The 25 Most Desirable Small Schools

Sometimes referred to simply by its initials, CC, Colorado College (No. 21 on Newsweek's list of most desirable small schools) attracts around 2,000 undergraduates every year, who pursue a liberal arts degree through its unconventional "block plan." Instead of dividing its academic year into the more traditional quarter or semester structure, each year is divided into eight blocks--plus an optional half block. Through the block system, students focus on only one class during each three-and-a-half-weeks block, instead of taking several classes at once.  
 
The school, which opened in 1874, is selective (it accepts roughly a quarter of its applicants) and caters to bright students (entrants average a 32 on the ACT and 1400 on the SAT).
 
Sitting in the shadows of the Rocky Mountains, Colorado College's 90-acre campus lies in the heart of Colorado Springs, which plants it at No. 19 on Newsweek's Most Desirable Urban Schools list.