Resources › For Students and Parents The Best New England Colleges and Universities Share Flipboard Email Print Creating Your College Wish List Introduction Understanding the Different Kinds of Colleges 15 Things to Consider When Choosing a School Faculty to Student Ratio What Is a Liberal Arts College? The Pros and Cons of Big and Small Colleges The Most Selective Schools Most Selective Colleges and Universities The Top Universities Top Liberal Arts Colleges Top Public Liberal Arts Colleges Top Public Universities Ivy League Schools Best Schools by Major or Interest Top Engineering Schools Top Business Schools Top Art Schools Best Equestrian Colleges Top Colleges for Skiers Colleges and Universities for Beach Lovers Known for Something Special Top Historically Black Colleges and Universities Top Women's Colleges Best Catholic Colleges and Universities Best Colleges by Region Top West Coast Colleges and Universities Mid-Atlantic Colleges The Best Southeastern Colleges and Universities The Top 25 New England Colleges and Universities Top 30 Midwest Colleges 20 Great College Towns Great Schools for Mere Mortals Colleges for Students With Low SAT and ACT Scores Great Colleges for Students With 'B' Averages Test Optional Colleges Finalize Your College List How Many Colleges Should I Apply To? What Is a Reach School? What Is a Match School? What Is a Safety School? Barry Winiker / Getty Images By Allen Grove Allen Grove Facebook Twitter College Admissions Expert Ph.D., English, University of Pennsylvania M.A., English, University of Pennsylvania B.S., Materials Science & Engineering and Literature, MIT Dr. Allen Grove is an Alfred University English professor and a college admissions expert with over 20 years of experience helping students transition to college. Learn about our Editorial Process Updated on August 09, 2019 The New England region has some of the most selective and prestigious colleges and universities in the country. Harvard frequently ranks first or second among U.S. universities, and Williams and Amherst often vie for the top spot for liberal arts colleges. On the engineering front, MIT frequently sits at the top of the rankings. The colleges and universities ranked alphabetically below were chosen from Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont based on retention rates, graduation rates, student engagement, selectivity, and financial aid. Amherst College Allen Grove Location: Amherst, Massachusetts Enrollment: 1,849 (all undergraduate) Type of Institution: Private liberal arts college Distinctions: One of the top liberal arts colleges in the U.S.; one of the most selective colleges; member of the five-college consortium; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strengths in the liberal arts and sciences; excellent grant aid for qualifying students GPA, SAT and ACT graph for Amherst Babson College Location: Wellesley, Massachusetts Enrollment: 3,165 (2,283 undergraduates) Type of Institution: private business college Distinctions: Highly ranked undergraduate business program; innovative curriculum with emphasis on leadership and entrepreneurship skills; first-year students develop, launch and liquidate a for-profit business of their own design GPA, SAT and ACT graph for Babson Bates College Wentworth Washington / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0 Location: Lewiston, Maine Enrollment: 1,780 (all undergraduate) Type of Institution: private liberal arts college Distinctions: Test-optional admissions; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strengths in the liberal arts and sciences; highly ranked liberal arts college; popular study abroad programs; about 2/3 of students go on to graduate school; 10 to 1 student/faculty ratio Bentley University Bentley University Library. Fogster / Wikimedia Commons Location: Waltham, Massachusetts Enrollment: 5,506 (4,222 undergraduates) Type of Institution: private university with a business focus Distinctions: Highly ranked business school; 12 to 1 student/faculty ratio; average class size of 24; business curriculum has a liberal arts core; curricular emphasis on ethics, social responsibility, and global culture GPA, SAT and ACT graph for Bentley Boston College Boston College St. Ignatius Church. John.Workman / Flickr Location: Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts Enrollment: 14,466 (9,870 undergraduates) Type of Institution: private Catholic university Distinctions: One of the top Catholic universities; largest endowment of any Jesuit university; strong undergraduate business program; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strengths in the liberal arts and sciences; member of the NCAA Division 1-A Atlantic Coast Conference Bowdoin College Bowdoin College. sglickman / Flickr Location: Brunswick, MaineEnrollment: 1,806 (all undergraduate)Type of Institution: private liberal arts collegeDistinctions: Loan-free financial aid; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strong liberal arts and sciences; beautiful; highly selective admissions; interesting mix of historic and state-of-the-art buildings; 118-acre Coastal Studies Center on Orr's Island Brandeis University Brandeis University. Mike Lovett / Wikipedia Commons Location: Waltham, Massachusetts Enrollment: 5,729 (3,608 undergraduates) Type of Institution: private university Distinctions: 10 to 1 student/faculty ratio; member of the Association of American Universities for strong research programs; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strong liberal arts and sciences; easy access to Boston GPA, SAT and ACT graph for Brandeis Brown University Brown University. Photo Credit: Allen Grove Location: Providence, Rhode Island Enrollment: 9,781 (6,926 undergraduates) Type of Institution: private university Distinctions: Member of the Ivy League; open curriculum allows students to plan their own plans of study; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strong liberal arts and sciences; member of the Association of American Universities for strong research programs; one of the country's top universities Coast Guard Academy United States Coast Guard Academy. uscgpress / Flickr Location: New London, Connecticut Enrollment: 1,047 (all undergraduate) Type of Institution: federal service academy (military) Distinctions: 8 to 1 student/faculty ratio; 80% of graduates go on to graduate school; free, but students have a five-year service commitment; merit-based admissions (no congressional nomination required); low acceptance rate Colby College Miller LIbrary at Colby College. Colby Mariam / Wikimedia Commons Location: Waterville, Maine Enrollment: 1,879 (all undergraduate) Type of Institution: private liberal arts college Distinctions: 10 to 1 student/faculty ratio; attractive 714-acre campus with a 128-acre arboretum; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strengths in the liberal arts and sciences; strong environmental and global initiatives; NCAA Division I ski teams GPA, SAT and ACT graph for Colby Connecticut College Connecticut College. randomduck / Flickr Location: New London, Connecticut Enrollment: 1,865 (all undergraduates) Type of Institution: private liberal arts college Distinctions: 9 to 1 student/faculty ratio; average class size of 18; attractive waterfront campus adjacent to the U.S. Coast Guard Academy; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strong liberal arts and sciences; test-optional admissions GPA, SAT and ACT graph for Connecticut College Dartmouth College Dartmouth Hall at Dartmouth University. Photo Credit: Allen Grove Location: Hanover, New Hampshire Enrollment: 6,409 (4,310 undergraduates) Type of Institution: private university Explore Campus: Dartmouth College photo tour Distinctions: Smallest member of the Ivy League; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strong liberal arts and sciences; attractive 269-acre campus with a mix of historic and modern buildings; home to the Hood Museum of Art and Hopkins Center for the Arts; active athletic programs; strong study abroad initiatives Harvard University Harvard University Memorial Hall. timsackton / Flickr Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts Enrollment: 29,908 (9,915 undergraduates) Type of Institution: private university Explore the Campus: Harvard University photo tour Distinctions: Most selective university in the country; member of the Ivy League; largest endowment of any university; member of the Association of American Universities for strong research programs; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strengths in the liberal arts and sciences; excellent financial aid for families with modest income Holy Cross, College of the College of the Holy Cross. Joe Campbell / Flickr Location: Worcester, Massachusetts Enrollment: 2,720 (all undergraduate) Type of Institution: private Catholic liberal arts college Distinctions: 10 to 1 student/faculty ratio; one of the country's top Catholic colleges; oldest Catholic college in New England; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strengths in the liberal arts and sciences; member of the NCAA Division I Patriot League GPA, SAT and ACT graph for Holy Cross Massachusetts Institute of Technology MIT Great Dome. Dan4th / Flickr Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts Enrollment: 11,376 (4,524 undergraduates) Type of Institution: private university (engineering and science focus) Distinctions: Often ranked #1 among top engineering schools; home to one of the nation's top business schools; stunning location overlooking the Boston skyline; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strengths in the liberal arts and sciences; membership in the Association of American Universities for strong research programs Middlebury College Middlebury College Campus. Alan Levine / Flickr Location: Middlebury, Vermont Enrollment: 2,549 (2,523 undergraduates) Type of Institution: private liberal arts college Distinctions: One of the country's top liberal arts colleges; 8 to 1 student/faculty ratio; average class size of 16; excellent language programs and study-abroad program; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strong liberal arts and sciences; attractive campus in a scenic New England town GPA, SAT and ACT graph for Middlebury Olin College of Engineering Olin College. Paul Keleher / Flickr Location: Needham, Massachusetts Enrollment: 378 (all undergraduate) Type of Institution: engineering school Distinctions: One of the top undergraduate engineering colleges; generous financial aid—all students receive an Olin Scholarship; project-based, hands-on, student-centered curriculum; 8 to 1 student/faculty ratio; small school with lots of student-faculty interaction GPA, SAT and ACT graph for Olin Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) Rhode Island School of Design. spablab / Flickr Location: Providence, Rhode IslandEnrollment: 2,477 (1,999 undergraduates)Type of Institution: school of art and designDistinctions: One of the country's top art schools; studio-based curriculum; strong job placement rate; home to the RISD Museum; portfolio-centered admissions process; dual degree program with neighboring Brown University Smith College Seelye Hall at Smith College. Allen Grove Location: Northampton, Massachusetts Enrollment: 2,896 (2,514 undergraduates) Type of Institution: private women's liberal arts college Distinctions: One of the country's top women's colleges; member of the five college consortium; 9 to 1 student/faculty ratio; home to the 12,000 square foot Lyman Conservatory and the Botanic Garden with about 10,000 different plant species; one of the "Seven Sisters" GPA, SAT and ACT graph for Smith Trinity College Trinity College. Photo Credit: Allen Grove Location: Hartford, Connecticut Enrollment: 2,350 (2,259 undergraduates) Type of Institution: private liberal arts college Distinctions: 10 to 1 student/faculty ratio; strong initiatives for study abroad, community service and internships; 100 student organizations including an active Greek system; home to one of the country's oldest chapters of the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society GPA, SAT and ACT graph for Trinity Tufts University Olin Center at Tufts University. Photo Credit: Marisa Benjamin Location: Medford, MassachusettsEnrollment: 11,489 (5,508 undergraduates)Type of Institution: private universityDistinctions: 9 to 1 student/faculty ratio; attractive campus with easy access to Boston; broad academic options; high marks for student happiness and study abroad; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strengths in the liberal arts and sciences Wellesley College Schneider Center at Wellesley College. Daderot / Wikimedia Commons Location: Wellesley, Massachusetts Enrollment: 2,482 (all undergraduate) Type of Institution: private women's liberal arts college Explore the Campus: Wellesley College photo tour Distinctions: One of the top 10 liberal arts colleges; often ranked #1 among top women's colleges; 7 to 1 student/faculty ratio; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strong liberal arts and sciences; academic exchange programs with Harvard and M.I.T.; attractive lakeside campus GPA, SAT and ACT graph for Wellesley Wesleyan University Wesleyan University Library. Photo Credit: Allen Grove Location: Middletown, Connecticut Enrollment: 3,206 (2,971 undergraduates) Type of Institution: private liberal arts college Distinctions: 8 to 1 student/faculty ratio; one of the country's top liberal arts college; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strong liberal arts and sciences; over 200 student organizations; 47 major fields of study; 29 NCAA Division III varsity teams GPA, SAT and ACT graph for Wesleyan Williams College Williams College. Photo Credit: Allen Grove Location: Williamstown, Massachusetts Enrollment: 2,150 (2,093 undergraduates) Type of Institution: private liberal arts colleges Distinctions: often first or second in national rankings of the best liberal arts colleges; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strong liberal arts and sciences; 7 to 1 student/faculty ratio; endowment well over $1 billion; students enrolled in more than 150 off-campus study programs; 32 varsity athletic teams Yale University Yale University. Photo Credit: Allen Grove Location: New Haven, ConnecticutEnrollment: 12,458 (5,472 undergraduates)Type of Institution: private universityDistinctions: 6 to 1 student/faculty ratio; highly ranked among the nation's top universities; member of the Ivy League; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strong liberal arts and sciences; membership in the Association of American Universities for strong research programs; endowment over $16 billion; 35 varsity athletic teams Cite this Article Format mla apa chicago Your Citation Grove, Allen. "The Best New England Colleges and Universities." ThoughtCo, Apr. 5, 2023, thoughtco.com/top-new-england-colleges-and-universities-788284. Grove, Allen. (2023, April 5). The Best New England Colleges and Universities. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/top-new-england-colleges-and-universities-788284 Grove, Allen. "The Best New England Colleges and Universities." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/top-new-england-colleges-and-universities-788284 (accessed June 4, 2023). copy citation