What are the Little Ivies? A Guide to Elite Liberal Arts Colleges

You’ve heard of Ivy League schools, like Harvard and Yale, but have you heard of the Little Ivies? The term “Little Ivies” was first coined in 1955 for the schools that comprised the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC). While these colleges may not have the worldwide reputation of the Ivy League, they have similar academic rigor and highly competitive admission rates. They also have many benefits that set them apart from their larger counterparts. Read on to discover why a Little Ivy may be perfect for you.

The Little Ivies

Amherst College

Amherst College, founded in 1821, is considered one of the best small, liberal arts colleges in the country. In addition to its academic offerings and excellent reputation, Amherst is also well-regarded for its financial aid policy, which meets 100% of financial need for qualifying students. Location: Amherst, Massachusetts Acceptance Rate: 10% Average Tuition: $73,140 Most Popular Major: Mathematics Sports Team: Amherst Mammoths Amherst Scholarships

Bates Colleges

Bates College was founded in 1855 and is the smallest college in the Little Ivies conference. Its small urban campus boasts 33 Victorian homes, which offers students a unique dormitory experience. Location: Lewiston, Maine Acceptance Rate: 13% Average Tuition: $66,590 Most Popular Major: Social Sciences Sports Team: Bates Bobcats Bates College Scholarships

Bowdoin College

Bowdoin College was founded in 1794. In addition to the main campus, Bowdoin also has a coastal studies center on Orr’s Island and a 200-acre scientific field station on Kent Island in the Bay of Fundy. Location: Brunswick, Maine Acceptance Rate: 7% Average Tuition: $67,198 Most Popular Major: Government and Legal Studies Sports Team: Bowdoin (Polar) Bears Bowdoin College Scholarships

Bucknell University

Bucknell was founded in 1846, and is one of the larger Little Ivies. In addition to an undergraduate student body, the university also provides graduate programs in multiple Science and Engineering fields as well as English and Psychology. Location: Lewisburg, Pennsylvania Acceptance Rate: 32% Average Tuition: $67,446 Most Popular Major: Social Sciences Sports Team: Bucknell Bison Bucknell Scholarships

Colby College

Colby College was founded in 1813 and was initially a literary and theological institution. Now, the campus is home to more than 2,000 students from 80 countries. Location: Waterville, Maine Acceptance Rate: 7% Average Tuition: $87,490 Most Popular Major: Social Sciences Sports Team: Colby Mules Colby College Scholarships

Colgate University

Colgate was founded in 1819 and was originally called Hamilton College. Its lucky number is 13, derived from the legend that the 13 founders made the school possible with 13 dollars and 13 prayers. Location: Hamilton, New York Acceptance Rate: 12% Average Tuition: $69,886 Most Popular Major: Economics Sports Team: Colgate Raiders Colgate University Scholarships

Connecticut College

One of the relatively newer Little Ivies, Connecticut College was founded in 1911 as a women’s college. It became a coeducational institution in 1969. Location: New London, Connecticut Acceptance Rate: 38% Average Tuition: $67,242 Most Popular Major: Psychology Sports Team: Connecticut Camels Connecticut College Scholarships

Hamilton College

Hamilton College was founded in 1793 and is named in honor of one of its founding trustees, Alexander Hamilton. While admissions are competitive, it’s certainly easier to get admitted now than in the 19th century. To gain admission, students had to “read, translate and parse Cicero's select orations, Virgil, and the Greek testament, and to write true Latin in prose, and shall also have learned the rules of vulgar arithmetic,” according to On the Hill: A Bicentennial History of Hamilton College. Location: Clinton, New York Acceptance Rate: 12% Average Tuition: $71,970 Most Popular Major: Social Sciences Sports Team: Hamilton Continentals Hamilton College Scholarships

Haverford College

Haverford College was founded in 1833 by members of the Religious Society of Friends, or Quakers. Today, the college still gives a nod to its roots through its stone Quaker Colonial Revival architecture and its social and academic honor code, which is influenced by Quaker philosophy. Location: Haverford, Pennsylvania Acceptance Rate: 13% Average Tuition: $69,884 Most Popular Major: Social Sciences Sports Team: Haverford Fords Haverford College Scholarships

Lafayette College

Lafayette College was established in 1826 and rests about halfway between Philadelphia and New York City. While the college enrolls only about 2,500 students, they are a diverse group from 44 states and 60 countries. Location: Easton, Pennsylvania Acceptance Rate: 34% Average Tuition: $66,496 Most Popular Major: Social Sciences Sports Team: Lafayette Leopards Lafayette College Scholarships

Middlebury College

Middlebury College was founded in 1800 and was the first college in Vermont. In 1923, the college president at the time, Paul Dwight Moody, donated the first evergreen to the White House at Christmas, thereby establishing the tradition of the National Christmas Tree. Location: Middlebury, Vermont Acceptance Rate: 12% Average Tuition: $70,120 Most Popular Major: Economics Sports Team: Middlebury Panthers Middlebury College Scholarships

Swarthmore College

Swarthmore College was established in 1864, with the first classes starting in 1869. The school is a real-life Pitch Perfect set, having multiple a capella groups: Sixteen Feet, Grapevine, Mixed Company, Essence of Soul, and Offbeat. Location: Swarthmore, Pennsylvania Acceptance Rate: 7% Average Tuition: $65,058 Most Popular Major: Economics Sports Team: Swarthmore Garnet Swarthmore College Scholarships

Trinity College

While there are many Trinity Colleges across the country, there’s only one that is a Little Ivy. In addition to its campus in Connecticut, Trinity also has a study abroad campus in Rome, Italy. Location: Hartford, Connecticut Acceptance Rate: 34% Average Tuition: $67,650 Most Popular Major: Political Science and Government Sports Team: Trinity Bantams Trinity College Scholarships

Tufts University

Tufts University, the largest of the Little Ivies, was founded in 1852. Its campus spans Medford and Somerville, Massachusetts, with additional facilities in Boston and Grafton, as well as Talloires, France. In addition to its 90 undergraduate fields of study, the school also boasts 160 graduate degrees. Location: Somerville, Massachusetts Acceptance Rate: 11% Average Tuition: $69,146 Most Popular Major: Computer Science Sports Team: Tufts Jumbos Tufts University Scholarships

Union College

Union College was established in 1795 and is considered, “The Mother of Fraternities,” as three of the earliest Greek letter fraternities were started there in the early 1800s. Location: Schenectady, New York Acceptance Rate: 44% Average Tuition: $69,039 Most Popular Major: Computer Science Sports Team: Union Garnet Chargers Union College Scholarships

Vassar College

Vassar College was established in 1861 and was the second degree-granting institution for women. As such, it was part of the historic Seven Sisters, a group of seven women’s colleges whose aim was to provide women with access to higher education that was being denied to them at the original Ivy League schools. Today, it is a co-educational institution. Location: Poughkeepsie, New York Acceptance Rate: 18% Average Tuition: $70,050 Most Popular Major: Economics Sports Team: Vassar Brewers Vassar College Scholarships

Wesleyan University

Wesleyan University, established in 1831, is not only a Little Ivy but is also part of "The Little Three," the nickname given to Amherst, Wesleyan, and Williams, which alludes to their similarity to “The Big Three” – Harvard, Yale, and Princeton. Location: Middletown, Connecticut Acceptance Rate: 16% Average Tuition: $69,652 Most Popular Major: Social Sciences Sports Team: Wesleyan Cardinals Wesleyan University Scholarships

Williams College

Williams College was founded in 1793 in the rural Berkshires of Massachusetts. In 2022, it became one of the few colleges in the country to distribute grants only in its financial aid packages. Location: Williamstown, Massachusetts Acceptance Rate: 8% Average Tuition: $68,240 Most Popular Major: Economics Sports Team: Williams Ephs Williams College Scholarships

Little Ivies vs. Ivy League Schools

While Little Ivies bear many resemblances to Ivy Leagues, they are in a class all their own.

Similarities

Both types of schools offer similar academic rigor, have large endowments, and excellent graduation outcomes. While Ivy League schools are considered the best of the best in the United States, the Little Ivies have equally sterling reputations. Having one of these colleges on your resume will raise eyebrows in a great way.

Differences

However, there are differences between the two types of schools. Little Ivies are almost exclusively undergraduate institutions. Ivy League schools are typically larger, with research facilities and graduate programs. Their names are known worldwide, while the Little Ivies may seem more obscure. Though both types have large endowments, Ivy League endowments are perhaps the greatest. For that reason, they can offer generous merit scholarships and meet financial need better than most colleges in the U.S., including the Little Ivies.

What are the Advantages of Attending a Little Ivy School?

  Attending a Little Ivy can be considered just as impressive as an Ivy League school, which means having any of these colleges on your resume will open the door to countless post-graduate opportunities. Plus, you’ll have the added benefits of having been a Little Ivy student: Smaller Class Sizes: Little Ivies have notoriously smaller classes, which means students are taught by professors and not teaching assistants. They also have personal, face-to-face interactions with professors through classroom discussions, office hours, and seminar meetings. Within the smaller classroom setting, they learn to process ideas, theories, and opinions out loud with their peers. Affordability: The Little Ivies have less expensive price tag than their Ivy League counterparts. While their endowments may not be as large, many Little Ivies offer substantial scholarship and financial aid packages. Some even have no-loans financial aid policies. Close-Knit Community: The smaller school sizes allow students to really get to know one another. Students aren’t limited to interactions within their own academic field of or department. Rather, they’re involved in multiple extracurricular activities across a breadth of interests, and they can attend a variety of on-campus events that enable them to meet new people.

Applying to a Little Ivy School

Applying to a Little Ivy School takes just as much perseverance and ambition as applying to an an Ivy League. If you are interested in attending a prestigious school, you need to take challenging courses in high school – and excel in them. You also need to begin standardized test prep earlier. Take the PSAT or PreACT to determine how you perform on these tests. If your scores are less than stellar, you need to invest in SAT or ACT tutoring and retake the tests multiple times, as doing so has been shown to help improve scores. Finally, you need to commit to a variety of extracurricular activities. Just like Ivy League schools, Little Ivies want well-rounded students who will be distinctive on their college campus. Spend your time after school bettering yourself and your community through impressive extracurriculars and volunteer work.