38 Best colleges for Liberal Arts & Social Sciences in Indiana, US

Updated: March 15, 2026

Ranking by academic field

Below is a list of best universities in Indiana ranked based on their research performance in Liberal Arts & Social Sciences. A graph of 7.3M citations received by 270K academic papers made by 38 universities in Indiana was used to calculate publications' ratings, which then were adjusted for release dates and added to final scores.

We don't distinguish between undergraduate and graduate programs nor do we adjust for current majors offered. You can find information about granted degrees on a university page but always double-check with the university website.

1. Purdue University

West Lafayette

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#39 in the United States

#44 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 50%
Average SAT: 1340
Average ACT: 31
Receiving Aid: 59%

2. University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#64 in the United States

#77 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 11%
Average SAT: 1508
Average ACT: 34
Net Price: $29,300

3. Indiana University - Bloomington

Bloomington

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#69 in the United States

#83 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 78%
Average SAT: 1285
Average ACT: 30
Receiving Aid: 82%

4. Indiana University - Purdue University - Indianapolis

Indianapolis

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#92 in the United States

#108 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 76%
Average SAT: 1135
Average ACT: 25
Receiving Aid: 91%

5. Ball State University

Muncie

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#225 in the United States

#257 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 85%
Average SAT: 1170
Average ACT: 22
Receiving Aid: 91%

6. Valparaiso University

Valparaiso

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#291 in the United States

#327 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 89%
Average SAT: 1170
Average ACT: 27
Net Price: $21,766

7. University of Indianapolis

Indianapolis

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#334 in the United States

#375 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 66%
Net Price: $22,662
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $29,818

8. Indiana State University

Terre Haute

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#336 in the United States

#377 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 81%
Receiving Aid: 98%
Average Aid: $12,383
Enrollment: 7,895

9. Manchester University

North Manchester

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#365 in the United States

#410 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 71%
Net Price: $19,425
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $30,635

10. Butler University

Indianapolis

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#434 in the United States

#484 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 85%
Average SAT: 1255
Average ACT: 29
Net Price: $38,438

11. Purdue University Northwest

Hammond

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#489 in the United States

#541 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 72%
Average SAT: 1015
Average ACT: 20
Receiving Aid: 92%

12. DePauw University

Greencastle

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#569 in the United States

#625 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 57%
Average SAT: 1305
Average ACT: 30
Net Price: $31,411

13. University of Southern Indiana

Evansville

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#640 in the United States

#702 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 96%
Average SAT: 1135
Average ACT: 24
Receiving Aid: 98%

14. Hanover College

Hanover

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#655 in the United States

#720 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 84%
Average SAT: 1195
Average ACT: 26
Net Price: $23,683

15. University of Evansville

Evansville

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#682 in the United States

#748 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 78%
Net Price: $18,773
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $39,167

16. Vincennes University

Vincennes

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#687 in the United States

#753 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Receiving Aid: 88%
Average Aid: $9,090
Enrollment: 19,795

17. Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

Terre Haute

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#741 in the United States

#808 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 77%
Average SAT: 1410
Average ACT: 32
Net Price: $45,406

18. Saint Mary's College

Notre Dame

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#756 in the United States

#824 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 76%
Average SAT: 1228
Average ACT: 28
Net Price: $27,865

19. Wabash College

Crawfordsville

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#762 in the United States

#831 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 63%
Average SAT: 1165
Average ACT: 26
Net Price: $25,562

20. Earlham College

Richmond

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#889 in the United States

#961 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 73%
Average SAT: 1200
Average ACT: 29
Net Price: $27,107

21. Taylor University

Upland

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#923 in the United States

#995 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 74%
Average SAT: 1200
Average ACT: 28
Net Price: $26,178

22. Goshen College

Goshen

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#940 in the United States

#1012 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 84%
Average SAT: 995
Net Price: $16,693
Receiving Aid: 100%

23. Indiana Wesleyan University - National & Global

Marion

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1020 in the United States

#1096 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Net Price: $16,523
Receiving Aid: 77%
Average Aid: $5,776

24. Martin University

Indianapolis

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1081 in the United States

#1158 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Net Price: $18,114
Receiving Aid: 86%
Average Aid: $5,038

25. Marian University - Indiana

Indianapolis

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1123 in the United States

#1201 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 95%
Net Price: $22,786
Receiving Aid: 97%
Average Aid: $32,351

26. Franklin College

Franklin

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1220 in the United States

#1299 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 70%
Average SAT: 1150
Average ACT: 23
Net Price: $24,189

27. Anderson University - Indiana

Anderson

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1225 in the United States

#1305 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 79%
Average SAT: 1025
Average ACT: 21
Net Price: $25,332

28. Huntington University

Huntington

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1228 in the United States

#1308 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 76%
Average SAT: 1040
Average ACT: 22
Net Price: $19,767

29. Saint Meinrad School of Theology

St. Meinrad

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1315 in the United States

#1395 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Enrollment: 183
Male:Female: 86:14

30. Christian Theological Seminary

Indianapolis

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1361 in the United States

#1443 in North America

Enrollment: 151
Male:Female: 31:69

31. Trine University

Angola

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1559 in the United States

#1648 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 85%
Net Price: $25,355
Receiving Aid: 96%
Average Aid: $25,754

32. Indiana Institute of Technology

Fort Wayne

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1584 in the United States

#1674 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 70%
Net Price: $24,208
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $21,677

33. Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary

Elkhart

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1600 in the United States

#1690 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 70%
Enrollment: 145
Male:Female: 60:40

34. American College of Education

Indianapolis

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1606 in the United States

#1696 in North America

Enrollment: 14,263
Male:Female: 22:78

35. Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College

Saint Mary of the Woods

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1624 in the United States

#1714 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 72%
Net Price: $20,451
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $28,601

36. Grace College and Theological Seminary

Winona Lake

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1693 in the United States

#1784 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 82%
Average SAT: 1100
Average ACT: 24
Net Price: $21,065

37. Calumet College of Saint Joseph

Whiting

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1738 in the United States

#1829 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Net Price: $16,765
Receiving Aid: 96%
Average Aid: $16,181

38. Concordia Theological Seminary

Fort Wayne

For Liberal Arts & Social Sciences

#1763 in the United States

#1854 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 60%
Enrollment: 279
Male:Female: 88:12

State	Universities Unis	Best university country rank Best uni rank
Illinois	79	12
Kentucky	29	60
Ohio	67	19
Tennessee	39	46
Michigan	47	3
West Virginia	20	120
Missouri	44	40
Wisconsin	36	14
Iowa	32	44
Virginia	42	37
North Carolina	50	20
Pennsylvania	114	9
Arkansas	18	146
District of Columbia	13	48
Alabama	30	82
South Carolina	32	68
Georgia	52	42
Maryland	28	8
Mississippi	15	177
Minnesota	30	18
Delaware	4	97
New York	146	6
New Jersey	29	22
Kansas	22	74
Louisiana	27	79
Oklahoma	22	103
Connecticut	22	10
Nebraska	15	87
Vermont	12	124
Massachusetts	75	1
South Dakota	12	331
Rhode Island	9	56
New Hampshire	13	84
Florida	70	31
North Dakota	9	216
Maine	16	199
Texas	89	21
Colorado	24	52
New Mexico	9	100
Montana	9	166
Utah	11	45
Arizona	10	29
Idaho	7	193
Nevada	8	149
Washington	39	5
Oregon	21	96
California	147	2
Puerto Rico	15	414
Alaska	4	233
Hawaii	7	106