You might be interested in going to a small college, but just how small is "small," exactly? In general, schools that are considered "small" have fewer than 5,000 students in total. However, quite a few schools are actually less than 1/10 that size!
In this article I'll describe the characteristics of small colleges and then provide a list of the smallest colleges in the nation by category. That way you can decide if going to a small school really is the right decision for you.
List of the Smallest Colleges in the US
These are the smallest four-year, non-profit colleges in the nation sorted by type and enrollment number. This list includes schools with fewer than 500 students but more than 50 students because colleges with fewer than 50 students are extremely rare and not relevant to enough students to merit inclusion.
All enrollment data is from the National Center for Education Statistics.
Smallest Arts Colleges
College | Enrollment |
Compass College of Cinematic Arts | 72 |
VanderCook College of Music | 82 |
American College of the Building Arts | 93 |
Curtis Institute of Music | 113 |
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts | 135 |
American Academy of Art | 169 |
Art Academy of Cincinnati | 227 |
Cleveland Institute of Music | 234 |
Pennsylvania College of Art and Design | 242 |
San Francisco Conservatory of Music | 243 |
Johns Hopkins University—Peabody Conservatory of Music | 265 |
School of the Museum of Fine Arts | 278 |
New Hampshire Institute of Art | 282 |
New York School of Interior Design | 349 |
Montserrat College of Art | 362 |
Moore College of Art and Design | 365 |
Maine College of Art | 380 |
New England Conservatory of Music | 404 |
Pacific Northwest College of Art | 445 |
New York School of Interior Design | 456 |
Cornish College of the Arts | 482 |
Juilliard School | 486 |
Manhattan School of Music | 497 |
Smallest Religious Colleges
For this list, I've focused on colleges that primarily identify as seminaries or Bible colleges. Also, I've excluded religious colleges that only train religious professionals because they are too specialized for most people.
College | Enrollment |
Yeshivas Be'er Yitzchok | 57 |
Bais HaMedrash and Mesivta of Baltimore | 60 |
Yeshiva of the Telshe Alumni | 75 |
Yeshiva Shaarei Torah of Rockland | 90 |
Yeshiva Derech Chaim | 91 |
Ohr Hameir Theological Seminary | 92 |
Yeshivas Emek Hatorah | 95 |
Beth Hamedrash Shaarei Yosher Institute | 97 |
Rabbinical College Ohr Yisroel | 115 |
Yeshiva Karlin Stolin | 132 |
Talmudical Yeshiva of Philadelphia | 132 |
Sterling College | 139 |
Kuyper College | 140 |
Simmons College of Kentucky | 140 |
Faith International University | 142 |
Women's Institute of Torah Seminary and College | 147 |
Bais Medrash Toras Chesed | 150 |
Trinity Bible College and Graduate School | 151 |
Rabbinical College of Long Island | 160 |
Grace School of Theology | 163 |
Sh'or Yoshuv Rabbinical College | 178 |
Hebrew Theological College | 181 |
Yeshiva Gedolah Imrei Yosef D'spinka | 187 |
Baptist Bible College | 202 |
Baptist Bible College | 202 |
Yeshiva Toras Chaim | 218 |
Luther Rice College & Seminary | 221 |
Appalachian Bible College | 221 |
South Florida Bible College and Theological Seminary | 243 |
Rabbinical College of America | 249 |
Sacred Heart Major Seminary | 253 |
Northpoint Bible College | 258 |
Rabbinical Seminary of America | 281 |
Ner Israel Rabbinical College | 305 |
Gods Bible School and College | 314 |
Talmudical Seminary Oholei Torah | 331 |
Multnomah University | 336 |
Mesivta Torah Vodaath Rabbinical Seminary | 364 |
Rabbinical College Bobover Yeshiva Bnei Zion | 379 |
SUM Bible College and Theological Seminary | 417 |
Talmudical Seminary of Bobov | 423 |
College of Biblical Studies-Houston | 431 |
Faith Baptist Bible College and Theological Seminary | 432 |
Yeshiva of Machzikai Hadas | 457 |
San Diego Christian College | 460 |
Christendom College | 493 |
Smallest Engineering, Medical, and Other Professional Colleges
College | Enrollment |
Northwestern Polytechnic University | 52 |
Lincoln University | 98 |
Webb Institute | 102 |
Rush University | 110 |
Columbia College of Nursing | 116 |
St. John's College | 119 |
Lakeview College of Nursing | 148 |
Bastyr University | 169 |
Northwestern Health Sciences University | 175 |
Trinity College of Nursing and Health | 178 |
California Northstate University College of Health Sciences | 179 |
Logan University | 179 |
Saint Anthony College of Nursing | 210 |
Southern California Institute of Architecture | 235 |
Charles R Drew University of Medicine and Science | 249 |
University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis | 286 |
St. Francis Medical Center College of Nursing | 320 |
Boston Architectural College | 336 |
Allen College | 338 |
Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering | 347 |
Capitol Technology University | 361 |
Bellin College | 381 |
Roseman University of Health Sciences | 385 |
Capitol Technology University | 391 |
Cabarrus College of Health Sciences | 437 |
Pacific Oaks College | 476 |
Harrisburg University of Science and Technology | 478 |
Saint Luke's College of Health Sciences | 490 |
Touro University Worldwide | 497 |
Smallest Liberal Arts Colleges
College | Enrollment |
American Baptist College | 55 |
Allegheny Wesleyan College | 67 |
Divine Word College | 69 |
Heritage Christian University | 70 |
Magdalen College | 71 |
Cleveland University-Kansas City | 78 |
Davis College | 79 |
Thomas More College of Liberal Arts | 80 |
Lincoln University | 88 |
Grace Mission University | 88 |
Trinity International University-Florida | 100 |
Webb Institute | 101 |
Oak Hills Christian College | 103 |
University of the West | 114 |
Antioch College | 116 |
Baptist University of the Americas | 117 |
Marlboro College | 142 |
Goddard College | 155 |
New Saint Andrews College | 157 |
Criswell College | 158 |
Johnson University Florida | 160 |
Barclay College | 166 |
Great Lakes Christian College | 169 |
Martin University | 170 |
Manhattan Christian College | 170 |
Paine College | 189 |
Crowley's Ridge College | 192 |
Ecclesia College | 192 |
Trinity College of Florida | 214 |
Judson College | 229 |
Bennett College | 232 |
University of Saint Katherine | 238 |
Ohio Valley University | 253 |
Sierra Nevada University | 274 |
Bethesda University | 285 |
Randall University | 295 |
Lincoln Christian University | 308 |
Alaska Pacific University | 312 |
Bethany Global University | 313 |
The King's University | 319 |
Naropa University | 320 |
Bacone College | 321 |
Welch College | 335 |
Multnomah University | 336 |
Principia College | 340 |
Patrick Henry College | 340 |
Beulah Heights University | 344 |
Trinity Baptist College | 351 |
Sweet Briar College | 356 |
Wells College | 357 |
Urshan College | 365 |
College of the Atlantic | 366 |
Voorhees College | 368 |
University of the Southwest | 370 |
Allen College | 374 |
Calvary University | 376 |
North American University | 386 |
The Baptist College of Florida | 390 |
Soka University of America | 392 |
Morris College | 395 |
Finlandia University | 402 |
East-West University | 419 |
Prescott College | 422 |
Beacon College | 427 |
Wilberforce University | 439 |
The King's College | 442 |
Stephens College | 443 |
Carolina University | 443 |
York College | 457 |
Southwestern Christian University | 458 |
Thomas Aquinas College | 462 |
San Diego Christian College | 464 |
Warner Pacific University | 464 |
Paul Quinn College | 468 |
Bellin College | 471 |
Rosemont College | 480 |
Bethel College-North Newton | 484 |
Life Pacific University | 490 |
Salem College | 492 |
University of Valley Forge | 495 |

Why Are These Schools So Small? 3 Big Reasons
It might seem unorthodox for the enrollment of an entire college to be the same size as your high school class (or even smaller!). Though definitely uncommon, these schools usually have a solid rationale for keeping their student bodies so tiny. There are three major reasons these colleges are particularly small
Reason #1: Extremely Specialized Curriculum
Often, small colleges have a very specialized curriculum that caters to a narrow demographic of students. Many of the smallest colleges are religiously affiliated, specialized art schools, or professional schools.
The smallest liberal arts colleges usually have a curriculum that emphasizes unique modes of learning. For example, some of these schools have a "Great Books" curriculum, meaning that all students must read a collection of classic texts as part of the college's universal academic requirements. If you're looking for an outside-the-box college experience, then a small school could be a perfect choice for you.
Reason #2: Spin-Offs of Larger Universities
Some of these schools were once part of larger universities and then branched off to form their own communities. Sometimes this happens when a university system shrinks. Smaller schools that were once affiliated with the flagship university have the option to become independently-functioning entities.
This can also happen if a school no longer fits with the larger campus. They may have developed new types of classes, or perhaps they want to serve a different portion of the student population.
Regardless of the reason why, this legacy goes along with small schools' tendency to be more specialized and attract a much smaller group of prospective students.
Reason #3: Dedication to Personalizing the Academic Experience
Small schools are often committed to restricting class sizes in order to give each student individualized attention. Often, students can design their own curricula and access a level of guidance and support from professors and advisors that's unheard of at larger institutions. At small universities, students frequently collaborate with professors and are asked to give self-evaluations.
Tiny schools treat the college experience as an evolving dialogue between students, their teachers, and their communities. This enables them to focus less on grades and more on learning as an ongoing interactive process. In fact, some small schools don't assign course grades at all!
Small colleges tend to be unique...which means that each student will have a unique collegiate experience, too!
What Is the Tiny College Experience Like?
So you can get a sense of what the smallest schools are actually like, I've compiled a few student testimonials that provide perspective on the pros and cons of attending these colleges.
Thomas Aquinas College
"They create an academic bubble of seclusion, quite literally." (Source)
"The rules are a bit extreme, and never think that someone is not watching. At a school this small, everything gets out in the open." (Source)
"I admit that this school does wonders with the mind. Thomas Aquinas delves into critical thinking and reading beyond the text." (Source)
Thomas Aquinas College, Santa Paula California (Harold Litwiler/Flickr)
Marlboro College
"Marlboro is the best place for independent students who want to take a serious role in the pursuit of their education." (Source)
"Marlboro does not have class requirements, [so] each student creates a course of study based on their interests and aspirations." (Source)
"Marlboro College classes expect serious work ethic. Class sizes are small, so sleeping in and missing your 8 AM is not an option if you think your professor won't notice." (Source)
Marlboro College
New York School of Interior Design
"It's a good school but small. The classes get canceled sometimes because of under-attendance. Tuition is too high!" (Source)
"NYSID offers a lot of opportunities outside of class for students, but they don't have a better way of connecting with students outside of emails. Focusing a career in interior design, my favorite experiences have happened outside of the classroom, being involved in organizations such as the Contract Club and IIDA Representative. These experiences have proved invaluable in networking and meeting professionals in my field." (Source)
As you can see from all of these school quotes, the smallest colleges are often limited in their housing and dining options and campus activities.
However, they might be the right fit for students who are interested in a specific academic field or mode of learning. One benefit you can count on is a close bond with professors and other students.
What's Next?
If you're just starting your college search, you might not be sure whether a big or small college is the best choice for you. Learn about the major differences between the two.
Another factor to consider in the college search process is location. Do you want to stay close to home or start over somewhere new? Read this article to find out if a college close to home is the right choice for you.
For more advice on how to conduct your college search, read my guide on how to choose the best college for you and my review of the top 10 college search websites.
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Samantha is a blog content writer for PrepScholar. Her goal is to help students adopt a less stressful view of standardized testing and other academic challenges through her articles. Samantha is also passionate about art and graduated with honors from Dartmouth College as a Studio Art major in 2014. In high school, she earned a 2400 on the SAT, 5's on all seven of her AP tests, and was named a National Merit Scholar.