Best Colleges in New Hampshire
With a population of 1.35 million residents across less than 10,000 square miles, New Hampshire is one of the smallest and least-populous states in the U.S. Even so, its geographic location — with easy access to major cities like Boston, New York, and Montreal — helps make the state a popular hub for business and industry.
New Hampshire’s major industries vary by region. For example, tourism provides a substantial economic boost in the Lakes Region, while the manufacturing and technology industries are highly concentrated in the Seacoast and Merrimack Valley regions. Healthcare also plays a major role throughout the state, with registered nurses standing out as one of the top occupations by number of employees, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Data from the BLS suggest that a college degree can lead to significantly increased wages over time, and New Hampshire’s 20+ colleges and universities offer higher education access to individuals who want to improve their earning potential. However, choosing your ideal school can be difficult. To aid you in your search, we have compiled a list of the top 10 colleges in New Hampshire. The following ranking highlights some of the academic offerings, admission requirements, and campus life and culture of these schools. Read on to look for your ideal college match.
Best Accredited Colleges in New Hampshire
- In-State$60,687
- Out-of-state$60,687
- In-State$60,687
- Out-of-state$60,687
- Retention Rate98%
- Acceptance Rate6%
- Students Enrolled6,746
- Institution TypePrivate
- Percent Online Enrollment2%
- AccreditationYes
University of New Hampshire-Main Campus
Durham, NH- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$15,520
- Out-of-state$35,290
- In-State$14,170
- Out-of-state$27,810
- Retention Rate86%
- Acceptance Rate87%
- Students Enrolled13,679
- Institution TypePublic
- Percent Online Enrollment26%
- AccreditationYes
- In-State$43,940
- Out-of-state$43,940
- In-State$25,000
- Out-of-state$25,000
- Retention Rate90%
- Acceptance Rate78%
- Students Enrolled2,078
- Institution TypePrivate
- Percent Online Enrollment25%
- AccreditationYes
University of New Hampshire at Manchester
- Manchester, NH
- 4 year
- Campus
- In-State$15,150
- Out-of-state$34,010
- In-State$14,170
- Out-of-state$15,590
- Retention Rate65%
- Acceptance Rate85%
- Students Enrolled534
- Institution TypePublic
- Percent Online Enrollment47%
- AccreditationYes
- In-State$11,754
- Out-of-state$22,663
- In-State$9,756
- Out-of-state$11,286
- Retention Rate77%
- Acceptance Rate90%
- Students Enrolled2,890
- Institution TypePublic
- Percent Online Enrollment6%
- AccreditationYes
- In-State$35,445
- Out-of-state$35,445
- In-State$11,080
- Out-of-state$11,080
- Retention Rate76%
- Acceptance Rate84%
- Students Enrolled2,551
- Institution TypePrivate
- Percent Online Enrollment50%
- AccreditationYes
- In-State$11,870
- Out-of-state$22,810
- In-State$6,720
- Out-of-state$9,240
- Retention Rate71%
- Acceptance Rate91%
- Students Enrolled3,839
- Institution TypePublic
- Percent Online Enrollment48%
- AccreditationYes
- In-State$46,364
- Out-of-state$46,364
- In-State$13,800
- Out-of-state$13,800
- Retention Rate74%
- Acceptance Rate78%
- Students Enrolled943
- Institution TypePrivate
- Percent Online Enrollment12%
- AccreditationYes
- In-State$39,055
- Out-of-state$39,055
- In-State$37,200
- Out-of-state$37,200
- Retention Rate74%
- Acceptance Rate93%
- Students Enrolled1,663
- Institution TypePrivate
- Percent Online Enrollment35%
- AccreditationYes
Southern New Hampshire University
- Manchester, NH
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$15,000
- Out-of-state$15,000
- In-State$18,900
- Out-of-state$18,900
- Retention Rate62%
- Acceptance Rate96%
- Students Enrolled164,091
- Institution TypePrivate
- Percent Online Enrollment97%
- AccreditationYes
How We Rank Schools
At BestColleges, we believe a college education is one of the most important investments you can make. We help you navigate the college selection process by offering transparent, inclusive, and relevant school rankings.
We use datasets from trusted sources like the National Center for Education Statistics to inform the data for these schools and our methodologies. This ranking is from 2020. To learn more, check out our full ranking methodologies.
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