| 68 | Hiram College Hiram, OH | $21,058 | 0.664 | 777 | 92.0% |
| 69 | Austin College Sherman, TX | $21,107 | 0.680 | 1,165 | 100.0% |
| 70 | Tusculum University Greeneville, TN | $21,131 | 0.681 | 785 | 89.0% |
| 71 | St. Mary's University San Antonio, TX | $21,145 | 0.641 | 1,951 | 82.8% |
| 72 | Schreiner University Kerrville, TX | $21,507 | 0.602 | 1,053 | 100.0% |
| 73 | Beloit College Beloit, WI | $21,526 | 0.663 | 926 | 100.0% |
| 74 | Columbia University in the City of New York New York, NY | $21,590 | 0.809 | 8,973 | 100.0% |
| 75 | University of Indianapolis Indianapolis, IN | $21,602 | 0.635 | 3,005 | 91.7% |
| 76 | William Peace University Raleigh, NC | $21,649 | 0.647 | 666 | 60.7% |
| 77 | Newberry College Newberry, SC | $21,656 | 0.605 | 1,479 | 66.3% |
| 78 | Grand View University Des Moines, IA | $21,774 | 0.667 | 1,486 | 60.2% |
| 79 | Washington University in St Louis St. Louis, MO | $21,786 | 0.762 | 7,857 | 89.5% |
| 80 | McDaniel College Westminster, MD | $21,916 | 0.640 | 1,617 | 89.4% |
| 81 | Azusa Pacific University Azusa, CA | $22,212 | 0.750 | 2,759 | 89.4% |
| 82 | Moody Bible Institute Chicago, IL | $22,221 | 0.697 | 1,510 | 71.7% |
| 83 | University of Lynchburg Lynchburg, VA | $22,235 | 0.637 | 1,577 | 79.1% |
| 84 | DePauw University Greencastle, IN | $22,264 | 0.616 | 1,905 | 68.2% |
| 85 | Guilford College Greensboro, NC | $22,270 | 0.685 | 1,001 | 98.9% |
| 86 | Northwest University Kirkland, WA | $22,288 | 0.618 | 645 | 86.7% |
| 87 | Sterling College Sterling, KS | $22,371 | 0.672 | 538 | 100.0% |
| 88 | Goucher College Baltimore, MD | $22,470 | 0.675 | 964 | 100.0% |
| 89 | Emory University Atlanta, GA | $22,585 | 0.795 | 7,298 | 65.9% |
| 90 | William Penn University Oskaloosa, IA | $22,601 | 0.636 | 1,301 | 65.8% |
| 91 | University of Dallas Irving, TX | $22,610 | 0.617 | 1,403 | 66.6% |
| 92 | Mount St. Mary's University Emmitsburg, MD | $22,655 | 0.702 | 1,768 | 82.6% |
| 93 | Augustana College Rock Island, IL | $22,736 | 0.647 | 2,490 | 67.1% |
| 94 | Southwestern Adventist University Keene, TX | $22,778 | 0.689 | 570 | 65.8% |
| 95 | Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham Campus Madison, NJ | $22,829 | 0.684 | 1,990 | 78.9% |
| 96 | Russell Sage College Troy, NY | $22,917 | 0.631 | 1,244 | 64.3% |
| 97 | Saint Elizabeth University Morristown, NJ | $23,125 | 0.751 | 557 | 62.8% |
| 98 | Swarthmore College Swarthmore, PA | $23,149 | 0.816 | 1,613 | 98.0% |
| 99 | American International College Springfield, MA | $23,274 | 0.763 | 1,017 | 88.5% |
| 100 | Walla Walla University College Place, WA | $23,329 | 0.712 | 1,252 | 82.5% |
| 101 | Amherst College Amherst, MA | $23,367 | 0.788 | 1,911 | 100.0% |
| 102 | Lawrence University Appleton, WI | $23,401 | 0.608 | 1,396 | 100.0% |
| 103 | Trinity University San Antonio, TX | $23,464 | 0.667 | 2,505 | 81.4% |
| 104 | Centenary College of Louisiana Shreveport, LA | $23,624 | 0.638 | 685 | 96.8% |
| 105 | Barton College Wilson, NC | $23,626 | 0.634 | 982 | 74.2% |
| 106 | Howard Payne University Brownwood, TX | $23,627 | 0.653 | 713 | 94.8% |
| 107 | Yale University New Haven, CT | $23,777 | 0.800 | 6,758 | 82.5% |
| 108 | Mercer University Macon, GA | $23,847 | 0.712 | 4,500 | 66.9% |
| 109 | Briar Cliff University Sioux City, IA | $23,907 | 0.611 | 624 | 86.5% |
| 110 | Drew University Madison, NJ | $24,280 | 0.653 | 1,533 | 100.0% |
| 111 | Reinhardt University Waleska, GA | $24,425 | 0.623 | 1,066 | 67.1% |
| 112 | Clarke University Dubuque, IA | $24,479 | 0.680 | 742 | 78.3% |
| 113 | Seattle Pacific University Seattle, WA | $24,488 | 0.818 | 1,762 | 100.0% |
| 114 | Campbell University Buies Creek, NC | $24,516 | 0.615 | 2,680 | 60.3% |
| 115 | Eastern Mennonite University Harrisonburg, VA | $24,588 | 0.685 | 754 | 89.1% |
| 116 | Knox College Galesburg, IL | $24,595 | 0.723 | 1,127 | 100.0% |
| 117 | Texas Lutheran University Seguin, TX | $24,654 | 0.655 | 1,304 | 74.5% |
| 118 | Methodist University Fayetteville, NC | $24,704 | 0.730 | 1,448 | 81.2% |
| 119 | Earlham College Richmond, IN | $24,714 | 0.603 | 670 | 100.0% |
| 120 | McKendree University Lebanon, IL | $24,717 | 0.661 | 1,752 | 60.0% |
| 121 | Agnes Scott College Decatur, GA | $24,754 | 0.711 | 836 | 100.0% |
| 122 | Rider University Lawrenceville, NJ | $24,792 | 0.665 | 3,106 | 77.6% |
| 123 | Gordon College Wenham, MA | $24,883 | 0.604 | 1,278 | 99.2% |
| 124 | Brown University Providence, RI | $25,184 | 0.795 | 7,226 | 71.9% |
| 125 | Simmons University Boston, MA | $25,265 | 0.725 | 1,670 | 61.2% |
| 126 | Haverford College Haverford, PA | $25,314 | 0.704 | 1,430 | 100.0% |
| 127 | Oral Roberts University Tulsa, OK | $25,365 | 0.804 | 3,487 | 74.8% |
| 128 | Adrian College Adrian, MI | $25,368 | 0.604 | 1,604 | 100.0% |
| 129 | Carleton College Northfield, MN | $25,407 | 0.696 | 2,086 | 89.4% |
| 130 | University of the Pacific Stockton, CA | $25,447 | 0.771 | 3,204 | 62.4% |
| 131 | Wellesley College Wellesley, MA | $25,496 | 0.793 | 2,300 | 95.2% |
| 132 | Mount Saint Mary College Newburgh, NY | $25,522 | 0.654 | 1,148 | 66.4% |
| 133 | Saint Edward's University Austin, TX | $25,578 | 0.606 | 2,493 | 65.6% |
| 134 | Whittier College Whittier, CA | $25,757 | 0.761 | 764 | 100.0% |
| 135 | Millsaps College Jackson, MS | $26,034 | 0.600 | 549 | 100.0% |
| 136 | Brewton-Parker Christian University Mount Vernon, GA | $26,054 | 0.691 | 774 | 72.6% |
| 137 | University of Mary Hardin-Baylor Belton, TX | $26,106 | 0.658 | 2,759 | 74.0% |
| 138 | McPherson College McPherson, KS | $26,441 | 0.675 | 872 | 82.6% |
| 138 | Mount Holyoke College South Hadley, MA | $26,441 | 0.672 | 2,169 | 98.8% |
| 140 | Linfield University McMinnville, OR | $26,536 | 0.606 | 1,621 | 71.8% |
| 141 | University of Notre Dame Notre Dame, IN | $26,780 | 0.610 | 8,818 | 77.5% |
| 142 | New England College Henniker, NH | $26,972 | 0.601 | 1,022 | 95.5% |
| 143 | Manhattan University Riverdale, NY | $27,256 | 0.705 | 2,744 | 75.2% |
| 144 | Regis College Weston, MA | $27,477 | 0.721 | 956 | 73.7% |
| 145 | Smith College Northampton, MA | $27,579 | 0.696 | 2,544 | 97.4% |
| 146 | Bethany College Lindsborg, KS | $27,686 | 0.675 | 569 | 100.0% |
| 147 | Ottawa University-Ottawa Ottawa, KS | $27,963 | 0.683 | 870 | 62.9% |
| 148 | Concordia University-Irvine Irvine, CA | $28,115 | 0.699 | 1,536 | 66.1% |
| 149 | University of Portland Portland, OR | $28,210 | 0.751 | 2,957 | 73.2% |
| 150 | Wagner College Staten Island, NY | $28,241 | 0.647 | 1,651 | 91.0% |
| 151 | Anna Maria College Paxton, MA | $28,333 | 0.704 | 906 | 70.2% |
| 152 | Lees-McRae College Banner Elk, NC | $28,340 | 0.617 | 873 | 73.9% |
| 153 | Oklahoma Wesleyan University Bartlesville, OK | $28,358 | 0.689 | 673 | 75.6% |
| 154 | Dallas Baptist University Dallas, TX | $28,516 | 0.651 | 2,403 | 100.0% |
| 155 | Rhodes College Memphis, TN | $28,585 | 0.625 | 1,836 | 81.0% |
| 156 | Lake Forest College Lake Forest, IL | $28,673 | 0.702 | 1,813 | 68.2% |
| 157 | Barnard College New York, NY | $28,800 | 0.793 | 3,264 | 72.5% |
| 158 | Claremont McKenna College Claremont, CA | $28,849 | 0.788 | 1,388 | 89.6% |
| 159 | Westmont College Santa Barbara, CA | $29,053 | 0.665 | 1,302 | 92.7% |
| 160 | Marymount University Arlington, VA | $29,137 | 0.799 | 1,810 | 61.2% |
| 161 | Curry College Milton, MA | $29,207 | 0.638 | 1,780 | 79.8% |
| 162 | Southwestern University Georgetown, TX | $29,224 | 0.641 | 1,440 | 76.5% |
| 163 | University of Rochester Rochester, NY | $29,278 | 0.756 | 6,331 | 96.1% |
| 164 | Bates College Lewiston, ME | $29,351 | 0.605 | 1,760 | 98.4% |
| 165 | Dartmouth College Hanover, NH | $29,519 | 0.746 | 4,541 | 85.3% |
| 166 | The Catholic University of America Washington, DC | $29,561 | 0.649 | 3,154 | 62.7% |
| 167 | Duke University Durham, NC | $29,612 | 0.790 | 6,442 | 88.5% |
| 168 | Life University Marietta, GA | $29,791 | 0.782 | 893 | 74.0% |
| 169 | University of Redlands Redlands, CA | $30,031 | 0.668 | 2,049 | 70.8% |
| 170 | California Lutheran University Thousand Oaks, CA | $30,109 | 0.692 | 2,296 | 66.1% |
| 171 | Wesleyan University Middletown, CT | $30,177 | 0.673 | 3,067 | 98.0% |
| 172 | University of Hartford West Hartford, CT | $30,282 | 0.675 | 4,146 | 70.9% |
| 173 | Saint Mary's College of California Moraga, CA | $30,378 | 0.732 | 1,947 | 77.6% |
| 174 | Queens University of Charlotte Charlotte, NC | $30,857 | 0.671 | 1,211 | 74.6% |
| 175 | Menlo College Atherton, CA | $31,100 | 0.801 | 752 | 100.0% |
| 176 | Lesley University Cambridge, MA | $31,152 | 0.720 | 1,122 | 71.2% |
| 177 | Hartwick College Oneonta, NY | $31,320 | 0.601 | 1,087 | 100.0% |
| 177 | Morningside University Sioux City, IA | $31,320 | 0.648 | 1,163 | 73.9% |
| 179 | Middlebury College Middlebury, VT | $31,483 | 0.662 | 2,738 | 98.6% |
| 180 | Biola University La Mirada, CA | $31,495 | 0.755 | 3,474 | 79.2% |
| 181 | Bryn Mawr College Bryn Mawr, PA | $31,759 | 0.695 | 1,359 | 94.5% |
| 182 | Macalester College Saint Paul, MN | $32,149 | 0.698 | 2,131 | 63.3% |
| 183 | MidAmerica Nazarene University Olathe, KS | $32,165 | 0.609 | 983 | 71.4% |
| 184 | Bethel College-North Newton North Newton, KS | $32,917 | 0.696 | 504 | 97.6% |
| 185 | Reed College Portland, OR | $33,013 | 0.621 | 1,320 | 84.5% |
| 186 | Pitzer College Claremont, CA | $34,191 | 0.724 | 1,227 | 81.0% |
| 187 | Seattle University Seattle, WA | $34,662 | 0.792 | 4,062 | 60.3% |
| 188 | Rollins College Winter Park, FL | $34,732 | 0.624 | 2,631 | 62.3% |
| 189 | Trinity College Hartford, CT | $34,832 | 0.618 | 2,146 | 89.9% |
| 190 | Pacific University Forest Grove, OR | $35,273 | 0.745 | 1,516 | 68.1% |
| 191 | Brandeis University Waltham, MA | $35,736 | 0.746 | 3,618 | 81.5% |
| 192 | Harvey Mudd College Claremont, CA | $35,924 | 0.820 | 921 | 99.7% |
| 193 | Culinary Institute of America Hyde Park, NY | $36,113 | 0.721 | 3,011 | 64.8% |
| 194 | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Troy, NY | $36,228 | 0.727 | 5,714 | 68.8% |
| 195 | Scripps College Claremont, CA | $36,294 | 0.660 | 1,113 | 97.7% |
| 196 | Franklin and Marshall College Lancaster, PA | $36,425 | 0.607 | 1,799 | 100.0% |
| 197 | Bentley University Waltham, MA | $37,930 | 0.670 | 4,474 | 74.9% |
| 198 | Occidental College Los Angeles, CA | $38,263 | 0.721 | 1,877 | 87.9% |
| 199 | Vassar College Poughkeepsie, NY | $39,343 | 0.663 | 2,444 | 99.6% |
| 200 | Babson College Wellesley, MA | $40,514 | 0.791 | 2,728 | 78.1% |
| 201 | Georgetown University Washington, DC | $40,815 | 0.730 | 7,569 | 72.6% |
| 202 | Pacific Union College Angwin, CA | $41,008 | 0.804 | 805 | 100.0% |
| 203 | Case Western Reserve University Cleveland, OH | $41,190 | 0.761 | 6,437 | 69.8% |
| 204 | American Musical and Dramatic Academy New York, NY | $41,416 | 0.808 | 1,438 | 97.8% |
| 205 | Maryland Institute College of Art Baltimore, MD | $42,729 | 0.812 | 1,189 | 83.9% |
| 206 | La Sierra University Riverside, CA | $45,566 | 0.665 | 1,116 | 76.2% |
| 207 | Emerson College Boston, MA | $49,180 | 0.654 | 3,870 | 66.6% |
| 208 | Rhode Island School of Design Providence, RI | $50,507 | 0.767 | 2,084 | 69.7% |
| 209 | Manhattan School of Music New York, NY | $51,754 | 0.725 | 539 | 97.8% |
| 210 | California College of the Arts San Francisco, CA | $53,909 | 0.795 | 990 | 73.9% |
| 211 | Ringling College of Art and Design Sarasota, FL | $57,742 | 0.737 | 1,662 | 76.5% |
| 212 | Pepperdine University Malibu, CA | $58,098 | 0.736 | 3,553 | 72.6% |
College rankings use publicly available data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and the IPEDS surveys (admissions, fall-enrollment residence & migration, and institutional characteristics). Editorial descriptions are illustrative. Figures reflect the most recent reporting year.