The Most Liberal Colleges In America

As a private liberal arts institution located in its namesake city in Pennsylvania, Bryn Mawr enrolls more than 1,600 female students in primarily undergraduate programs. Learners may choose from interdisciplinary and intercultural majors such as gender and sexuality, ecology, and women's studies.

The first college in the U.S. to establish a self-government association in 1892, which enabled students to develop and implement their own rules, Bryn Mawr continues to emphasize independent learning in its programs. The college's celebration of diversity is evident in its most recent undergraduate class, which included almost 50% minority, multiracial, and international students.

The college hosts numerous LGBTQ+ student groups, such as the Rainbow Alliance. After committing to reducing its carbon footprint in 2014, Bryn Mawr received a silver star rating from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. It also received a Tree Campus designation from the Arbor Day Foundation.

Since its inception in 1997, Olin has emphasized collaborative, interdisciplinary learning by housing all educational programs together, with no tenured faculty or academic departments. Olin strives to maintain a gender-balance on campus, and the college educates students from several countries around the world.

Olin students enjoy more than a dozen groups dedicated to supporting diversity on campus, including the LGBTQ+ community, students of color, and religious groups. Highlights include Open, which hosts LGBTQ+ movie nights and drag shows; the MIX, which connects students with the National Society of Black Engineers and the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers; and the Identity and Engineering Cocurricular.

Olin also ranks among the nation's top liberal colleges for its initiatives and programs in environmental sustainability and responsible engineering practices. As a co-leader of the International Development Design Summit, the college also offers year-long capstone experiences.

A private liberal arts institution located halfway between Des Moines and Iowa City, Iowa, Grinnell enrolls students from all 50 states and almost 50 countries. More than 24% of its students identify as people of color. Grinnell's undergraduate curriculum features only one required course, with each student tailoring the remainder of their program to their unique path of study.

Grinnell encourages students to seek out independent learning opportunities, expand their cultural awareness, and take a global perspective. The college offers more than 3,000 internship opportunities in the U.S. and internationally, and it features mentored project options; more than 40% of students participate in these projects.

Grinnell hosts more than 150 student groups and offers more than 500 free lectures and symposia each year. Grinnell's dining hall features local food choices, including many vegetarian and vegan options. The campus sits near the Conard Environmental Research Area, registering 10 distinct ecosystems and more than 100 bird species.

As the seventh-oldest college in the U.S., Brown is an Ivy League institution located in Providence, Rhode Island. Brown's undergraduate students do not declare traditional majors; instead, they choose from more than 80 distinct academic concentrations. The school's open-curriculum policy mandates that all programs meet minimum requirements for diversity and inclusion coursework.

Brown's diverse community includes the queer legacy series and an LGBTQ+ leadership award. Students can also participate in BiG (Brown is Green) initiatives toward reducing waste and improving water efficiency.

Brown Dining Services was the first of its kind in Rhode Island to become Green Restaurant Certified, with more than 20% of options from "real food" sources and 100% fair-trade-certified coffee. The university also participates in the Food Recovery Verified program, which donates surplus perishable food to communities in need.

Harvey Mudd -- a private liberal arts college in Claremont, California -- offers primarily STEM and STEM-related programs in the humanities. Through academic and advocacy initiatives, Harvey Mudd strives to increase diversity in the STEM workforce, especially for minority and female learners. Student enrollment features a 1-to-1 male-to-female ratio on campus.

Harvey Mudd's Office of Institutional Diversity (OID) supports multiple student-led organizations, including BLAM (Black Lives at Mudd), FEMUnion (Feminist Empowerment at Mudd), and PRISM (People Respecting Identities and Sexualities at Mudd). Additionally, OID hosts programs like WOKEshop and the Chew on This lunchtime learning series.

As a member of the U.S. Green Building Council, Harvey Mudd houses four Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design-certified buildings on campus and created its own sustainability committee. The college's president, Maria Klawe, is a signatory member of the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment.

Mount Holyoke emphasizes collaborative, forward-thinking programs in an all-female environment. The school also welcomes transgender students who identify as women, female, or other. Twenty-seven percent of Mount Holyoke's students come from outside the U.S., and 25% of domestic students identify as racial or ethnic minorities.

Mount Holyoke offers resources for low-income, LGBTQ+, and undocumented and DACA enrollees to cultivate a diverse student body. The school also offers nearly 50 majors, 35% of which are interdisciplinary, including programs in critical social thought, identity studies, and sustainability.

Home of the Miller Worley Center for the Environment, Mount Holyoke plans to achieve carbon neutrality by 2037. The school hosts a living laboratory and programs in environmental and sustainability studies. Mount Holyoke is also home to a women's leadership center and the feminist a capella group, Nice Shoes.

Known for its exemplary gender relations studies, Sarah Lawrence attracts predominantly female students. At the forefront of social and political activism since the 1950s, the college is also known for its progressive LGBTQ+ policies on campus. The college strives to meet the needs of its geographically, racially, and culturally diverse student body with sensitivity.

Sarah Lawrence students support liberal causes, often participating in peaceful protests and volunteer opportunities in the local community or nearby New York City's cultural hub. The school recently opened the Barbara Walters Campus Center to maximize environmental sustainability and celebrate natural resources.

Sarah Lawrence promotes sustainable and eco-friendly "green dining," using 100% recycled cans, 100% recycled plastic storage, and only naturally produced, biodegradable fryer oil. Additionally, the college incorporates trayless dining options and locally sourced food.

Pioneering women's rights since its founding in 1861, Vassar embraces diversity among its community members and sustainability of the environment as two of its core principles. Vassar's Campus Life and Diversity Office houses the LGBTQ Center, the Women's Center, and the ALANA Cultural Center, which supports students of color.

The school's Office of Sustainability promotes campus-wide green initiatives, including efforts to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030 and maintaining the 400-acre Vassar Farm and Ecological Preserve. Additionally, Vassar banned the sale of water bottles on campus and hosts a weekly farmers' market to promote healthy eating habits among students.

Vassar offers more than 50 majors, exploring diverse topics such as putting sustainability theory into practice, female studies, and immigration. Students can seek out experimental learning opportunities through CAAD (creative arts across disciplines) workshops and attend the Collabotory mobile art venue.

Emerson enrolls more than 4,400 students at its private campus in Boston, Massachusetts -- located in the heart of the city's theater district. Women represent more than 60% of the student body. Additionally, 16% of Emerson students hail from international locations.

Students choose from more than 70 graduate, undergraduate, and certificate programs in fields emphasizing communication and the liberal arts. Emerson offers undergraduate options like environmental studies; women's, gender, and sexuality studies; and an individually designed interdisciplinary program.

Emerson's green community, Eco Corps, distributes reusable tumblers and dishware for use in the dining hall to all first-year students. Additionally, Emerson aspires to carbon neutrality by 2030. The college also generates 100% of its electricity through green power sources.

Founded in 1889 in the Presbyterian tradition, Agnes Scott currently operates as one of the nation's premier liberal arts colleges for women. This private institution enrolls more than 1,000 students from around the world at its campus in metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia.

Agnes Scott maintains one of the oldest collegiate honor systems and student-led self-governments in the United States. The college launched SUMMIT in 2015 -- a signature series of core curriculum required of all Agnes Scott students. The module emphasizes global learning and leadership in the liberal arts through a three-day immersion, a week-long global study tour, and personal career mentorship.

The college's Center for Global Diversity and Inclusion supports initiatives including heritage/history month celebrations, multiple intercultural dialogue series, and a Safe Zone program for LGBTQ+ students. Agnes Scott also maintains a campus arboretum, containing more than 100 different species of trees.