<p>My d will be going SUNY Potsdam and more precisely the Crane School of Music. We are from Canada and everytime we have either talked to and or been down to the University they have made my d feel so welcome that she already feels like she belongs. Mind you that when we have gone down the joke is to not blink because you might miss the town, she is so excited that it is worth every cent and that is a lot given what our dollar is worth right now. As a parent we researched the school with her and it comes up with flying colors and it is still close enough to come home. The only draw back is no public bus system to come home by. It is a 2 hour car drive but 20 hours by bus. This is a great thread and gives us all a chance to hear of other schools.</p>
<p>Bethany College, in West Virginia, should be on that list. It is the oldest private school in the state and was founded by the Disciples of Christ (same denomination that founded Hiram College, among others). Currently about 850 students, but plans to grow back up to 1,000+, where it was in the 1970s before deliberately scaling back. Good pre-professional programs, excellent communications program. Alums include CBS national correspondent Bob Orr, ESPN sportscaster Dave Sims, former CBS Morning Show host Faith Daniels and âFargoâ actress Frances McDormand. In the Top 200 of colleges and universities in terms of percentage of graduates who go on to earn the PhD.</p>
<p>Just updating: Since this is supposed to be less-well known colleges and Universities I have taken liberties and omitted some of the newer submissions. Sorry in advance but Cal Poly SLO and Saint Maryâs MD just donât fit the bill.</p>
<p>Agnes Scott College (Decatur, GA)
Alberston College (Caldwell, ID)
Albion College (Albion, MI)
Albright College (Reading, PA)
Alfred University, (Alfred, N.Y.)
Allegheny College (Meadville, PA)
Alma College (Alma, MI)
Alverno College (Milwaukee, WI)
Arcadia University (Glenside, PA)
Augustana College (Rock Island, IL)
Augustana College (Sioux Falls, SD)
Austin College (Sherman, TX) CTCL 1
Babson College (Babson Park, MA)
Belmont Abbey College (Charlotte, NC)
Beloit (Beloit, WI) CTCL 1
Bennington College (Bennington, VT)
Bentley College (Waltham, MA)
Berea College (Berea, KY)
Bethel University (St. Paul, MN)
Bradley University (Peoria, IL)
Bryant University (Smithfield, RI)
Butler University (Indianapolis, IN)
Cal State Monterey Bay (Seaside, CA)
Calvin College (Grand Rapids, MI)
Canisius College (Buffalo, NY)
Carrol College (Waukesha, WI)
Carroll College (Helena, MT)
Carthage College (Kenosha, WI)
Chapman University (Orange, CA)
Christopher Newport University (Newport News, VA)
Clark (Worcester, MA) CTCL 1
Coe College (Cedar Rapids, IA)
College of New Jersey (Ewing NJ)
College of Santa Fe (NM)
College of St. Rose (Albany, NY)
College of the Atlantic (Bar Harbor, ME)
Colorado School of Mines (Golden, CO)
Columbia College Chicago (Chicago)
Cornell College (Mount Vernon, IA) CTCL 1
Curry College (Milton, MA)
Denison University (Granville, OH) CTCL 1
DePaul University (Chicago, IL)
DeSales University (Center Valley, PA)
Dickinson Colege (Carlisle, PA)
Drew University (Madison, NJ)
Earlham College (Richmond, IN) CTCL 1
East Carolina University (Greenville, NC)
Eastern Illinois University (Charleston, IL)
Eckerd College (St. Petersburg, FL) CTCL 1
Elizabethtown College (Elizabethtown, PA)
Elmira College (Elmira, NY)
Elmurst College (Elmhurst, IL)
Elon University (Elon, NC)
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Daytona Beach, FL)
Evergreen State College (Olympia, WA) CTCL 1
Fairleigh Dickinson University (Madison, NJ)
Florida Atlantic University (Boca Raton, FL)
Fontbonne University (St. Louis, MO)
Fordham University â Lincoln Center (NY, NY)
Fordham University â Rosehill (Bronx, NY)
Gannon University (Erie, PA)
Geneva College (Beaver Falls, PA)
Georgetown College (Georgetown, KY)
Gettysburg College (Gettysburg, PA)
Gonzaga University (Spokane, WA)
Goshen College (Goshen, IN)
Grand Valley State University (Allendale, MI)
Grove City College (Grove City, PA)
Guilford College (Greensboro, NC) CTCL 1
Gustavus Adolphus College (St. Peter, MN)
Hampden-Sydney College (Hampden-Sydney, VA)
Hampshire College (Amherst, MA) CTCL 1
Hanover College (Hanover, `IN)
Heidelberg College (Tiffin, OH)
Hendrix College (Conway, Ark) CTCL 1
Hillsdale College (Hillsdale, MI)
Hiram College (Hiram, OH) CTCL 1
Hobart & William Smith Colleges (Geneva, NY)
Howard Payne University (Brownwood, TX)
Humboldt State University (Arcata, CA)
Illinois College (Jacksonville, IL)
Illinois Wesleyan University (Bloomington, IL)
Ithaca College (Ithaca, NY)
James Madison University (Harrisonburg, VA)
Juniata College (Huntingdon, PA)
Kalamazoo College (Kalamazoo, MI) CTCL 1
Keene State College (Keene, NH)
Kettering University of Engineering (Flint, MI)
Keuka College (Keuka Park, NY)
Knox College (Galesburg, IL) CTCL 1
Lake Forest College (Lake Forest, IL)
Lawrence University (Appleton, WI) CTCL 1
Linfield College (McMinnifield, OR)
Louisiana Tech University (Ruston, LA)
Luther College (Decorah, Ia)
Lycoming College (Williamsport, PA)
Lynn University (Boca Raton, FL)
Manhattan College (Riverdale, NY)
Manhattanville College (Purchase, NY)
Marlboro College (Marlboro, VT) CTCL 1
Marquette University (Milwaukee, WI)
McDaniel College (Westminster, MD)
Mercer College (Macon, GA.)
Miami University (Oxford, OH)
Millikin University (Decatur, IL)
Mills College (Oakland, CA)
Millsaps College (Jackson, MS) CTCL 1
Minot State University (Bottineau, ND)
Mitchell College (New London, CT)
Montreat College (Montreat, NC)
Muhlenberg College (Allentown, PA)
Nebraska Wesleyan University (Lincoln, NE)
New College of Florida (Sarasota, FL) CTCL 1
New England College (Henniker, New Hampshire,)
New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology (Socorro, NM)
Northland College (Ashland, WI.)
Northwestern College (Orange City, IA)
Ohio Dominican University (Columbus, OH)
Ohio Northern University (Ada, OH)
Otterbein College (Westerville, OH)
Pepperdine University (Malibu, CA)
Prescott College (Prescott, AZ)
Principia College (Elsah, IL)
Queens University (Charlotte, NC)
Randolph College (Lynchburg, VA)
Randolph-Macon College (Ashland, VA)
Reed College (Portland, OR)
Regis University (Denver, CO)
Ripon College (Ripon, WI)
Roanoke College (Salem, VA)
Roger Williams University (Bristol, RI)
Rollins College (Winter Park, FL)
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology (Terre Haute, IN)
Saint Maryâs College of Maryland (St. Maryâs City, MD)
Saint Lawrence University (Canton, NY)
San Jose State University (San Jose CA)
Santa Clara University (Santa Clara, CA)
Seton Hall University (South Orange, NJ)
Sewanee/The University of the South (TN)
Simmons College (Boston, MA)
SMU (Dallas, TX)
Sonoma State University (Rohnert Park, CA)
Southeastern Missouri State University (Cape Girardeau, MO)
Southwestern University (Georgetown, TX) CTCL 1
Spring Arbor University (Spring Arbor, MI)
Springfield Technical Community College (Springfield, MA)
St. Louis University (St. Louis, MO)
St. Ambrose University (Davenport, IA)
St. Catherine, College of (St. Paul, MN)
St. Francis College (Brooklyn Heights, NY)
St. MaryÂs College (South Bend, IN)
St. Michaelâs College (Colchester, VT)
St. Olaf College (Northfield, MN) CTCL 1
St. Vincent College (Latrobe, PA)
Stetson University (Deland, FL)
Stonehill College (Easton MA)
SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry
SUNY Purchase
SUNY Maritime
Taylor University (Upland, IN)
Texas Christian University (Fort Worth, TX)
Temple University (Philadelphia, PA)
The College of New Jersey (Ewing, NJ)
Trinity U (San Antonio, TX)
Truman State University (Kirksville, MO)
University of Minnesota â Morris (Morris, MN)
University of Akron (Akron, Ohio)
University of Alabama (Huntsville, AL)
University of British Columbia (BC, Canada)
University of Central Florida (Orlando, FL)
University of Cincinnatti (Cincinnatti, OH)
University of Dallas (Irving, TX)
University of Dayton (Dayton, OH)
University of Denver (Denver, CO)
University of Louisville (Louisville, KY)
University of Mary Washington (Fredricksburg, VA)
University of New England (Biddeford, ME)
University of North Carolina at Charlotte (Charlotte, N.C.)
University of North Carolina at Asheville ( Asheville N.C)
University of Portland (Portland, OR)
University of Redlands (Redlands, CA)
University of San Francisco (San Francisco, CA)
University of St. Thomas (St. Paul, MN.)
University of Tulsa (Tulsa, OK)
University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee (Milwaukee, WI)
Ursinus College (Collegeville, PA)
Walla Walla Community College (Walla Walla, WA)
Walsh University (North Canton, OH)
Warren Wilson College (Asheville, NC)
Wartburg College (Waverly, Iowa)
Washington & Jefferson College (Washington, PA) CTCL 1
Washington College (Chestertown, MD)
Wayne State College (Wayne, NE)
Wells College (Aurora, NY)
Western Washington U (Bellingham, WA)
Westminster College (New Wilmington, PA)
Westmont College (Santa Barbara, CA)
Whittier College (Whittier, CA)
Whitworth University (Spokane, WA)
Wichita State University (Wichita, KS)
Willamette University (Salem, OR)
Winona State University (Winona, MN)
Wittenberg University (Springfield, OH)
Wofford College (Spartanburg, SC)
Wooster, College of (Wooster, OH) CTCL 1
Xavier University (Cincinnati, OH)
York College of Pennsylvania (York, PA)</p>
<p>Honorable Mentions:
Centre College (Danville, KY) CTCL 1
Furman University (Greenville, SC)
Rhodes College (Memphis, TN) CTCL 1</p>
<p>Perhaps add Ball State (Muncie, IN).</p>
<p>Add Goucher. It is a amazing college, international emphasis, quirky, smart, (mostly) hard-working students.</p>
<p>Ummm I think Saint Maryâs definitely does fit the billâŠ</p>
<p>St. Maryâs College Of Maryland doesnât fit the bill?</p>
<p>Ask around and see how many people around here actually know that schoolâŠ</p>
<p>I think anyone who has looked into top public colleges (as opposed to universities) knows about St. Maryâs. It is one of the top 2 or 3 âpublic LACsâ. A case could be made that it is better than SUNY Geneseo which is usually looked upon as the gold standard.</p>
<p>Personally, my reading of this thread was that NONE of the schools specifically listed on the CC colleges forums (Top LACs, Top universities, Ivys, Alphabetical) met the criteria for being âlittle known.â</p>
<p>well according to the list historymom has, Reed College is on the list, Reed is ranked better than St. Maryâs College Of Maryland and is better known, therefore I think SMCM should be on the list too and considered âlesser knownâ</p>
<p>Reed College was considered by Meadow Soprano. It is NOT little known.</p>
<p>I think St Maryâs definitely fits the bill. Mention it outside of a 500 mile radius and youâll get blank stares. And it is a gem!</p>
<p>Mention Bates, Colby, Hamilton or Dickinson outside a 500-mile radius and youâll get a blank stare. Fact is, outside of HYPSM and the big Football powers there are no well known colleges if you are polling the average American. But this is CC and we are all above average â at least when it comes to knowing about colleges.</p>
<p>so what is your definition of âlesser knownâ?</p>
<p>ooopppps sorry I stand corrected. Sorry for my self centric assessment. Please add it.</p>
<p>Like I said above, any school that CC does not list by name in the âColleges and Universitiesâ sub-forums. CC lists several hundred colleges by name so that leaves, oh, maybe 2,500+ that meets my criteria as a âlittle knownâ school.</p>
<p>By that criterion, one would have to weed quite a few other schools off this list. Just glancing at the list, I see several that CC has sub-forums for.</p>
<p>Before we started the college search last spring/fall, there were a LOT of schools on both the âtop 20 collegesâ and âalphabetical listâ that Iâd never heard of. Could be our semi-isolation in SoCal â or the vast universe of great schools out there!</p>
<p>As the original poster (not that that means anything now that this thread has itâs own life!), lesser known to me meant that the average person on the street would likely have not heard of the school. So, likely not as many large publics and many privates. That people would read the comments and say âoh, never heard of that - but itâs within our region and we should take a look because of âŠâ </p>
<p>To me, that definitely means most of the schools with forums that are actually visited on CC are out. </p>
<p>Hidden gems people. You can still brag about your more well-known school - just not on this thread. :)</p>
<p>I would be happy to do that ChiSquare, but it isnât my thread. I was just stating my opinion. Other posters will have differing opinions and I, for one, and glad for that. My tone, in case it was unclear, was one of bemusement as much as anything. If I knew how to work those darned emoticons I think my ability to communicate online would improve 100%.</p>
<p>Gotcha! Sorry to waste time on a silly debate. On to more important issues, like whether to buy dental floss on my way home.</p>