10 Best Colleges in New Hampshire
What’s Covered:
If you’ve always loved frosty winters and want to attend a college where nature is just steps away, New Hampshire could be the place for you. The state offers a wide range of colleges, from the Ivy League Dartmouth College to Thomas More College, one of the nation’s most religiously affiliated schools.
Keep reading to learn about the 10 best colleges in New Hampshire.
Our Ranking Methodology
When ranking schools, we mainly focus on school quality, student outcomes, and ROI (return on investment). A number of data points, including retention rate, selectivity, endowment per student, student-faculty ratio, median earning, and cost of attendance, also factor into the ranking methodology. Students can find the rankings for more than 1,600 schools (and calculate chances of admissions) on our overall rankings list.
Best Colleges in New Hampshire
1. Dartmouth College
Location: Hanover, NH
Acceptance Rate: 6%
Middle 50% SAT: 1500-1570
Middle 50% ACT: 33-35
Undergrad Enrollment: 4,447
As one of the nation’s prestigious Ivy League colleges, Dartmouth is the most academically challenging school in New Hampshire. It is also the ninth-oldest school in the country. Dartmouth runs on a ten-week quarter system and is known for all-around outstanding programs, but particularly for excellence in business, engineering, and medicine.
Social life at Dartmouth is inclusive—for example, attending Greek life events does not require meeting gender or membership criteria, nor are there any fees. Everyone is included! Dartmouth also boasts many school traditions, like an annual snowball fight and trips for first-year students that contribute to a positive campus culture.
Learn more about Dartmouth and what it takes to get accepted.
2. Saint Anselm College
Location: Manchester, NH
Acceptance Rate: 78%
Middle 50% SAT: 1090-1270
Middle 50% ACT: 25-27
Undergraduate Enrollment: 2,052
Saint Anselm College is a small Catholic liberal arts school known for its emphasis on Benedictine hospitality and community. In fact, there is a monastery on campus at the Abbey Church and it is not uncommon to see monks on campus. Saint A’s has a challenging academic curriculum that heavily emphasizes the liberal arts and religious studies. Students are required to take several liberal arts seminars, as well as multiple semesters of philosophy and theology.
The Saint Anselm nursing school is one of the college’s most prestigious programs, ranking in the top 10% nationally and having a lower admission rate than that of the university as a whole.
Learn more about Saint Anselm and what it takes to get accepted.
3. University of New Hampshire (UNH)
Location: Durham, NH
Acceptance Rate: 87%
Middle 50% SAT: 1120-1320
Middle 50% ACT: 26-31
Undergraduate Enrollment: 11,1376
UNH is known for school spirit and camaraderie among students. One unifying factor on campus is support for the Wildcats’ D1 Ice Hockey Team. When attending a hockey game, you will always find abundant school spirit and friendship that is emblematic of the spirit of UNH.
This same spirit can be found on the Main Street strip, which is bustling day in and day out as students meet at coffee shops, stores, and restaurants to enjoy each other’s company. Academically, UNH features a promising business school and a high-ranking kinesiology program. The UNH Army ROTC program is also one of the best in the nation.
Learn more about the University of New Hampshire and what it takes to get accepted.
4. Thomas More College of Liberal Arts
Location: Merrimack, NH
Acceptance Rate: N/A
Middle 50% SAT: N/A
Middle 50% ACT: N/A
Undergraduate Enrollment: 95
Thomas More College provides a Catholic education with a focus on the great works of Classical and Christian civilization. There’s only one degree program offered at Thomas More, a BA in Liberal Arts and the Humanities.
Students at Thomas More are required to participate in a semester abroad in Rome during the second half of sophomore year. Additionally, each year, about half of the undergraduate student body participates in the Auriesville Pilgrimage for Restoration—a 62-mile trek from Lake George, NY, to the National Shrine of the North American Martyrs in Auriesville, NY.
Learn more about Thomas More College of Liberal Arts and what it takes to get accepted.
5. University of New Hampshire at Manchester
Location: Manchester, NH
Acceptance Rate: 87%
Middle 50% SAT: 1030-1250
Middle 50% ACT: N/A
Undergraduate Enrollment: 522
UNH Manchester is the urban location of UNH. It is primarily a commuter campus; however, the university partners with Southern New Hampshire Univeristy to provide a residence and dining hall. The UNH Manchester campus is just one building, which creates a cohesive community. This satellite campus places a heavy emphasis on STEM programs and is associated with the Manchester STEM community.
Additionally, UNH is home to the nation’s first accredited ASL/English translation program, which is currently one of only 14 accredited ASL/English programs in the country.
Learn more about the University of New Hampshire at Manchester and what it takes to get accepted.
6. Rivier University
Location: Nashua, NH
Acceptance Rate: 82%
Middle 50% SAT: N/A
Middle 50% ACT: N/A
Undergraduate Enrollment: 1,335
Like many New Hampshire colleges, Rivier is Catholic-affiliated and emphasizes training the entire person, rather than solely focusing on academics. That said, Rivier differs from colleges like Thomas More due to its larger enrollment. With a larger student body, the university boasts numerous resources, including a host of extracurricular activities, such as:
- Model UN
- Dance Team
- Campus Ministry Club
- Multicultural Student Organization
- Writing Club
Rivier is known for maintaining its traditional roots while simultaneously adjusting to modern trends regarding world views.
Learn more about Rivier University and what it takes to get accepted.
7. Southern New Hampshire University
Location: Manchester, NH
Acceptance Rate: 96%
Middle 50% SAT: N/A
Middle 50% ACT: N/A
Undergraduate Enrollment: 159,653
Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) is a school with a small on-campus student body and a massive (and growing) online student body. SNHU is known for its staff and advisors who are knowledgeable and provide a support system for all university students.
One unique feature of the SNHU experience is the school’s academic calendar, which includes six eight-week terms per year. Many students say that this calendar provides them the flexibility needed to spread out their course load, allowing more success in their classes. The school offers numerous programs for students to choose from, with 48 on-campus degree programs and over 200 online degree programs.
Learn more about Southern New Hampshire University and what it takes to get accepted.
8. Keene State College
Location: Keene, NH
Acceptance Rate: 89%
Middle 50% SAT: N/A
Middle 50% ACT: N/A
Undergraduate Enrollment: 2,718
Keene State is a small college in the small city of Keene. The school embraces its small-town roots and the students typically report feeling like one big family. Additionally, the school’s location facilitates a serene campus where students feel connected to the surrounding natural world.
Keene is home to the Keene Pumpkin Festival, which has served as a local tradition and a Keene State College Owl tradition for decades. One of the university’s most popular (as well as most renowned) programs is the education program.
Learn more about Keene State College and what it takes to get accepted.
9. Colby-Sawyer College
Location: New London, NH
Acceptance Rate: 90%
Middle 50% SAT: N/A
Middle 50% ACT: N/A
Undergraduate Enrollment: 834
Colby-Sawyer is a small college where the students and faculty put energy into creating a tight-knit community. For example, on one day during the first few weeks of school each year, the president cancels classes and students take shuttles up to Mt. Kearsarge to have a fun cookout. In addition to the mountain cookout, students get free season passes to Mt. Sunapee for skiing and snowboarding.
Academically, Colby-Sawyer College boasts small classes, with an average class size of 12 students. The college also has a book loaning system with Dartmouth, so students can access just about any book they want. Finally, CSC has a large percentage of students on financial aid and can serve as a great option for lower-income students interested in a New Hampshire education.
Learn more about Colby-Sawyer College and what it takes to get accepted.
10. Plymouth State University
Location: Plymouth, NH
Acceptance Rate: 91%
Middle 50% SAT: N/A
Middle 50% ACT: N/A
Undergraduate Enrollment: 3,336
Located at the feet of the White Mountains, Plymouth State is the perfect setting for students who want to explore academics and the outside. The university’s 170-acre campus is located in the charming town of Plymouth and offers easy access to the state’s mountains and lakes while being just a few hours from Boston.
Plymouth State offers 52 majors and 70 minors, ranging from accounting to meteorology to theatre arts. The university boasts small classes—with a 17:1 student-to-faculty-ratio—and more than 100 student clubs and organizations.
Learn more about Plymouth State and what it takes to get accepted.
What Are Your Chances of Acceptance?
Each of these schools has a different average acceptance rate, but your personal chances of acceptance at these schools may be higher or lower than the average acceptance rate.
To find out your personal chances of acceptance at each of these top schools in New Hampshire (along with any other schools you are interested in) use CollegeVine’s free chancing engine. By taking into account your grades, test scores, and extracurriculars, we’ll estimate your odds of acceptance at different schools and give you tips on improving your profile.
It is important to remember to create a balanced college list with safety, target, and reach schools. These categories are determined by your chances of acceptance at the schools you are applying to. The CollegeVine free chancing engine helps students find the perfect balance for their school list.
