The 25 Most Desirable Small Schools

"Know thyself." That's Hamilton College's motto. Perched above the village of Clinton, New York, the so-called "college on the hill" gives its 1,812 undergraduates an unusual amount of freedom to pursue their academic goals. At Hamilton, No. 22 on Newsweek's list of most desirable small schools, there are no distribution requirements. Instead, faculty members help each student develop his or her own individualized academic program.   
 
The private liberal-arts school, which also came in at No. 18 on Newsweek's list of most desirable suburban schools, is an ideal place for the scholar-athlete. More than 30 percent of Hamilton students participate in sports, whether that's one of nearly 30 sports competing at the NCAA Division III level or one of 47 intramural sports that range from the traditional (golf and rugby) to the unconventional (Ultimate Frisbee and even the "streaking team," established in 2002), making it the 18th most athletic school on the list.