Best-Kept Secrets: 10 Colleges You Should Know About (PHOTOS)

Scattered across the country are ten colleges that are not widely known for their celebrity professors (or students), fancy recreation centers or top-notch graduate programs. Rather, these often tiny schools place a firm emphasis on learning; whatever else happens at them usually stems from that.

Unigo ranked these ten hidden gems based on their survey of more than 30,000 students this past year. Below, we've listen them in alphabetical order.

What do you think? Do these schools pique your interest? Do you have one to add to the list? Add it in the comments section.

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Bard College

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Bard College is small –- 450 students per class year –- and it’s in Annandale-on- Hudson, NY, which students characterize as “Out. In. The. Middle. Of. The. Woods.” This size and location leave a lot of time for students to focus on their academics, and on one another. Perhaps the most unusual aspect of Bard’s academics is moderation, the process by which students declare their majors. A senior explains, “The moderation process, occurring during your sophomore year, forces students to think about all of their classwork to date before attempting to major in any one subject. Unlike other schools, the departments at Bard reserve the right to refuse a potential major. Students are admitted through the moderation process, during which they must choose a major, then write and defend a paper in that area against a panel of professors to gain entry. Before graduating, the student completes a senior project of their choice over the course of two semesters, then goes back before that same panel once again to discuss their progress. It’s a really challenging and rewarding process.” The typical Bard student is said to be a “…radical hyper-intellectual philosopher/artist who is too hip for his/her own good, and can frequently be found dragging on cigarettes in ironic t-shirts and skin tight jeans, discussing Hegel with their equally hip friends.” Another student adds: “Bard students are certainly hyper intellectual … they are encouraged from their first day of college to push the envelope and expand their perspectives.” A third chimes in, “a hobby or interest or personality that may have been thought of as ‘weird’ in high school is totally embraced here … people are more prone to finding other people's obscure interests exciting and interesting. Depending on where you are from, it can be the most wonderful feeling ever to finally meet kids who are like you.” If you’re a strong, intellectual student who feels like you never truly fit in with the regular kids in high school, and you’re looking for a small school that offers truly personalized academic attention, Bard College may be just the place for you.

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Bard College is small –- 450 students per class year –- and it’s in Annandale-on-
Hudson, NY, which students characterize as “Out. In. The. Middle. Of. The. Woods.” This size and location leave a lot of time for students to focus on their academics, and on one another. Perhaps the most unusual aspect of Bard’s academics is moderation, the process by which students declare their majors. A senior explains, “The moderation process, occurring during your sophomore year, forces students to think about all of their classwork to date before attempting to major in any one subject. Unlike other schools, the departments at Bard reserve the right to refuse a potential major. Students are admitted through the moderation process, during which they must choose a major, then write and defend a paper in that area against a panel of professors to gain entry. Before graduating, the student completes a senior project of their choice over the course of two semesters, then goes back before that same panel once again to discuss their progress. It’s a really challenging and rewarding process.” The typical Bard student is said to be a “…radical hyper-intellectual philosopher/artist who is too hip for his/her own good, and can frequently be found dragging on cigarettes in ironic t-shirts and skin tight jeans, discussing Hegel with their equally hip friends.” Another student adds: “Bard students are certainly hyper intellectual … they are encouraged from their first day of college to push the envelope and expand their perspectives.” A third chimes in, “a hobby or interest or personality that may have been thought of as ‘weird’ in high school is totally embraced here … people are more prone to finding other people's obscure interests exciting and interesting. Depending on where you are from, it can be the most wonderful feeling ever to finally meet kids who are like you.” If you’re a strong, intellectual student who feels like you never truly fit in with the regular kids in high school, and... more

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Comments

[Colin Bodell]

04:40 PM on 09/15/2010

Harvey Mudd Class of 2014 is 52% Women. Very impressive balance of the sexes.

[Name Not In Use]

05:28 AM on 09/08/2010

“Reed is a school full of hardworking hippies who do a lot of drugs, sleep very little, and are all bizarre individuals in some respect.”

OK. I had a friend from high school go there. Now I see why.

[Jamie Lydenberg]

01:37 PM on 09/03/2010

I currently attend Denison University and it is a wonderful little gem. If you or someone you know is looking at schools, be sure to look at Denison. I am receiving a challenging and extremely personal education at this school. I was awarded one of Denison's many amazing scholarships, so the shock of the price-tag is not all that shocking, the reality is no one actually pays full price. They have many scholarships and a great financial aid office. I also have an amazing internship on campus that helps build my work experience while giving me an income. Denison really does try to reach out to students from all over, we do have diversity. People who say we don't forget a few things, first diversity does not come in one form at Denison there is racial diversity, but also cultural, and socioeconomic. Also, Denison has an amazing Study Abroad office that encourages students to do something wild...leave! If only for a semester, and gain more knowledge about other cultures and people. That same study abroad office has financial aid and grant help, so everyone has a chance to study abroad. I am getting an amazing education here at Denison. I go to classes where eight people are discussing slave experience in Latin America as opposed to the United States then have the opportunity to go take another class on neuroscience. It is a wonderful university, I am glad it made the list.

[MMRDO]

01:14 PM on 09/02/2010

Bard has a nice pool, my sister swam there for a while.

[Steve Davis 1]

04:44 PM on 08/27/2010

My son types better than I do, as well

[Steve Davis 1]

04:43 PM on 08/27/2010

My son is a Senor at Knox College. He smiles and says yes Knox is all about diversity. He was an all conference football player, all state scholastic bowl player, had major roles in the musicals, so not really a high school loser. He does work hard at Knox will have a major in History and Political Science when he graduates on time this spring. Knox's starting quarterback had a 36 ACT and plans to enter medical school next year. One beautiful fall day I watched football until half then walked to Old Main to watch Lincoln Douglas debate . Old Main only remaining original site of the 1858 debates.

[traveling1]

07:52 PM on 09/08/2010

My daughter also attended Knox, class of '09. She thanked me on her graduation day for the best 4 years of her life. She was not a "high school" loser either - soccer player, student council president, year book editor, homecoming court, in addition to state scholar, Who's Who.... (okay I'm bragging, but she's great).

They also have some great graduation speakers, thanks to a lot of alums in high places. I saw Barack Obama, soon to be president, former President Clinton, and Stephen Colbert.

Shout out to President Roger Taylor, who made all students and parents feel welcome.

[jeffrey678]

08:33 AM on 08/27/2010

http://ocw.mit.edu/index.htm

[pebblesvanpeebles]

07:08 AM on 08/27/2010

Mills College for Women in Oakland, California! Motto: One destination, Many paths. Google that $h!+, HuffPo! :D

[karinablacktie]

11:46 PM on 08/26/2010

But the pump don't work 'cause the vandals stole the handle.

[Erika PB]

09:54 PM on 08/26/2010

You forgot to mention that Denison completely lacks diversity. Awesome...

[DenisonGuy]

12:10 AM on 08/27/2010

Not true! As an entering freshman at Denison, I was excited to hear/see that over 30% of my freshman class is "non-white"... Denison has worked hard to create an environment where people of scores of different races, ethnicities, faith traditions, etc feel comfortable and inspired. So, please be accurate.

Excited to start the school year! Go Big Red!

[dt2005]

10:22 AM on 08/27/2010

Denison pays lip service to diversity. It is incredibly intolerant of different opinions and ask how many of those non-white students actually enjoy their Denison experience and don't feel tokenized. Erika PB is completely right.

[clearthinker2008]

10:52 AM on 08/27/2010

Plus there is no such think as 0% crime rate, which kind of sounded like a code word for what your post. No diversity.

[jad12]

12:34 AM on 08/29/2010

Excuse me but did you just say that you think no crime= no diversity? And Denison does HAVE diversity. What people do with the diversity may be what you are debating. But the diversity exists in the statistics. And I must say that I learned a lot from a lot of diverse people around me while I was there- I think that speaks to the success of the diversity in at least one case. And the dialogue that goes on on that campus, though difficult, is what diversity is supposed to be about. You can't deny that people are talking about those issues- even if they don't always agree. At least they're trying to work on it.

[HerrMonk]

07:29 PM on 08/26/2010

These aren't kept secrets.

These are the colleges every high-school counselor in the US directs affluent, moderately motivated-but-don't-have-the-scores-or-grades-for-the-big-boys, non-technical kids to.

Nothing secret about them.

[mrs adler]

05:27 PM on 08/26/2010

I've always been interested on the Sarah Lawrence college, but, to the you the truth, it seems impossible to get to study in the States for a Spanish student...

[Name Not In Use]

05:24 AM on 09/08/2010

Do mean Spanish as in a citizen of Spain?

[megatza]

05:15 PM on 08/26/2010

Bard '07, and glad to see we finally made someone's list. I have to say though, i own only one pair of skinny pants, and i didn't buy them till i finished grad school. I'll also say that after you finish a Bard Senior Project (sproj), everything else is easy, including a master's thesis. I'm still trying to explain to non-Bard friends just how much time I spent studying in college.

I was surprised not to see Marlboro or St John's (my mother's alma maters), or Bennington on the list. Is it really a secret how bizzarre Reed or Hampshire students are though?

[Halsey]

03:48 PM on 08/26/2010

As a boomer, long past college days, I DO love articles like this one. Yes, I'd heard of some of the colleges, but not all. One thing annoys me. Most say where the college is; but REED and Wabash do not! Is Reed in Oregon (that's where my mind pictures it). I LOVE the pure look of academia in the buildings. I feel fortunate, having grown up in Montana and never encouraged to go to college (honey, you can be a secretary type family since I was only a girl) that I DID, years after dropping out of Anderson University (college when I went there), to get to Los Angeles, establish residency, and somehow make it to a B. A. while working 3 jobs. I LOVE walking across campuses, there is an energy. If I were young and brilliant (I'm smart, but not a genius), my gosh I'd set my sites on one of these schools; now I'll just live vicariosly through you lucky few who attend. Enjoy every tormented minute!

[Kap Hop]

06:39 AM on 08/26/2010

Want to study close to home and save on money then study in Canada.