The 25 Most Desirable Small Schools

Swarthmore College's numerous accolades belie its small size, as the private college, located just outside of Philadelphia, appeared on several of Newsweek's "best of" lists, ranking eighth among small schools, ninth among suburban schools, and fifth among schools for brainiacs.  With women slightly outnumbering men and more than a third of its student body represented by ethnic minorities, Swarthmore is the fourth most diverse school on Newsweek's list. If that weren't enough, the school was also ranked by Newsweek as the 16th on the best of the gay-friendly schools in the country and the 21st most desirable school overall.  
 
It's clear why: For academics, the college claims that 87 percent of its students ranked in the top 10 percent at their high schools, averaging 33 on the ACT and 1520 on the SAT. For those seeking an intimate setting, Swarthmore's 399-acre campus is home to fewer than 1,500 undergrads and its 7:1 student-to-faculty ratio keeps class sizes small.  
 
If that weren't enough to attract students, its $1 billion endowment gives the college the 14th largest per-student endowment among all U.S. colleges and universities, affording Swarthmore the opportunity to admit students regardless of their financial need. No surprise it's a competitive school, accepting only 16 percent of applicants.