The 25 Most Desirable Small Schools

With eight percent of its students Asian, five percent African-American, six percent Hispanic and 11 percent hailing from 50 countries outside of the U.S., Grinnell College--located in a town bearing its name in Iowa--is far more diverse than its home state, which is 94 percent white, according to U.S. Census information. That helps place Grinnell College 19th on Newsweek's list of most diverse schools in the country. Its 1,500-strong student body, 8:1 student-to-faculty ratio and academically stringent curricula, meanwhile, put the school among the 25 best small colleges in the country and No. 14 on the Most Desirable Small Schools list.
 
Founded in 1846, the liberal arts college is no stranger to "best of" roundups, having gained praise from U.S. News & World Report and the Princeton Review in addition to being named the "Best All-Around" college by Newsweek magazine in 2004.  
 
The school accepts 43 percent of its applicants and, on average, students earned a 32 on the ACTs and 1450 on the SATs.