The 10 Best U.S. Colleges and Universities by State

The 10 Best U.S. Colleges and Universities by State

The Top Four-Year College and the Top University in Each State

What are the best colleges and universities in America considered geographically by state? In this ranking we present the best four-year liberal arts college and the best full-fledged university in each of America’s 50 states.

Most rankings of colleges and universities are top-heavy with schools from the East Coast (the Ivy League, MIT, etc.), California (Stanford, Cal Berkeley, etc.), and a few schools scattered throughout the rest of the country (University of Chicago, Vanderbilt, etc.).

In this ranking, we make geographical diversity our main focus, looking alas for the best education offered in each state, from Alabama to Wyoming.

Our criteria for putting a school on this list include the reputation of the school and its faculty, its dedication to a broad liberal arts education, its accreditation, and its overall academic caliber compared to other institutions of the same type within the same state.

Hillsdale CollegeSome states have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to institutions of higher learning (such as Massachusetts and California). In those cases, our job was not easy. Where two institutions were dominant—one primarily oriented towards the liberal arts and the other towards science and engineering—we went with the liberal arts school as offering a broader range of excellence across the curriculum (hence Harvard over MIT).

The result is a unique list of schools, two from each state, one a full-fledged research university, the other a college focused on undergraduate education. We believe this list identifies the very best that higher education has to offer across the length and breadth of this great land.

ALABAMA

Auburn UniversityAuburn University (Auburn, AL)

Established in 1856, Auburn University went through four names changes before settling on its current and longest-lasting title.

This public university sits on a sprawling 1,800-acre campus, complete with abundant student housing, dining, health services, counseling, and recreational facilities, among other amenities such as the 300 student-led organizations that meet on campus. Jordan-Hare Stadium, where the Auburn Tigers and mascot Aubie dominate the football field, is also located on campus.

While the school was originally focused on mainly agriculture and the arts, it now offers over 140 majors for students to choose from, 38 in the College of Liberal Arts alone. The university boasts a thriving student body of over 25,000 students and 1,200 faculty members. These numbers make it one of the largest universities in the state of Alabama.

Accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, auburn is considered one of the best, yet least-expensive, universities in the southeastern United States.

Spring Hill CollegeSpring Hill College (Mobile, AL)

Spring Hill College is one of the oldest Roman Catholic universities in the southeastern U.S. Founded by the Jesuit order and located in Mobile, Alabama, this small liberal arts college was established in 1830, making it the fifth-oldest Catholic college in the country.

Spring Hill College currently offers 49 majors spread out over several Schools. These Schools include Business, Communication Arts, English, Fine and Performing Arts, Foreign Languages, Interdivisional Studies, Nursing, Philosophy and Theology, Sciences, Social Sciences, and Teacher Education.

Situated on 400 acres in Mobile’s scenic Spring Hill neighborhood, the college has enough housing for all undergraduates to have a guaranteed room on campus for the entirety of their undergraduate career. The school currently employs 72 faculty members, who teach a student body comprising approximately 1,300 students. The college takes pride in its small class sizes—which average 16 students per class—and its 12-to-one student-to-faculty ratio.

While the student body may be small, they are spirited and active in clubs and activities of all kinds. There are more than 50 affiliated student-led organizations, including but not limited to fraternities, sororities, academic clubs, ministries, and athletic clubs.

Like Auburn University, Spring Hill College is also accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

ALASKA

University of Alaska AnchorageUniversity of Alaska Anchorage (Anchorage, AK)

The University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) is Alaska’s largest higher education institution and is appropriately located in the state’s largest city, Anchorage.

UAA opened in 1954 as a community college, and began offering some upper-division courses in 1969. In 1976, UAA made the leap to a full-fledged university, offering the complete gamut of lower and upper division courses.

Despite its humble beginnings, UAA is now home to over 17,000 students, who are divided among UAA’s six teaching units or colleges. These colleges include Education, Health and Social Welfare, Arts and Sciences, Business and Public Policy, Engineering and the Community, and a technical college.

The campus itself is situated among some of Alaska’s most beautiful backdrops, surrounded by lakes and integrated into an intricate city-wide system of trails while still remaining a part of the local urban landscape.

The University of Alaska at Anchorage is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.

Alaska-Pacific-UniversityAlaska Pacific University (Anchorage, AK)

Established in 1960, just one year after Alaska officially joined the United States, Alaska Pacific University (APU) is a liberal arts school specializing in four-year degrees.

Located in the U-Med District of Anchorage, APU’s 174-acre campus is home to 550 students. The school boasts several different unconventional study programs, which allow students more freedom to choose how to approach their education.

APU focuses on small class sizes and an active, kinetic learning environment. This learning method teaches the skills needed to succeed both in the workplace and in life. The academic programs include the Schools of Education, Environment Science, Liberal Studies, Outdoor Studies, Psychology, and Human Services.

APU’s School of Liberal Studies offers concentrations in literature, philosophy, pre-law, pre-med, religious studies, and writing. The campus also contains the recently renovated Mosley Sports Center, and the world-renowned Nordic Ski Club.

Alaska Pacific University is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.

ARIZONA

University of ArizonaUniversity of Arizona (Tucson, AZ)

The University of Arizona (UA), which first opened its doors in 1885 (30 years before Arizona was even recognized as a state!), has evolved over the years into a first-class—indeed world-renowned—public research university.

The founders bravely decided to break ground on the 380-acre campus in what was essentially the middle of the desert. Today, the UA campus is a part of a flourishing urban city-center. The university now boasts a student body approaching 40,000 students and employs a faculty of 2,500 people.

UA currently offers 334 fields of study organized into 17 different colleges, including the Colleges of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Architecture, Planning and Landscape, Education, Engineering, Fine Arts, Humanities, Medicine, Nursing, Optical Sciences, Pharmacy, Science, Social and Behavioral Studies, Letters, Art, and Sciences, Public Health,Law, and Management. The university also has an additional college of medicine, which is located at their Phoenix campus.

Campus life at UA is bursting with possibilities. With a breathtaking 718 active recognized clubs, from sports to the most arcane academic subjects, making friends with other students who share your interests is easy. In fact, the campus is practically a city in and of itself.

The University of Arizona is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission’s North Central Association.

Prescott CollegePrescott College (Prescott, AZ)

Founded in 1966, Prescott College is a liberal arts college located in Prescott, between Phoenix and Flagstaff. The 200-acre campus is perched in Arizona’s central highlands surrounded by a variety of landscapes, including striking mountain ranges, flat desert plains, and abundant forests.

Prescott College is a non-profit organization with a mission statement encompassing liberal arts, the environment, and social justice. They strive to provide programs that are integral to the community of Prescott and allow students to act as participants in the city surrounding their college, while serving the ever-expanding global community. The school’s current student body is approximate;y 1,200 students, which translates into an impressive seven-to-one student-to-faculty ratio—a number that really sets Prescott College apart, even from most other small liberal arts colleges.

The college currently offers programs in arts, creative writing, environmental studies, and interdisciplinary arts and letters. First-year students are given the opportunity to live in the Village, a new sustainable, LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) platinum-certified complex. Upper classmen live with other students in off-campus housing.

Prescott College is accredited by the North Central Association of the Higher Learning Commission. Additionally, all the programs offered are accredited by the Association for Experiential Education.

ARKANSAS

 University of ArkansasUniversity of Arkansas (Fayetteville, AR)

The University of Arkansas opened its doors in 1871, just years after the American Civil War left the South devastated, making it the first public university in the state. The 412-acre campus, located in the city of Fayetteville, is perched on a hill overlooking the iconic Ozark Mountains.

The university offers degrees in 214 areas of study and is considered one of the 50 best public universities in the US. The Fullbright College of Arts and Letters encompasses 19 different departments and upwards of 30 programs. It is the most diverse in its offerings of all the Colleges that comprise the university.

The University of Arkansas’s current enrollment is approximately 25,000 students, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 19-to-one, an impressive feat for a university of this size! Campus life is lively. Greek life is in full swing among the 41 fraternities and sororities.

The school’s athletic teams, the Razorbacks—often affectionately referred to as the Hogs—are major competitors in the college football and basketball scene on a regular basis. In fact, no other school in the Southeastern Conference of the NCCA has won more championships. The marching band is known for their intricate half-time routines.

The University of Arkansas is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

Hendrix CollegeHendrix College (Conway, AR)

Hendrix College is a private liberal art college that is affiliated with the United Methodist Church, but teaches a secular curriculum. The four-year private college, which opened in 1876, is located in Conway, just 30 minutes from the state capital of Little Rock.

The current student body consists of 1,432 students and employs a faculty of 126 academic staff members. Despite the small size of the student body, diversity is an integral part of the campus dynamic. Students hail from 43 of the 50 states and represent 14 foreign counties.

The average class is comprised of only 17 students. Considered one of the best liberal art colleges in the country, admission is competitive. Incoming freshmen frequently have a grade point average (GPA) exceeding 4.0!

Hendrix College hosts a variety of sports teams, including uncommon options such as field hockey and lacrosse, but if you are looking to join a fraternity, this is not the college for you. The school has no established fraternities or sororities. Despite the lack of a Greek system, campus social life is robust—the school has 65 active clubs and student organizations.

Hendrix College is accredited by North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools.

CALIFORNIA

Stanford UniversityStanford University (Stanford, CA)

Stanford University, officially entitled Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university located in the Silicon Valley between San Francisco and San Jose. Founded in 1891, the university was established as a coeducational school with no denominational affiliations, which was rare at the time.

The rambling, 8,100-acre campus is located in suburban Stanford, and is a perfect mix of manicured lawns and unhampered vistas. Seeing that the current student body comprises 15,877 souls, each student theoretically has nearly half an acre all to him- or herself!

Speaking of the student body, unlike most of the colleges and universities on this list, Stanford is composed of more graduate students than undergraduates. This academic year’s enrollment included 8,897 of the former and only 6,980 of the latter. Stanford also boasts one of the most impressive faculty-to student-ratios in the county, with just five students to each faculty member.

The campus has over eighty different housing facilities to match the needs of the students. Last year 97 percent of undergraduates and 57 percent of graduate students lived on campus. There are also more than 650 student groups and 35 recognized religious groups to meet each student’s social and spiritual needs.

Stanford University is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Senior Colleges and Universities of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.

Harvey-Mudd-CollegeHarvey Mudd College (Claremont, CA)

Founded in 1955, Harvey Mudd College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college focusing on engineering, science, and mathematics.

Purposely small at only 44.5 acres in suburban Claremont (about halfway between Pasadena and San Bernardino), and with between 700 and 800 students enrolled at any given time, the school is very selective. As a result, those admitted will reap the benefits of a nine-to-one student-to-faculty ratio.

Harvey Mudd College is a part of the Claremont University Consortium. This consortium is comprised of Harvey Mudd, four other colleges and two graduate institutions—respectively, Claremont McKenna College, Pitzer College, Pomona College, Scripps College, Claremont Graduate University, and Keck Graduate Institute for Applied Life Science. These colleges and universities remain autonomous, but allow their students to reap the benefits of the varied classes and amenities available at the affiliated campuses.

Harvey Mudd College offers degrees in biology, chemistry, computer science, engineering, mathematics, and physics. It also offers a number of joint or double major programs, for example pairing chemistry with biology, computer science with mathematics, and mathematics with biology.

Harvey Mudd College is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.

Source : https://thebestschools.org