By V. Peter Pitts, M.A. 9/17/2023
Does this sound familiar? “My son has a 2.9 and less than 1,100 on the SAT. We can afford no more than mid to upper 20’s per year for his college. He wants a small private college. Are there options? Where should he look?”
Here is an updated list of colleges for these parents to check out. These 175 colleges all (on average after merit aid) cost most families upper $20K’s or less (average is about $26K). These colleges admit (on average) 81% of their applicants. Most of these admit 10-20% of their freshmen with less than a 3.0. They are all test optional (but, for those who do submit test scores, 25% of their freshmen have less than 1100 SAT/22 ACT).
Don’t give up on small private colleges. Why? Because these small private college will not give up on you! They can give your student just the boost they need at a price that you can afford. In my 42 year admissions career at Monmouth College in Illinois, some of my favorite students had lower GPA’s or test scores from high school, but then blossomed in college. They are now lawyers, teachers. doctors, business managers, social workers, or successful in any of a myriad of successful careers. True confession: I had less than a 2.9 in high school and, with the help of some awesome professors, eventually figured things out. I graduated with my Masters and a 3.6 GPA. With the exception of my Masters (U of Iowa), all my education was small colleges. Mount Saint Clare A.A. (200 students), Wartburg College B.A. (1,800 students). Small colleges rock!
Here is the list of 175 colleges to check out:
Birmingham-Southern AL
Spring Hill College AL
University of Mobile AL
Lyon College AR
University of the Ozarks AR
Fresno Pacific University CA
University of La Verne CA
Vanguard U of Southern California CA
University of Saint Joseph CT
Trinity Washington University DC
Stetson University FL
Brenau University GA
Wesleyan College GA
Chaminade University Honolulu HI
Buena Vista University IA
Central College IA
Clarke University IA
Coe College IA
Graceland University IA
Loras College IA
Luther College IA
Morningside University IA
Mount Mercy University IA
Northwestern College IA
Saint Ambrose University IA
Simpson College IA
Wartburg College IA
Northwest Nazarene University ID
Augustana College IL
Blackburn College IL
Concordia-River Forest IL
Dominican University IL
Elmhurst University IL
Eureka College IL
Illinois College IL
Lewis University IL
McKendree University IL
Millikin University IL
Monmouth College IL
Moody Bible Institute IL
North Park University IL
Quincy University IL
St. Xavier University IL
Trinity Christian College IL
University of St. Francis IL
Earlham College IN
Franklin College IN
Goshen College IN
Indiana Tech IN
Indiana Wesleyan University-Marion IN
Manchester University IN
Marian University IN
University of St. Francis IN
Valparaiso University IN
Baker University KS
Friends University KS
Kansas Wesleyan University KS
Newman University KS
University of Saint Mary KS
Brescia University KY
Georgetown College KY
Midway University KY
Spalding University KY
Thomas More University KY
Loyola University New Orleans LA
University of Holy Cross LA
Xavier University of Louisiana LA
McDaniel College MD
Husson University ME
Albion College MI
Alma College MI
Andrews University MI
Aquinas College MI
Cleary University MI
Madonna University MI
Northwood University MI
Spring Arbor University MI
Concordia College--Moorhead MN
Concordia University--St. Paul MN
Hamline University MN
Saint Catherine University MN
Saint Mary's University MN MN
Avila University MO
Cottey College MO
Culver-Stockton College MO
Drury University MO
Fontbonne University MO
Rockhurst University MO
Stephens College MO
Webster University MO
Belhaven University MS
Rocky Mountain College MT
University of Providence MT
Catawba College NC
Lees-McRae College NC
Mars Hill University NC
Salem College NC
University of Mary ND
Clarkson College NE
College of Saint Mary NE
Concordia University -Nebraska NE
Doane University NE
Hastings College NE
Midland University NE
Nebraska Methodist College NE
Union College Nebraska NE
Canisius College NY
D'Youville University NY
Le Moyne College NY
Niagara University NY
St. Bonaventure University NY
Utica University NY
Antioch College OH
Capital University OH
Franklin University OH
Heidelberg University OH
Marietta College OH
Mount Saint Joseph University OH
Muskingum University OH
Ohio Dominican University OH
Otterbein University OH
University of Mount Union OH
Ursuline College OH
Walsh University OH
Wittenberg University OH
Mid-America Christian University OK
Cedar Crest College PA
Elizabethtown College PA
Gannon University PA
Gwynedd Mercy University PA
Holy Family University PA
King's College - Pennsylvania PA
Lycoming College PA
Misericordia University PA
Saint Vincent College PA
Seton Hill University PA
Westminster College PA
York College of Pennsylvania PA
Charleston Southern University SC
Columbia International University SC
Presbyterian College SC
Southern Wesleyan University SC
Augustana University SD
Dakota Wesleyan University SD
University of Sioux Falls SD
Christian Brothers University TN
King University - Tennessee TN
Maryville College TN
Southern Adventist University TN
Trevecca Nazarene University TN
Southwestern Adventist University TX
Texas Lutheran University TX
Texas Wesleyan University TX
University of St. Thomas - TX TX
Emory and Henry College VA
Randolph-Macon College VA
Sweet Briar College VA
University of Lynchburg VA
Northwest University WA
Saint Martin's University WA
Walla Walla University WA
Alverno College WI
Beloit College WI
Carroll University WI
Carthage College WI
Concordia University-Wisconsin WI
Edgewood College WI
Marian University WI
Mount Mary University WI
Northland College WI
Ripon College WI
Viterbo University WI
Wisconsin Lutheran College WI
Davis and Elkins College WV
West Virginia Wesleyan College WV
Note: About 2/3 of these colleges are listed in my new book (click image for additional information):
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