Lens covers 31 liberal arts colleges in the Midwest, 1 public and 30 private. They range from Beloit College (926 undergraduates) to University of Wisconsin–Green Bay (6,341). Acceptance rates run from 15% to 89%, and 22 of the 31 admit at least half of applicants.
Liberal arts colleges are small colleges focused on undergraduate teaching across the arts and sciences, as classified by Carnegie. In Lens, the Midwest means Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin.
Open these 31 colleges in the College Filter → Narrow them by cost at your rate, majors, size and more.
The 31 liberal arts colleges in the Midwest
Listed A to Z. Lens never ranks colleges.
| College | Location | Undergraduates | Acceptance rate | Tuition & fees (before aid) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albion College | Albion, Michigan | 1,300 | 81% | $56,950 |
| Alma College | Alma, Michigan | 1,148 | 57% | $49,552 |
| Augustana College | Rock Island, Illinois | 2,490 | 63% | $51,598 |
| Beloit College | Beloit, Wisconsin | 926 | 63% | $60,886 |
| Calvin University | Grand Rapids, Michigan | 3,193 | 71% | $39,350 |
| Carleton College | Northfield, Minnesota | 2,086 | 20% | $68,892 |
| Coe College | Cedar Rapids, Iowa | 1,164 | 64% | $54,666 |
| Concordia College at Moorhead | Moorhead, Minnesota | 1,829 | 63% | $31,170 |
| DePauw University | Greencastle, Indiana | 1,905 | 57% | $59,070 |
| Denison University | Granville, Ohio | 2,380 | 17% | $67,000 |
| Grinnell College | Grinnell, Iowa | 1,729 | 15% | $68,106 |
| Gustavus Adolphus College | Saint Peter, Minnesota | 1,878 | 61% | $56,076 |
| Hillsdale College | Hillsdale, Michigan | 1,573 | 21% | $33,189 |
| Hope College | Holland, Michigan | 3,288 | 79% | $41,970 |
| Illinois College | Jacksonville, Illinois | 930 | 78% | $38,676 |
| Illinois Wesleyan University | Bloomington, Illinois | 1,582 | 39% | $57,704 |
| Kalamazoo College | Kalamazoo, Michigan | 1,149 | 75% | $61,050 |
| Kenyon College | Gambier, Ohio | 1,732 | 31% | $71,520 |
| Knox College | Galesburg, Illinois | 1,127 | 71% | $57,903 |
| Lake Forest College | Lake Forest, Illinois | 1,813 | 57% | $56,402 |
| Lawrence University | Appleton, Wisconsin | 1,396 | 64% | $56,982 |
| Macalester College | Saint Paul, Minnesota | 2,131 | 29% | $68,104 |
| Oberlin College | Oberlin, Ohio | 2,887 | 34% | $67,366 |
| Ohio Wesleyan University | Delaware, Ohio | 1,516 | 56% | $53,888 |
| Saint Norbert College | De Pere, Wisconsin | 1,662 | 86% | $45,580 |
| St Olaf College | Northfield, Minnesota | 3,093 | 48% | $59,760 |
| The College of Wooster | Wooster, Ohio | 1,730 | 60% | $61,640 |
| Trine University | Angola, Indiana | 2,324 | 85% | $36,560 |
| University of Wisconsin–Green Bay | Green Bay, Wisconsin | 6,341 | 89% | $8,700 in-state · $17,288 out-of-state |
| Wartburg College | Waverly, Iowa | 1,452 | 76% | $26,250 |
| Wittenberg University | Springfield, Ohio | 1,215 | 72% | $45,940 |
Sources: IPEDS (fall 2024 enrollment and admissions); College Scorecard (published tuition and fees before aid, about 2023–24). You may pay less if receiving grants or scholarships.
Related lists
- Liberal Arts Colleges
- Liberal Arts Colleges in the Northeast
- Liberal Arts Colleges in the Southeast
- Liberal Arts Colleges in the South and Southwest
- Liberal Arts Colleges on the West Coast
- Large Public Universities in the Midwest
- Smaller Public Universities in the Midwest
- Smaller Private Universities in the Midwest
- Catholic Colleges in the Midwest
- Christian Colleges in the Midwest
- Colleges with Big-Time Sports in the Midwest
- Division I Colleges in the Midwest
- Division II Colleges in the Midwest
FAQ
Which liberal arts colleges in the Midwest admit at least half of applicants? 22 of the 31: Albion College, Alma College, Augustana College, Beloit College, Calvin University, Coe College, Concordia College at Moorhead, DePauw University, Gustavus Adolphus College, Hope College, Illinois College, Kalamazoo College and 10 more (fall 2024).
What are the largest and smallest liberal arts colleges in the Midwest? University of Wisconsin–Green Bay is the largest, with 6,341 undergraduates, and Beloit College is the smallest, with 926 (fall 2024).
How many liberal arts colleges in the Midwest are public? 1 of the 31 are public and 30 are private.
Where these numbers come from
Lens covers the 850 four-year public and private nonprofit colleges that receive the most applications, so some smaller colleges are not listed. Enrollment, acceptance rates and degrees come from IPEDS (U.S. Department of Education, fall 2024); published prices from the College Scorecard. Each college's page lists its own sources. See the data behind Lens.