The 25 Most Desirable Small Schools

Though Davidson College is a small liberal arts college with only 1,700 students (It's No. 14 on Newsweek's Most Desirable Small Schools list), it is also a Division I NCAA school that offers its students 35 intramural sports and 17 varsity teams, making it among the 30 best colleges for jocks.
 
However, academics are as important as athletics at Davidson, where the average student scored a 32 on the ACT and 1458 on the SAT, and only 26 percent of applicants get the chance to become a Wildcat. The college claims 23 Rhodes Scholars and regularly appears as one of the top ten liberal arts colleges, as ranked by U.S. News and World Report. Davidson's smart and sporty students also make time for the community as evidenced by the college's ranking as the 16th most service-minded school on Newsweek's list.*    
 
Davidson College was the first liberal arts school to favor grants over loans in all of its financial aid packages, enabling students to graduate without the onus of student loans. Established in 1837, the school is situated 20 minutes north of Charlotte, North Carolina, making it the 12th most desirable suburban institution.
 
For the complete college rankings from the Washington Monthly, visit their website at www.washingtonmonthly.com.