The 25 Most Desirable Rural Schools

Kenyon College’s 1,000-acre campus—situated on a hilltop in Gambier, Ohio, about 45 minutes from Columbus—includes a 380-acre nature preserve and was named by Forbes as one of the nation’s most beautiful college campuses. Newsweek ranks it 15 on its list of most desirable rural schools.

The private college calls itself “highly selective” and admits less than a third of students who apply, generally fewer than 500 freshmen per year. Those who do are academically accomplished, averaging a 32 on the ACTs and 1430 on the SATs. The liberal arts college offers 31 majors to roughly 1,600 students.

The school’s student-to-faculty ratio is 10:1 and Kenyon keeps class sizes small, typically only 15 students. “Our greatest strength is our faculty, outstanding scholars who place the highest value on teaching,” the school says. “Close interaction with students is the rule here: professors become mentors and friends.”