Smith College tops College Raptor's 2027 ranking of hidden-gem colleges in New England, followed by Mount Holyoke College, Trinity College, the Rhode Island School of Design and Brandeis University.
The category spans Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont. Other schools on the list include Bryant University at No. 6, Bennington College at No. 8, Saint Anselm College at No. 9 and Maine Maritime Academy at No. 29.
College Raptor uses specific thresholds to define a hidden gem. Its methodology requires fewer than 10,000 annual applications, fewer than 7,000 undergraduate students, an acceptance rate above 20% and at least five distinct majors. Schools must also rank in the top half of its overall college rankings.
The company says it may include the closest match when a state has no institution meeting those requirements. The label is therefore a category within its own ranking system, rather than a measure of how familiar a college is to local residents.
Its overall scoring formula considers retention, admissions test scores and graduation rates, alongside faculty salary, student-to-faculty ratio, selectivity and endowment per student. College Raptor says the data largely come from colleges' reports to the National Center for Education Statistics.
The methodology page was updated September 17. The regional list identifies itself as the 2027 edition but does not display a clear release date, so its placements should be described as the current edition rather than a newly announced ranking.
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