30 Best Small Colleges for a Classical Education

Students studying in the Department of Classics at College of Charleston can choose between a Bachelor of Arts degree or a Bachelor of Science degree in Classics, Latin, or Ancient Greek. The course list is a collection of delightfully varied classes ranging in subject from the traditional (classical religion, mythology) to the uncommon (Romans in cinema, ancient medicine and science). As with any vibrant Classics department, College of Charleston offers research and fieldwork opportunities to students, usually with especially accomplished professors, and hosts a yearly lecture series on varying themes related to the Classics.

Eastern University is home to the Templeton Honors College, which admits a maximum 36 talented undergraduates per year. Templeton is a Great Books college, and each course — including mathematics, is taught using primary sources. Besides reading through the Great Books canon, students are expected to participate in class discussions, as most courses are taught in the Socratic style.

Furman University, one of the country's top-ranked liberal arts colleges, provides each and every undergraduate student with a personalized experience — a common tenet of classical education institutions. Furman students have the option of majoring in Classics, Latin, or Greek, and take a wide variety of classes in the sciences, literature, mathematics to supplement. Finally, students pursuing a classical education at Furman have the opportunity to study abroad in either Rome or Athens.

Gordon College offers a number of options to students desiring a classical education. Students can choose to pursue a Classical Studies minor, for which they're required to take various liberal arts courses, or they may join the Jerusalem & Athens Forum, an interdisciplinary honors program with a Great Books-style curriculum. However a student decides to pursue the classics at Gordon, he or she are also be encouraged to attend the Logos Conference, a workshop held at Oxford University each summer.

Students at Grinnell College in Iowa can pursue a classical education by majoring in Classics. Once a student has completed Grinnell's core requirements, he or she can choose to focus their Classics degree on either classical languages and literature, or Classical Studies. Besides on-campus education, students also have the option of conducting intensive work in classical Greek in Athens for one year, or studying in Rome or Istanbul.

Grove City College is a small liberal arts college in Grove City, Pennsylvania. The college is considered a bastion of classical thought, and actively recruits students with a classical education background. Though it does not offer a classics major like some other schools on this list, Grove City has developed a classical studies minor that will supplement well any major on its list of degree programs.

Gutenberg College is a small, private Christian college in Oregon. Consistently ranked as one of the top choices of college for homeschooled students — many of whom are classically educated — Gutenberg offers just one degree: a Bachelor of Arts in the Liberal Arts. To achieve their degree, students read and study the Great Books cannon, a series of the best works in the Western Heritage.

With a reading list that includes Homer and Sophocles, Cicero and Livy, Plutarch and Augustine, it should come as no surprise that Haverford College is included on our list of the 30 best small colleges for classical education. Through its Department of Classics, Haverford offers a major (and minor) in Classical Culture and Society. This unique course of study requires students to "explore life in Classical antiquity in all of its dimensions — from language, to literature, to history, philosophy, archaeology, and more." Alternatively, students can major in Classical and Near Eastern Archaeology, Greek, Latin, or Classical Languages.

Hillsdale College is one of those colleges that has always been intended for students who love classical education and seeking the good, the true, and the beautiful. Though Hillsdale offers dozens of major and minor options, including an impressive number of pre-professional programs, every student is required to take a series of classes rooted in the classics. These include Western Heritage, American Heritage, Great Books, and the U.S. Constitution — all of which are taught using primary sources.

While a classical education will always be, at least to some degree, an inherent part of the experience at a liberal arts college, Kenyon College in Gambier, Ohio also hosts a Department of Classics. Students choosing to major or minor in Classics at Kenyon are asked to dive into the Western Heritage and intellect through classes in mythology, history, literature, archaeology, and of course, Greek and Latin.

Obtaining a classical education in the modern metropolis of New York City? It's possible at The King's College. This small college holds classes in the Empire State Building, and offers four majors: business management; finance; politics, philosophy, and economics; and media, culture, and the arts. Regardless of major, every student takes a 20-class core curriculum. This core is deeply rooted in the classics, and includes courses on logic, the Western Heritage, Judeo-Christian thought, and persuasive speaking.

Contrary to myth, classical education does not oppose science or technology. As such, LeTorneau University, located in Longview, Texas, is a great option for the student who values a classical education but desires to major in a technical program like engineering, aeronautics, or computer science (all of which LeTorneau is well known for). Students choosing a technical major can be sure that they are still receiving a liberal arts core curriculum faithful to the traditions of a classical education.

Messiah College, a small Christian private school located in Pennsylvania, offers a very thorough classics department consisting of Classics, Medieval, and Renaissance majors. The department's list of offered courses — perhaps the dream list for those who love classical education — involves classes in Latin, Greek, Roman, and medieval history, medieval and British literature, Shakespeare, and even an archaeology class taken on-site in Cyprus! Students who choose to major in Classics may also minor in either Medieval or Renaissance Studies. Other strong departments rooted in classical education are the English and philosophy departments.

New Saint Andrews College in Moscow, Idaho may be small, but it's a powerful and inspiring place for those seeking a classical education. There's only one course of study, or "major," which consists of liberal arts classes based on some of the Western Heritage's most important works. New Saint Andrews College is especially well-known for its unique Latin program, and after graduation, students have the opportunity to pursue a graduate fellowship while translating theological works of the 16th and 17th centuries.

Though less than 20 years old, Virginia's Patrick Henry College is one of the best small colleges for classical education. Though a number of different majors are offered, students at this Christian college must all complete a very classical core curriculum that includes courses in the Bible, Constitutional law, Western literature, music appreciation, a foreign language, logic, and Euclidian geometry, to name but a few.

St. John's College in Maryland (as well as its sister school in New Mexico) is another college that makes for a great option for those students who seek a true classical education. The college offers only one major, a bachelor's degree in the Liberal Arts, and each student follows a curriculum rooted in the Great Books. Classes are usually taught in the Socratic style, in which discussion is important, and all books and materials are primary sources.

Students at Swarthmore College have the privilege of studying in a top-ranked liberal arts environment and, should they so choose, a solid Classics Department. Swarthmore's Classics Department, which also houses the honors program, offers both minors and majors in Greek, Latin, Classical Studies, and Ancient History. Students are required to complete a senior course study and oral exam. Those studying the classics at Swarthmore have the option of participating in study abroad programs at the Intercollegiate Center for Classical Studies in Rome, or in countries like Ireland, Greek, and Italy.

Homer, Plato, St. Augustine, Descartes, Shakespeare — not only are these all necessary for a true classical education, but they're all required reading at Thomas Aquinas College. This small Roman Catholic college is one of the Great Books colleges, and is deeply rooted in the classical tradition. All classes are taught using primary sources, and students complete a solid curriculum in order to achieve a Bachelor of Arts in the Liberal Arts.

Consistently ranked as one of the best Catholic colleges in the country, University of Dallas is a bastion of academic pride and classical thought. The university employs both the Great Books and the liberal arts, providing students in search of a classical education with the best of both worlds. The politics and art departments are especially strong here, and nearly 80% of students study abroad (mostly in Rome).

Students looking for a classical education will feel right at home at Wheaton College, a top-ranked liberal arts school. Wheaton's rigorous core curriculum exposes students to a variety of subjects, including mathematics, literature, philosophy, history, natural and social sciences, art, and foreign languages. Each class is rooted in classical ideals, ensuring that students graduate with the knowledge and virtue that such an education provides.