Lens covers 51 small-town and rural colleges in the Northeast, 30 public and 21 private. They range from Anna Maria College (906 undergraduates) to University of Connecticut (19,835). Acceptance rates run from 5% to 94%, and 42 of the 51 admit at least half of applicants.
Small-town and rural colleges are outside cities and suburbs (NCES locale). In Lens, the Northeast means Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont.
Open these 51 colleges in the College Filter → Narrow them by cost at your rate, majors, size and more.
The 51 small-town and rural colleges in the Northeast
Listed A to Z. Lens never ranks colleges.
| College | Location | Undergraduates | Acceptance rate | Tuition & fees (before aid) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alfred University | Alfred, New York | 1,423 | 74% | $41,500 |
| Allegheny College | Meadville, Pennsylvania | 1,156 | 55% | $56,550 |
| Anna Maria College | Paxton, Massachusetts | 906 | 50% | $44,571 |
| Bard College | Annandale-On-Hudson, New York | 2,414 | 52% | $66,436 |
| Bowdoin College | Brunswick, Maine | 1,873 | 7% | $67,832 |
| Bucknell University | Lewisburg, Pennsylvania | 3,876 | 29% | $67,812 |
| Clarkson University | Potsdam, New York | 2,196 | 77% | $59,398 |
| Colby College | Waterville, Maine | 2,407 | 7% | $69,600 |
| Colgate University | Hamilton, New York | 3,180 | 14% | $70,306 |
| Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania | Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania | 9,210 | 93% | $11,046 in-state · $22,870 out-of-state |
| Dartmouth College | Hanover, New Hampshire | 4,541 | 5% | $68,268 |
| East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania | East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania | 4,814 | 92% | $11,536 in-state · $19,502 out-of-state |
| Eastern Connecticut State University | Willimantic, Connecticut | 3,418 | 83% | $13,928 in-state · $17,428 out-of-state |
| Gettysburg College | Gettysburg, Pennsylvania | 2,099 | 39% | $66,640 |
| Hartwick College | Oneonta, New York | 1,087 | 70% | $54,962 |
| Hobart William Smith Colleges | Geneva, New York | 1,786 | 64% | $65,117 |
| Indiana University of Pennsylvania | Indiana, Pennsylvania | 6,764 | 91% | $11,380 in-state · $16,297 out-of-state |
| Keene State College | Keene, New Hampshire | 2,699 | 90% | $14,784 in-state · $26,840 out-of-state |
| Kutztown University of Pennsylvania | Kutztown, Pennsylvania | 6,180 | 91% | $11,314 in-state · $16,068 out-of-state |
| Middlebury College | Middlebury, Vermont | 2,738 | 11% | $67,600 |
| New England College | Henniker, New Hampshire | 1,022 | 92% | $41,938 |
| New York Institute of Technology | Old Westbury, New York | 3,440 | 81% | $46,560 |
| Norwich University | Northfield, Vermont | 2,428 | 74% | $49,740 |
| Pennsylvania Western University | California, Pennsylvania | 7,451 | 94% | $11,436 in-state · $16,054 out-of-state |
| Plymouth State University | Plymouth, New Hampshire | 3,153 | 88% | $14,626 in-state · $25,566 out-of-state |
| SUNY Brockport | Brockport, New York | 5,784 | 71% | $8,752 in-state · $15,822 out-of-state |
| SUNY College at Geneseo | Geneseo, New York | 3,869 | 66% | $8,999 in-state · $19,569 out-of-state |
| SUNY College at Potsdam | Potsdam, New York | 1,823 | 78% | $8,768 in-state · $18,678 out-of-state |
| SUNY College of Agriculture and Technology at Cobleskill | Cobleskill, New York | 1,904 | 84% | $8,768 in-state · $18,678 out-of-state |
| SUNY College of Technology at Alfred | Alfred, New York | 3,563 | 76% | $8,892 in-state · $16,837 out-of-state |
| SUNY College of Technology at Canton | Canton, New York | 2,741 | 92% | $8,742 in-state · $13,572 out-of-state |
| SUNY College of Technology at Delhi | Delhi, New York | 2,843 | 89% | $8,772 in-state · $12,762 out-of-state |
| SUNY Morrisville | Morrisville, New York | 1,923 | 92% | $8,825 in-state · $19,245 out-of-state |
| SUNY Oneonta | Oneonta, New York | 4,643 | 70% | $8,831 in-state · $19,781 out-of-state |
| SUNY at Fredonia | Fredonia, New York | 2,755 | 78% | $8,831 in-state · $19,771 out-of-state |
| Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania | Shippensburg, Pennsylvania | 4,086 | 86% | $13,720 in-state · $15,974 out-of-state |
| Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania | Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania | 6,788 | 71% | $10,568 in-state · $14,676 out-of-state |
| St Bonaventure University | Saint Bonaventure, New York | 2,012 | 82% | $41,735 |
| St Lawrence University | Canton, New York | 1,918 | 54% | $65,900 |
| State University of New York at Cortland | Cortland, New York | 5,901 | 60% | $8,874 in-state · $18,784 out-of-state |
| State University of New York at New Paltz | New Paltz, New York | 6,086 | 62% | $8,572 in-state · $18,822 out-of-state |
| State University of New York at Oswego | Oswego, New York | 5,473 | 81% | $8,825 in-state · $18,735 out-of-state |
| State University of New York at Plattsburgh | Plattsburgh, New York | 3,769 | 78% | $9,035 in-state · $18,945 out-of-state |
| Stockton University | Galloway, New Jersey | 7,537 | 89% | $16,266 in-state · $24,524 out-of-state |
| Susquehanna University | Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania | 2,163 | 81% | $59,850 |
| United States Military Academy | West Point, New York | 4,408 | 12% | – |
| University of Connecticut | Storrs, Connecticut | 19,835 | 52% | $21,044 in-state · $43,712 out-of-state |
| University of New Hampshire | Durham, New Hampshire | 11,261 | 88% | $19,202 in-state · $39,852 out-of-state |
| University of Pittsburgh–Bradford | Bradford, Pennsylvania | 995 | 89% | $14,770 in-state · $26,644 out-of-state |
| Vermont State University | Randolph, Vermont | 3,590 | 82% | $11,952 in-state · $22,296 out-of-state |
| Williams College | Williamstown, Massachusetts | 2,076 | 8% | $68,560 |
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
- Small-Town and Rural Colleges
- Small-Town and Rural Colleges in the Southeast
- Small-Town and Rural Colleges in the Midwest
- Small-Town and Rural Colleges in the South and Southwest
- Liberal Arts Colleges in the Northeast
- Large Public Universities in the Northeast
- Smaller Public Universities in the Northeast
- Large Private Universities in the Northeast
- Smaller Private Universities in the Northeast
- Engineering and Tech Schools in the Northeast
- Catholic Colleges in the Northeast
- Jesuit Colleges in the Northeast
FAQ
Which small-town and rural colleges in the Northeast admit at least half of applicants? 42 of the 51: Alfred University, Allegheny College, Anna Maria College, Bard College, Clarkson University, Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania, East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania, Eastern Connecticut State University, Hartwick College, Hobart William Smith Colleges, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Keene State College and 30 more (fall 2024).
What are the largest and smallest small-town and rural colleges in the Northeast? University of Connecticut is the largest, with 19,835 undergraduates, and Anna Maria College is the smallest, with 906 (fall 2024).
How many small-town and rural colleges in the Northeast are public? 30 of the 51 are public and 21 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.