State Rankings

Best Colleges in Connecticut

Top colleges in Connecticut ranked by national standing and graduate outcomes, updated 2026.

Colleges listed: 28

Avg grad earnings: $67,120

Public / Private: 12 / 16

Top Colleges in Connecticut

Nationally ranked schools appear first. Remaining schools are ordered by median graduate earnings.

State #	School	Type	Grad Earnings	Admit Rate	SAT Avg	Grad Rate	Out-of-State
1	Yale University New Haven#10 national	Private	$100,533	4.5%	1,534	96.3%	$64,700
2	Connecticut College New London#113 national	Private	$75,001	38.3%	1,412	83.8%	$64,812
3	University of Connecticut Storrs#129 national	Public	$73,997	53.9%	1,338	83.8%	$43,034
4	Wesleyan University Middletown#140 national	Private	$73,897	17.1%	1,513	91.6%	$67,316
5	Trinity College Hartford#175 national	Private	$90,779	33.5%	1,396	82.8%	$67,420
6	Quinnipiac University Hamden#196 national	Private	$83,759	77.0%	1,212	77.3%	$53,090
7	Fairfield University Fairfield#197 national	Private	$88,794	45.0%	1,323	83.8%	$56,360
8	Sacred Heart University Fairfield#228 national	Private	$75,059	67.7%	N/A	74.5%	$48,460
9	United States Coast Guard Academy New London#259 national	Public	N/A	24.3%	1,290	87.9%	N/A
10	University of Connecticut-Hartford Campus Hartford#266 national	Public	$73,997	86.5%	1,081	65.4%	$40,120
11	University of Connecticut-Waterbury Campus Waterbury#294 national	Public	$73,997	87.0%	1,070	59.5%	$40,130
12	University of Connecticut-Stamford Stamford#337 national	Public	$73,997	80.2%	1,080	56.9%	$40,140
13	Charter Oak State College New Britain#383 national	Public	$64,209	N/A	N/A	N/A	$8,506
14	University of Saint Joseph West Hartford#406 national	Private	$59,908	79.6%	1,100	69.7%	$45,908
15	Eastern Connecticut State University Willimantic#544 national	Public	$56,469	80.5%	1,200	58.1%	$16,624
16	Central Connecticut State University New Britain#633 national	Public	$58,562	75.5%	1,091	49.3%	$25,736
17	University of New Haven West Haven#655 national	Private	$60,126	80.5%	1,190	59.3%	$45,730
18	University of Hartford West Hartford#681 national	Private	$60,823	83.0%	1,207	58.3%	$47,647
19	Western Connecticut State University Danbury#820 national	Public	$59,115	81.4%	1,044	50.2%	$16,095
20	Albertus Magnus College New Haven#983 national	Private	$60,144	64.4%	N/A	46.1%	$39,924
21	Southern Connecticut State University New Haven#1003 national	Public	$55,043	81.1%	N/A	47.8%	$26,104
22	Connecticut State Community College New Britain#1185 national	Public	$41,344	N/A	N/A	N/A	$14,840
23	Goodwin University East Hartford#1611 national	Private	$43,596	N/A	N/A	58.3%	$21,198
24	University of Bridgeport Bridgeport#1617 national	Private	$50,323	64.3%	985	48.1%	$35,760
25	Rensselaer at Hartford Hartford	Private	$102,051	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
26	University of Connecticut-Avery Point Groton	Public	$73,997	86.5%	1,130	56.7%	$40,130
27	Goodwin University - Bridgeport Campus Bridgeport	Private	$43,596	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
28	Mitchell College New London	Private	$39,115	73.4%	N/A	44.1%	$39,050

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Excludes for-profit institutions.

Compare any two colleges

Use CollegeBound's interactive compare tool to see admissions, costs, and outcome data side by side for any schools in Connecticut or beyond.

Open Compare Tool

Best Colleges in Other States

Alabama→Alaska→Arizona→Arkansas→California→Colorado→Delaware→District of Columbia→

← National Rankings