Hidden gem colleges are schools that tend to fly under the radar despite offering excellent academics, career placement rates, and campus experiences. Miami University in Ohio, the University of Tampa, Chapman University, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, Babson College, SCAD, and Embry-Riddle are some of the lesser-known colleges HelloCollege counselors point to often.
Over 30 years of high school and college counseling, I’ve worked with more than 10,000 students, and each one has handed me a new campus story, a new admissions experience, or a new perspective on a school I thought I already knew.
Whenever I come across someone who has visited, attended, or even encountered a new college or university, I pepper them with questions regarding their perspective on the school. Essentially, I’m always curious about new schools and what they can offer my students, which has led me to discover a number of interesting hidden gem colleges over the years.
Hidden Gem Colleges HelloCollege Counselors Recommend
HelloCollege Counselor Note
This is a list of colleges that have worked for many students in the past. If you want to evaluate whether the schools below actually fit your student’s goals and needs, download our free College Fit Guide to walk through each step by step.
| School | Location | Type | Undergrad Enrollment | Known For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami University (Ohio) | Oxford, OH | Public | ~16,500 | Private-school attention at a public-school price |
| Babson College | Wellesley, MA | Private | ~2,500 | #1-ranked undergraduate entrepreneurship program |
| University of Tampa | Tampa, FL | Private | ~10,600 | Urban riverfront campus, strong business/nursing programs |
| Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) | Savannah, GA | Private | ~10,000+ | Top-tier art and design programs, strong job placement |
| Chapman University | Orange, CA | Private | ~10,000 (total) | Film/media arts, personalized attention |
| Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology | Terre Haute, IN | Private | ~2,300 | #1-ranked undergraduate engineering program |
| Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University | Daytona Beach, FL | Private | ~7,900 | Aviation and aerospace, “the Harvard of the Skies” |
Enrollment figures are approximate and current as of the latest published data.
7 Hidden Gem College to Add to Your List
Miami University (Ohio)
Best for: Students who want a private-school experience at a public-school price
As someone who moved to Florida in the 1980s, whenever someone mentions Miami, I immediately think of the “U”. Yet, during one of my first conversations as a HelloCollege employee, a colleague noted that the real Miami could be found in Ohio.
I chuckled and then decided to listen to what she had to say (thankfully so). Miami of Ohio is one of those rare public schools that goes out of its way to provide its students with a private school feel.
What I mean by that is most private schools must go overboard to attract students because of the extra cost involved. They tend to cater to their students more than the public schools where most of your progress is up to you (not as much handholding).
Miami of Ohio provides more student attention along with the benefits of a public school (more cost effective). This combination is hard to beat for most students.
Babson College
Best for: Students who already know they want to build something and don’t want to wait until grad school to start
I get a fair number of families asking me about the “best business schools,” and Babson is the one I bring up that isn’t Wharton or Ross. It’s a small private school just outside Boston, founded back in 1919, and it only offers one undergraduate degree: business administration. That might sound limiting, but it’s actually the whole point. Every student there is building toward the same thing, so the entire school revolves around it.
What I always tell students is that Babson isn’t a school where you take business classes. It’s a school where you start a business, sometimes in your first semester, with real funding and a real team behind you. It’s been ranked the number one school for entrepreneurship for decades, and the students who come out of there tend to have something most college graduates don’t: an actual track record, not just a diploma.
For a student who already knows what they want to do and doesn’t need four years to figure it out, Babson is about as focused a fit as you’ll find.
University of Tampa
Best for: Students who want an urban campus without the overwhelm of a big city
Having lived or had close family members in the Tampa Bay area since the 1980s, you would think I would have had more experiences with this school. Surprisingly, I first stepped foot on the UT campus a few years ago when I was helping a relative on her college tours.
I didn’t know what to expect and was thankful that I drove to downtown Tampa that day. Not only was the campus beautiful, but it was also modern and I found each part of it to be more impressive than the last.
Its location is in downtown Tampa, which is as urban a campus as you’ll find in Florida. However, for anyone concerned about being overwhelmed in the “big city,” you’ll see that Tampa is a much smaller metropolis than say NYC or Chicago.
Essentially, I’ve had numerous students from the Chicagoland area come down and it felt urban enough for their liking, but they weren’t overwhelmed by busy streets or towering skyscrapers.
As expected at any private college worth its weight, they go out of their way to attract students and cater to them. I remember leaving the high-rise dorm (with restaurant, bookstore, and coffee shop on the 1st floor) thinking, “I would’ve liked this when I went to college!”
Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD)
Best for: Creative students who want a school built entirely around art, design, and getting hired after graduation
SCAD is usually the first school I bring up when a student tells me they’re interested in fashion, animation, game design, or film. It’s a private art and design school based in Savannah, Georgia, with a second campus in Atlanta, and it’s been around since 1978.
What sets SCAD apart is how seriously it takes post-grad job placement. The vast majority of their graduates are employed or in grad school within a year of finishing, and the school works directly with real brands and studios so students are building actual portfolios before they ever walk the stage. That’s not something you hear often from art programs.
If a student’s whole life revolves around a sketchbook, a camera, or a design program they taught themselves, SCAD is worth a real look, even if nobody else at their high school has ever heard of it.
Chapman University
Best for: California students who didn’t get into USC but still want that SoCal experience
A popular school for California residents, but one that isn’t universally known all over the country. I’ve heard it described several different ways, but this seems to be the most fitting: for students who didn’t get into USC and want the next best thing in that locale.
That may simplify things, but it also helps to shed light on the school too. Much like the University of Tampa, I have had numerous families from the Midwest tell me that Chapman was a “pretty campus full of pretty people.”
It’s also solid academically, but you’ve got to weigh all those factors together to discover if it’s a good fit for your son or daughter. If your student needs to be in the Los Angeles area, Chapman is a solid option for them if USC or UCLA is above their academic qualifications.
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Best for: Students who want a top-ranked engineering program without a Big Ten-sized campus
Rose-Hulman is a smaller private school located in Terre Haute, Indiana. It has been consistently ranked as one of the top engineering programs in the country for decades (for schools not offering a doctoral program).
With an enrollment of just over 2,300 students, RHIT gets lost in the shuffle amongst the goliath-sized Big Ten schools found in the same geographic region. Comparably ranked engineering programs include Harvey Mudd College, Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering, and the service academies.
Oddly enough, I first heard about this institution 25 years ago when I was helping one of my football players with his recruitment. We were at a showcase event where RHIT was in attendance, and as we approached their coaches, they asked how good a student was my player.
Thankfully, he was the best scholar-athlete on the team and was a solid prospect for their school (Division 3 sports). This school is definitely a top choice for students interested in engineering 24/7.
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Best for: Students who are serious about becoming a pilot, an aerospace engineer, or anything else in aviation
Some students want exactly one thing out of college: to fly. Embry-Riddle is the school I point them to. It’s in Daytona Beach, Florida (there’s a second campus in Prescott, Arizona), and it’s been training pilots and aerospace engineers since 1926. In aviation circles, it’s earned the nickname “the Harvard of the Skies.”
What makes Embry-Riddle different from a typical engineering school is that the entire campus is built around aviation. Students train on-site with direct airport access, and a large share of the student body is working toward a pilot’s license right alongside their degree. It’s also home to one of the largest Air Force ROTC programs in the country, if that’s part of your plan.
This isn’t a school for someone who’s “kind of interested” in planes. It’s for the student who’s known since they were eight years old that they wanted to fly one.
FAQ About Hidden Gem Colleges
What are some hidden gem colleges in the US with strong STEM programs?
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University are our picks. Harvey Mudd and the New Jersey Institute of Technology are also worth checking out.
Are there hidden gem colleges known for excellent undergraduate research opportunities?
Miami University (Ohio) and Rose-Hulman both prioritize research and build it into the undergrad curriculum.
What are some lesser-known colleges with high graduation rates?
Miami University (Ohio) has the #1 four-year graduation rate of all the Ohio public universities. Elon University and Furman University are two other hidden gem schools with impressive grad rates.
Every one of these hidden gem college proves that the right fit for your student might not be one you’ve heard of yet. If you want help finding a hidden gem that’s right for your student, schedule a free consult with a HelloCollege counselor, and we’ll personalize your college list around fit, not just rankings.
