The best college in New Hampshire for 2027 is Dartmouth College in Hanover, followed by the University of New Hampshire (UNH) in Manchester. Most of the state’s schools are in the more populous southern half, in cities such as Manchester, Nashua and Concord, the capital. They range from midsize universities to small liberal arts colleges, and the public universities are part of the University System of New Hampshire. Our best colleges list for New Hampshire covers 13 schools.

The New England Regional Student Program lets New Hampshire residents pay no more than 175 percent of in-state tuition at public institutions in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, Connecticut and Maine, as long as they are enrolled in an eligible degree program.

Our order follows the UM World University Rankings methodology and our university rankings. Use it to compare costs, majors and campus life before you apply.

The Best Colleges In New Hampshire 2027

 

1. Dartmouth College

Dartmouth College received its royal charter on December 13, 1769, and sits in Hanover, in the Upper Valley. This private Ivy League research university was founded by Eleazar Wheelock and Samson Occom and is the smallest Ivy by enrollment, with about 6,700 students in fall 2023.

It includes the Geisel School of Medicine, the Thayer School of Engineering and the Tuck School of Business, and it runs on a quarter system with four ten-week terms. The 1956 Dartmouth Workshop is widely seen as the founding event of artificial intelligence, and Dartmouth BASIC began here. The Big Green plays NCAA Division I in the Ivy League. Alumni include Dr. Seuss and Fred Rogers.

 

2. University of New Hampshire

The University of New Hampshire was founded in 1866 as the New Hampshire College of Agriculture and the Mechanic Arts in Hanover. It moved to Durham in 1893 and became the University of New Hampshire in 1923. It is a public land-grant R1 research university.

Colleges and schools include the Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics, the Thompson School of Applied Science, the Carsey School of Public Policy, the School of Law and the School of Marine Science and Ocean Engineering. The Wildcats compete in NCAA Division I, with hockey in Hockey East. Novelist John Irving and former governor John Lynch are alumni.

 

3. University of New Hampshire at Manchester

University of New Hampshire at Manchester is the University of New Hampshire’s urban campus. It sits in the Pandora Mill at 88 Commercial Street in the Amoskeag Millyard, on the Merrimack River.

The campus moved there in March 2015 from the University Center at 400 Commercial Street, where it had been since 2001. Students earn a University of New Hampshire degree without leaving the state’s largest city. It is a handy choice for commuters and working adults in southern New Hampshire. UNH was founded in 1866 and has carried its current name since 1923. Manchester is New Hampshire’s largest city, so the campus sits close to employers.

 

4. Saint Anselm College

Saint Anselm College was incorporated in 1889 and sits in Goffstown, just outside Manchester. It is a private Catholic liberal arts college run in the Benedictine tradition, with about 2,100 students in fall 2024.

Students choose from 69 majors across 32 subject areas, and graduate programs include a Master of Public Policy, a Master of Arts in Criminal Justice and an online Master of Science in Nursing Leadership and Innovation. The Hawks compete in NCAA Division II with 23 varsity sports, and the field hockey team won the 2024 national championship, the college’s first. The mailing address is in Manchester, and Connecticut senator Thomas J. Dodd attended Saint Anselm Preparatory, the college’s former prep school.

 

5. Southern New Hampshire University

Southern New Hampshire University began on September 12, 1932, as the New Hampshire School of Accounting and Secretarial Science. It became Southern New Hampshire University on July 1, 2001, and its campus covers more than 300 acres along the Merrimack River in Manchester and Hooksett.

About 3,000 students study on campus, and more than 100,000 learn online, making SNHU one of the largest online universities in the country. The Penmen play NCAA Division II in the Northeast-10 Conference. Alumni include Samia Suluhu Hassan, president of Tanzania, and former U.S. Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Elaine Duke. It was New Hampshire College from 1969 until 2001.

 

6. Keene State College

Keene State College opened in 1909 as Keene Normal School and became Keene State College in 1963. This public liberal arts college is part of the University System of New Hampshire and enrolled about 2,900 students in fall 2024.

It offers more than 40 undergraduate areas of study, with the largest majors in education, business management, psychology, safety and occupational health, and criminal justice. Keene State was the first accredited U.S. university to offer a four-year undergraduate degree in Holocaust and genocide studies. The Owls play Division III in the Little East Conference. Alumni include basketball coach Jim Ferry and television host Fritz Wetherbee.

 

7. Plymouth State University

Plymouth State University traces its roots to Holmes Plymouth Academy in 1808 and became Plymouth Normal School in 1871. It took the name Plymouth State University in 2003. This public university is in the University System of New Hampshire and enrolled about 3,700 students in 2024.

Since 2017, it has organized academics into seven interdisciplinary clusters instead of departments, and business and education are the most popular majors. The Panthers play Division III in the Little East Conference, and the annual President’s Cup against Keene State is the big rivalry. Alumni include New Hampshire Senate President Chuck Morse and model Anok Yai.

 

8. Rivier University

Rivier University was founded in 1933 in Hudson by the Sisters of the Presentation of Mary and moved to its 68-acre Nashua campus in 1941. It was Rivier College until July 1, 2012. It is a private Catholic university with about 2,200 students.

It runs undergraduate day programs, a professional studies division for online and evening undergraduates, and graduate studies, with courses in traditional, online and hybrid formats. The New England Commission of Higher Education accredits it. The Raiders play NCAA Division III in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference, and in 2020 Marika Lyszczyk became the first woman to catch in a men’s college baseball game while playing for Rivier.

 

9. Colby-Sawyer College

Colby-Sawyer College was chartered in 1837 as New London Academy. The private college sits on 200 acres with 32 buildings in New London, in the Lake Sunapee region, and enrolls about 940 students.

Academics span business, exercise and sport sciences, fine and performing arts, natural and environmental studies, humanities, nursing and health professions, and social sciences and education. Required internships and pre-professional tracks in pre-law, pre-medical and pre-veterinary are available. The Chargers play Division III in the Great Northeast Athletic Conference, and the equestrian team won the 1989 national hunt-seat title. The college settled on its name after a 1970s trademark dispute with Colby College in Maine, and children’s author Tomie dePaola taught there.

 

10. Franklin Pierce University

Franklin Pierce University was founded in 1962 as Franklin Pierce College, and its first students arrived in winter 1963. It became a university in 2007. The private school sits on about 1,200 acres in Rindge, near Mount Monadnock.

It offers undergraduate programs in arts, sciences and professional fields, and its College of Graduate and Professional Studies has campuses in Manchester and Lebanon, New Hampshire, and Goodyear, Arizona. The Ravens field 24 varsity sports, and the women’s ice hockey team plays Division I. The New England accreditor has accredited the school since 1968.

 

11. New England College

New England College was founded in 1946 in Henniker, about 17 miles west of Concord. This private, nonprofit liberal arts college enrolled more than 4,300 students in fall 2020, counting a large graduate population.

It offers nine associate, 37 bachelor’s, 12 master’s and two doctoral programs in four divisions: Art & Design; Humanities; Management; and Science, Health & Education. The New Hampshire Institute of Art merged into the college in 2019. The Pilgrims play NCAA Division III and brought football back in 2023 after a 50-year break. Actress Geena Davis attended as a freshman. The Manchester campus closed in 2023, and former FEMA director Wallace Stickney is an alumnus.

 

12. Thomas More College of Liberal Arts

Thomas More College of Liberal Arts was founded in 1978 in Merrimack. It is a small private Catholic college named after Saint Thomas More, and the New England Commission of Higher Education accredits it.

It offers a single degree, a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts. The first two years focus on the trivium and quadrivium, and every student studies a semester in Rome in the second half of sophomore year. A junior project and senior thesis are required. The college accepts the Classic Learning Test in place of the SAT or ACT, and a guild program in practical arts began in 2010.

 

13. SNHU Online

SNHU Online is the online side of Southern New Hampshire University, which says it has over 200,000 online students. The university offers programs online and at regional centers, including Salem, New Hampshire, and Brunswick, Maine.

Online students earn the same degree as on campus, from a university founded in 1932 and accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education. SNHU offers more than 200 programs from certificates to doctoral degrees, and the flexible schedules suit adults who work or care for family. The university’s College of Online & Continuing Education runs the programs, and its main campus is in Manchester and Hooksett.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best college in New Hampshire?

Dartmouth College in Hanover is first on our 2027 list, followed by the University of New Hampshire and UNH at Manchester. Dartmouth is a private Ivy League research university with about 6,700 students.

What is the largest university in New Hampshire?

Southern New Hampshire University, with more than 200,000 online students and about 3,000 on campus. The University of New Hampshire is the largest traditional campus, with nearly 15,000 students in 2019.

What is the oldest college in New Hampshire?

Dartmouth College, which received its royal charter on December 13, 1769. It is one of nine colonial colleges chartered before the American Revolution.

Which New Hampshire colleges are public?

The University of New Hampshire, UNH at Manchester, Keene State College and Plymouth State University are public and part of the University System of New Hampshire.

Can New Hampshire students attend college in other New England states at a discount?

Yes. The New England Regional Student Program lets New Hampshire residents pay no more than 175 percent of in-state tuition at public institutions in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Vermont, Connecticut, and Maine for an eligible degree program.

Can you study online at a New Hampshire college?

Yes. SNHU Online offers more than 200 programs,s from certificates to doctoral degrees, and Rivier University and Saint Anselm College also offer online and hybrid options.

Top 13 Best Colleges in New Hampshire 2027: Ranked List

1. Dartmouth College
2. University of New Hampshire
3. University of New Hampshire at Manchester
4. Saint Anselm College
5. Southern New Hampshire University
6. Keene State College
7. Plymouth State University
8. Rivier University
9. Colby-Sawyer College
10. Franklin Pierce University
11. New England College
12. Thomas More College of Liberal Arts
13. SNHU Online

 

 

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