Big is good.  But small can be even better.

Upstate New York is home to many large and well-known colleges and universities.  There are several with huge enrollments of 20,000, 25,000, and even 30,000 students.  But there are also a lot of smaller schools that also provide a great education, oftentimes in a niche subject matter.

Here is a list of 13 colleges in Upstate that have small enrollments.  All are under 1,000 in their number of students. In fact, some have less than 500 (one even has less than 50!).  But each serves their student body with excellence and honor after many years of service.

On this list, you will find a tiny college that counts the youngest First Lady ever to occupy the White House as one of its esteemed graduates.  You will also find a college that is the center of the universe for Mark Twain scholars and fans from around the world.

On the list is a college that is tiny and very rural, but surprisingly has one of the ten largest college campuses in the world!  Many of these colleges offer niche degree programs in subjects such as animation and forest management.  And let's face it, who ever knew that there was a New York State College of Ceramics?  Sounds pretty fun to me! They are all on this list.

Each college has a direct link to its school website so you can explore these amazing smaller schools in greater detail.

"Small But Mighty" 13 of the Smallest Colleges in Upstate New York

There are well over 100 colleges and universities spread across Upstate New York. Many of them are partners in the State University of New York system, others are private colleges. Our region can boast plenty of colleges with huge enrollments of 20,000 and even 30,000 students.

But what about the smaller ones?

Here is a list of 13 of the smallest colleges across Upstate New York. All have 1,000 students or less (one even has less than 100 students!). They represent a diverse landscape of learning specialties and curriculum. I mean, who knew there even was a New York State College of Ceramics?

Take a Look! The 12 Most Stunning College Campuses in Upstate NY

Throughout New York State, our college campuses run from the urban blocks-long, wooden and brick ones in New York City, to the sprawling college campuses which dot Upstate New York from the Hudson Valley to Buffalo. We list here the dozen most stunning campuses in Upstate.

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