Since 2005, the Washington Monthly has ranked liberal arts colleges based on what they do for the country. It’s our answer to U.S News & World Report, which relies on crude and easily manipulated measures of wealth, exclusivity, and prestige. We rank liberal arts colleges based on their contribution to the public good in four broad categories: access, affordability, outcomes, and promoting public service.

Click here for detailed methodology, here for the rest of our rankings, and here to download the full data set.

ACCESS: Ranks colleges by how well they provide access to nonwealthy students. Among other metrics, it tracks how many students are on federal Pell Grants for low-to-middle-income families and compares that to how many Pell recipients those schools might be expected to enroll based on test scores, admission rates, and statewide family income.

AFFORDABILITY: Ranks colleges by their affordability. It includes the net price of the institution, or the amount that students with family incomes below $75,000 pay, minus aid. It also tracks how much debt graduates leave with.

OUTCOMES: Ranks colleges by the academic and financial outcomes they provide to students. It tracks the percentage of students graduating within eight years and compares that to statistical predictions. It compares graduation rates between wealthy and nonwealthy students. It also tracks the incomes that students make in their early careers and compares that to their peers’ early-career incomes. Additionally, the outcomes category ranks colleges by the numbers of graduates who go on to receive PhDs.

SERVICE: Ranks how well colleges do in promoting public service. It tracks numbers of graduates who enter AmeriCorps and the Peace Corps, of ROTC cadets on campus, and of students who enroll in service-oriented majors like social work. Among other statistics, it also tracks colleges’ commitment to encouraging voting participation.

Rank	Name	Net price	Median earnings 9 yrs. after entering college	Student loan debt of graduates	8-year graduation rate	Access rank	Affordability rank	Outcomes rank	Service rank
1	Berea College (KY)	3395	36974	4041	68%	1	1	83	22
2	Williams College (MA)	1027	65891	13087	96%	95	2	3	59
3	Haverford College (PA)	7940	66218	12968	91%	106	7	7	25
4	Macalester College (MN)	13765	54515	22244	91%	50	47	19	2
5	Washington and Lee University (VA)	2948	73321	19833	94%	142	15	24	3
6	New College of Florida (FL)*	4795	39988	16130	66%	72	9	11	33
7	Pomona College (CA)	4828	56872	11257	94%	73	3	22	39
8	Middlebury College (VT)	10095	63541	13722	93%	71	10	58	7
9	Amherst College (MA)	6413	73845	13680	95%	77	6	2	106
10	Swarthmore College (PA)	9137	62058	18417	96%	38	21	10	40
11	Claremont McKenna College (CA)	10712	89566	14500	92%	74	14	5	79
12	Bowdoin College (ME)	5632	62517	17669	95%	47	13	26	49
13	Wesleyan University (CT)	6341	61195	16201	92%	143	11	12	52
14	Bates College (ME)	6861	59341	13959	92%	129	8	42	26
15	Hampshire College (MA)	17701	40007	26298	66%	87	117	8	5
16	Davidson College (NC)	7634	69249	19063	92%	99	19	4	69
17	Hobart & William Smith Colls. (NY)	16768	59152	27000	76%	139	119	55	1
18	University of MN–Morris (MN)*	3005	43563	18543	59%	94	12	45	43
19	Carleton College (MN)	12473	62337	16525	93%	65	24	13	71
20	Harvey Mudd College (CA)	18576	123761	23066	93%	127	72	1	123
21	Lafayette College (PA)	16307	77718	17667	89%	167	34	14	29
22	Vassar College (NY)	16711	54672	18735	91%	61	38	64	16
23	Hamilton College (NY)	9517	67454	16833	91%	114	18	43	53
24	Colgate University (NY)	10907	72767	15583	91%	165	17	17	65
25	Grinnell College (IA)	10843	51351	17333	88%	49	22	30	82
26	Wellesley College (MA)	8179	64810	10567	93%	63	5	32	145
27	Smith College (MA)	13357	50312	18517	90%	101	30	57	37
28	Bryn Mawr College (PA)	12156	60961	24667	86%	156	54	18	21
29	Colby College (ME)	3249	69500	19696	89%	88	16	31	97
30	Kalamazoo College (MI)	17589	53298	25727	82%	57	109	20	31
31	Dickinson College (PA)	11598	58636	19000	83%	122	29	61	36
32	Bard College (NY)	17056	39493	25486	75%	78	93	80	6
33	Gettysburg College (PA)	16513	62325	26310	82%	75	102	29	13
34	Gustavus Adolphus College (MN)	16162	57227	26925	78%	39	112	59	10
35	Salem College (NC)	13883	36871	26883	60%	12	79	44	61
36	Denison University (OH)	16176	55916	25333	82%	161	78	79	4
37	Knox College (IL)	19251	45482	27000	74%	41	146	74	8
38	Kenyon College (OH)	15181	52842	18727	91%	103	36	97	30
39	Soka University of America (CA)	9971	44187	17945	89%	147	23	25	101
40	Colorado College (CO)	12620	48346	18321	86%	130	27	118	20
41	St. Olaf College (MN)	11851	54253	24594	86%	35	50	27	90
42	Goucher College (MD)	16573	43867	25503	64%	84	87	92	9
43	Franklin and Marshall College (PA)	17085	61710	19500	85%	107	42	23	87
44	Allegheny College (PA)	16912	50257	27000	74%	86	120	53	18
45	Pitzer College (CA)	12869	57485	17075	87%	176	26	77	50
46	Muhlenberg College (PA)	16361	60263	25897	82%	111	92	28	47
47	Whitman College (WA)	21430	52550	17079	89%	115	46	68	48
48	Mount Holyoke College (MA)	16736	48733	21463	85%	80	51	46	66
49	Sewanee–Univ. of the South (TN)	13876	52611	23688	80%	109	56	91	27
50	Centre College (KY)	13971	54323	27000	85%	67	84	48	51
51	Rhodes College (TN)	15822	57617	22122	82%	100	52	99	38
52	Ripon College (WI)	15295	48739	26973	66%	33	100	89	44
53	University of Richmond (VA)	13403	64035	20512	85%	59	37	104	64
54	Juniata College (PA)	19674	47028	27000	77%	157	149	40	12
55	Linfield University (OR)	23603	64794	25652	75%	123	162	47	11
56	Barnard College (NY)	14585	66992	18217	92%	120	32	49	93
57	Trinity College (CT)	14550	75086	23000	84%	166	53	15	85
58	Lewis & Clark College (OR)	22031	46518	21540	75%	70	80	120	17
59	Connecticut College (CT)	18861	62690	23265	83%	126	75	73	34
60	Willamette University (OR)	21617	54775	22559	72%	46	95	69	57
61	College of the Holy Cross (MA)	13962	78396	27000	92%	183	83	6	76
62	Drew University (NJ)	15039	52989	25849	72%	124	76	38	58
63	Westminster College (PA)	17292	47403	26020	78%	149	111	86	14
64	CUNY Medgar Evers College (NY)*	6449	39258	10537	28%	68	4	124	169
65	Wheaton College (IL)	18019	53498	22972	88%	36	67	37	111
66	Occidental College (CA)	17111	60567	22499	84%	102	63	70	63
67	Virginia Military Institute (VA)*	9764	65919	22200	80%	188	35	62	46
68	Saint Mary's College (IN)	18019	54306	27000	78%	89	134	72	41
69	Furman University (SC)	19266	55330	23987	81%	128	91	102	23
70	College of Saint Benedict (MN)	18329	54909	26981	81%	153	135	65	24
71	Univ. of NC–Asheville (NC)*	10165	39139	20990	64%	16	31	144	107
72	Skidmore College (NY)	15213	56957	20142	87%	181	39	50	68
73	Scripps College (CA)	19032	61742	14110	87%	145	28	100	84
74	Wabash College (IN)	14678	55822	27000	77%	121	90	41	73
75	Saint John's University (MN)	15608	63154	27000	77%	151	108	33	70
76	St. Lawrence University (NY)	15796	57087	26916	82%	132	110	66	55
77	Bennington College (VT)	20819	39734	26333	71%	81	151	119	19
78	Albion College (MI)	13528	51707	27000	69%	14	77	52	146
79	DePauw University (IN)	16164	59458	26938	85%	154	113	9	124
80	Claflin University (SC)	19855	34192	29977	51%	3	177	101	122
81	Agnes Scott College (GA)	17631	46103	26795	75%	13	123	98	100
82	Reed College (OR)	16186	47189	20340	77%	160	45	93	75
83	Cornell College (IA)	18600	44312	27000	68%	26	138	147	42
84	Univ. of Science & Arts of Okla. (OK)*	6924	36573	20543	40%	28	25	139	147
85	Simpson University (CA)	22937	45642	19422	68%	48	65	34	157
86	Lawrence University (WI)	14690	45408	25955	79%	19	74	117	104
87	Bethune-Cookman University (FL)	13681	32824	31583	36%	2	159	96	156
88	University of Mary Washington (VA)*	14974	51940	20500	69%	141	41	125	72
89	Westminster College (MO)	22734	46048	27000	55%	54	169	130	35
90	Whittier College (CA)	20766	49927	24979	69%	37	131	162	32
91	Guilford College (NC)	20622	39880	26098	50%	43	145	166	15
92	Trinity University (TX)	12216	58712	22760	79%	110	43	127	91
93	Bucknell University (PA)	22562	79084	26585	89%	171	164	16	95
94	Beloit College (WI)	15248	42849	26113	77%	21	81	88	151
95	College of Wooster (OH)	16804	49247	26192	76%	76	107	54	133
96	Spelman College (GA)	31631	50632	25667	78%	92	188	21	96
97	Bennett College (NC)	22029	31319	30043	28%	15	183	116	80
98	St. Mary's College of MD (MD)*	9465	52255	21750	73%	164	33	63	162
99	Univ. of NH–Manchester (NH)*	12238	58746	26938	60%	83	71	51	158
100	University of Puget Sound (WA)	25098	56032	25654	76%	137	172	82	60
101	Presbyterian College (SC)	18807	48255	25605	64%	155	118	134	45
102	Tougaloo College (MS)	13425	30521	32061	39%	31	160	56	141
103	Hendrix College (AR)	15291	45617	26896	70%	64	97	123	92
104	Dillard University (LA)	18175	35713	31417	50%	8	179	143	113
105	Pillar College (NJ)	18099	40194	22839	35%	29	66	39	188
106	Coe College (IA)	14381	48257	27000	64%	20	89	151	105
107	Meredith College (NC)	15861	42383	25000	67%	23	73	172	67
108	Oberlin College (OH)	17006	44344	25662	85%	140	96	60	120
109	Houghton College (NY)	19545	37442	25083	72%	44	116	121	110
110	St. John's College (NM)	23627	35393	26749	65%	40	173	94	109
111	Wofford College (SC)	19376	58178	25763	82%	172	129	67	94
112	Saint Norbert College (WI)	20127	50331	26803	74%	144	152	131	56
113	Albright College (PA)	17591	50243	27000	57%	22	130	106	149
114	Randolph College (VA)	18639	43346	26983	56%	116	139	75	119
115	SUNY Purchase College (NY)*	16344	37427	21381	67%	27	49	164	136
116	Univ. of Virginia's Coll.–Wise (VA)*	9795	39032	17667	46%	159	20	171	112
117	Ohio Wesleyan University (OH)	18779	47616	27000	65%	56	140	152	78
118	Union College (NY)	17018	68897	26012	85%	162	104	36	155
119	Cheyney University of PA (PA)*^^	11214	33035	22851	36%	42	40	149	161
120	Washington College (MD)	15947	55373	26626	72%	125	101	112	114
121	Wittenberg University (OH)	17296	47791	27000	63%	69	122	150	86
122	Lycoming College (PA)	14087	48220	27000	64%	24	85	113	168
123	MA College of Liberal Arts (MA)*	15000	41032	23730	62%	82	62	133	142
124	Lane College (TN)	14359	27614	32913	29%	4	175	128	176
125	Luther College (IA)	19540	49246	27000	74%	117	148	107	99
126	Illinois College (IL)	12697	47096	26522	66%	138	69	109	134
127	Holy Cross College (IN)	14308	41414	23500	48%	66	57	175	83
128	Washington & Jefferson College (PA)	20189	58277	27000	73%	113	156	35	171
129	Rust College (MS)	8670	27852	26137	38%	18	48	156	175
130	Transylvania University (KY)	19878	47092	27000	71%	58	153	122	127
131	Johnson C. Smith University (NC)	18961	35398	30667	45%	10	178	138	152
132	Saint Michael's College (VT)	19334	53246	26764	78%	133	142	110	117
133	Millsaps College (MS)	22440	49936	27000	70%	90	167	103	129
134	Earlham College (IN)	19701	41269	24246	68%	60	103	84	181
135	Stonehill College (MA)	20597	67128	25296	84%	182	133	71	121
136	Lake Forest College (IL)	19613	52698	26719	76%	30	144	90	183
137	Wartburg College (IA)	17368	48152	27000	66%	152	124	153	81
138	Hollins University (VA)	19974	35498	27000	64%	51	154	161	103
139	Susquehanna University (PA)	21589	52978	27000	74%	148	163	111	115
140	Wheaton College (MA)	23953	58338	26272	75%	136	170	87	137
141	Hanover College (IN)	19434	45371	26417	68%	79	137	81	179
142	Franklin College (IN)	18309	47848	27000	64%	55	136	105	173
143	Virginia Wesleyan University (VA)	20189	42602	27000	51%	34	157	183	62
144	Roanoke College (VA)	21481	48745	27000	70%	163	161	129	89
145	Saint Vincent College (PA)	17737	52800	27000	73%	179	132	78	144
146	Westmont College (CA)	24413	56047	23388	74%	108	141	157	98
147	Hope College (MI)	17533	49782	26920	79%	168	125	114	126
148	Thomas Aquinas College (CA)	19618	42696	18000	83%	131	44	108	189
149	Fisk University (TN)	26189	37021	26667	44%	7	181	174	138
150	Southwestern University (TX)	21793	51827	25917	73%	146	155	135	108
151	Central College (IA)	17460	46482	26995	67%	177	127	160	74
152	Southern Virginia University (VA)	20167	36745	23196	42%	25	88	148	180
153	Augustana College (IL)	15220	54316	27000	74%	184	99	85	148
154	Maryville College (TN)	17809	42556	26125	52%	52	114	179	88
155	Bethany Lutheran College (MN)	13444	40937	23865	59%	173	55	154	135
156	Austin College (TX)	19345	53520	24485	70%	62	106	145	163
157	Bridgewater College (VA)	16548	44723	26323	63%	119	105	159	116
158	Univ. of Pittsburgh–Greensburg (PA)*	12940	55745	24642	38%	32	59	165	182
159	Morehouse College (GA)	30278	42485	25083	55%	45	185	140	118
160	Concordia College–Moorhead (MN)	19809	51211	26752	71%	174	147	137	102
161	East-West University (IL)	18957	27431	27527	17%	5	150	180	164
162	Sarah Lawrence College (NY)	22121	42513	23631	77%	178	121	95	150
163	Warren Wilson College (NC)	21162	29364	24583	47%	11	128	189	77
164	Covenant College (GA)	19951	43153	23060	69%	112	82	141	165
165	Saint Anselm College (NH)	27300	52313	27000	79%	187	184	132	54
166	Georgetown College (KY)	10687	44206	26157	51%	91	60	182	125
167	Hartwick College (NY)	24033	51595	27000	62%	118	176	136	128
168	Young Harris College (GA)	14277	38397	27000	42%	185	86	186	28
169	Ouachita Baptist University (AR)	19530	43652	21988	63%	150	68	168	131
170	Centenary College of Louisiana (LA)	22153	43398	27000	57%	97	165	158	140
171	Aquinas College (MI)	13708	42413	24108	61%	180	58	142	174
172	Ursinus College (PA)	25570	60761	27000	76%	104	180	76	187
173	Virginia Union University (VA)	19547	33865	29500	38%	98	174	146	154
174	Monmouth College (IL)	15166	44199	27000	61%	134	98	169	143
175	Allen University (SC)	12354	24710	33940	17%	6	171	185	160
176	Lyon College (AR)	16692	38947	23917	49%	93	70	178	153
177	Bethany College (WV)	10614	39115	27000	42%	85	64	187	132
178	Gordon College (MA)	18221	44857	26494	73%	170	126	155	170
179	Paine College (GA)	12650	28834	32148	15%	17	158	176	184
180	Hampden-Sydney College (VA)	16997	57494	26667	66%	189	115	115	167
181	Oglethorpe University (GA)	16343	46450	26000	50%	53	94	181	177
182	Oakwood University (AL)	20384	34433	28225	51%	96	166	167	178
183	Eckerd College (FL)	28819	43161	26797	65%	135	187	173	130
184	Marymount Manhattan College (NY)	30444	43510	25250	55%	158	186	170	139
185	Ave Maria University (FL)	18280	43250	21475	69%	169	61	177	186
186	Emmanuel College (MA)	26011	57543	27000	67%	175	182	163	166
187	Sweet Briar College (VA)	19749	43749	26569	38%	105	143	184	172
188	Randolph-Macon College (VA)	22729	49061	27000	69%	186	168	126	185
189	Martin University (IN)	14137	20875	42943	14%	9	190	190	159
190	Beulah Heights University (GA)	5970	34130	45881	17%	190	189	188	190