Which top liberal arts college has the strongest science programs?

College Search & Selection
7

Agreed. Note that Grinnell, which places high on the list in tk21769’s post, has no geology offerings whatsoever, for example.

About two years ago I ranked the top 60 LACs (per US News) by the percentage of STEM majors as my 7000th post. Popularity is NOT necessarily indicative of academic strength, and the list may look somewhat different two years later, particularly toward the bottom of the list, but it may give you an idea nevertheless of where you’re likely to find lots of science-oriented people.*

Natural Sciences (Biology, Chemistry, Geology, Physics)

  1. Pomona 28.3%
  2. Harvey Mudd 26.2%
  3. Colby 25.4%
  4. Carleton 25.4%
  5. St. Olaf 24.2%
  6. Colorado College 23.9%
  7. Scripps 23.8%
  8. Gettysburg 22.8%
  9. Mount Holyoke 22.4%
  10. Rhodes 21.9%
  11. Oberlin 20.8%
  12. Middlebury 20.6%
  13. Occidental 20.4%
  14. Williams 20.4%
  15. Union 20.4%
  16. Franklin & Marshall 20.3%
  17. Whitman 20.3%
  18. Lawrence 20.3%
  19. Bowdoin 20.0%
  20. Macalester 19.9%
  21. Wellesley 19.6%
  22. Dickinson 19.0%
  23. DePauw 18.7%
  24. Denison 18.7%
  25. Hamilton 18.1%
  26. Haverford 17.9%
  27. Grinnell 17.7%
  28. St. Lawrence 17.5%
  29. Reed 17.3%
  30. Swarthmore 16.8%
  31. Willamette 16.7%
  32. Beloit 16.2%
  33. Bates 16.0%
  34. Bryn Mawr 16.0%
  35. Lafayette 15.9%
  36. Sewanee 15.8%
  37. Wabash 15.7%
  38. Colgate 15.5%
  39. Smith 15.5%
  40. Vassar 15.4%
  41. Amherst 15.2%
  42. Bucknell 14.7%
  43. Centre 14.7%
  44. Wesleyan 13.6%
  45. Furman 13.6%
  46. Skidmore 13.1%
  47. Barnard 13.0%
  48. Davidson 12.9%
  49. Washington & Lee 12.7%
  50. Connecticut College 12.4%
  51. Pitzer 12.3%
  52. Trinity College 10.9%
  53. Holy Cross 10.9%
  54. Kenyon 9.95%
  55. Claremont McKenna 9.46%
  56. Wheaton (IL) 9.01%
  57. University of Richmond 8.64%

All STEM Fields

  1. Harvey Mudd 93.0%
  2. Lafayette 41.7%
  3. Pomona 36.0%
  4. Bucknell 35.3%
  5. Carleton 34.8%
  6. St. Olaf 33.0%
  7. Union 31.4%
  8. Colby 31.0%
  9. Scripps 28.6%
  10. Williams 27.6%
  11. Swarthmore 27.1%
  12. Colorado College 26.7%
  13. Grinnell 25.9%
  14. Lawrence 25.8%
  15. Mount Holyoke 25.6%
  16. Gettysburg 25.2%
  17. Oberlin 25.0%
  18. Wabash 25.0%
  19. St. Lawrence 25.0%
  20. Macalester 24.4%
  21. Bryn Mawr 24.1%
  22. Bowdoin 23.9%
  23. Hamilton 23.7%
  24. Whitman 23.7%
  25. Middlebury 23.4%
  26. Wellesley 22.9%
  27. Franklin & Marshall 22.7%
  28. Rhodes 22.6%
  29. Reed 22.6%
  30. DePauw 22.4%
  31. Haverford 22.0%
  32. Smith 21.5%
  33. Occidental 21.3%
  34. Centre 20.8%
  35. Willamette 20.5%
  36. Dickinson 20.4%
  37. Amherst 20.3%
  38. Denison 20.2%
  39. Beloit 20.1%
  40. Colgate 18.4%
  41. Vassar 18.1%
  42. Washington & Lee 18.0%
  43. Bates 17.8%
  44. Sewanee 17.6%
  45. Wesleyan 17.3%
  46. Trinity College 16.8%
  47. Furman 16.3%
  48. Davidson 16.1%
  49. Skidmore 15.5%
  50. Connecticut College 15.3%
  51. Barnard 14.7%
  52. Holy Cross 14.5%
  53. Claremont McKenna 13.9%
  54. Wheaton (IL) 13.3%
  55. Pitzer 13.1%
  56. Kenyon 11.8%
  57. University of Richmond 11.4%

*Given the popularity of this question and the ever growing number of posters suddenly discovering a love of engineering and CS, I plan to update the list soon.