Rankings Highlight Exceptional, Under-the-Radar Schools Across the Nation

College Raptor, Citizens’ college planning platform and the most comprehensive college search site, today released its tenth annual “Hidden Gem” rankings, an unmatched list spotlighting excellent, yet lesser-known schools by state and region. The 2025 rankings also include top colleges for in-demand programs, such as AI and Nursing, representing two of today’s fastest-growing and most sought-after career paths.

Hidden Gem rankings shine a light on the highest-rated schools in College Raptor’s directory that are more accessible institutions with strong academic excellence but tend to have a lower application volume. For instance, each Hidden Gem College receives fewer than 5,000 applications per year, has fewer than 7,000 undergraduate students, offers five or more unique majors, and has an acceptance rate at or above 10%.

“College Raptor proudly celebrates a decade of helping students and their families uncover some of the best-kept-secret schools available in higher education today,” said William Staib, Co-Founder and President of College Raptor. “We do the heavy lifting, showcasing colleges most worthy of students’ consideration, so they can more easily explore and find the right academic, financial and social fit.”

This year’s list awards one Hidden Gem college from each state, as well as the District of Columbia, and across the following categories:

• New England
• Mid-East
• Southeast
• Plains Region
• Great Lakes Region
• Rocky Mountains
• Southwest
• Far West
• Colleges for AI (Artificial Intelligence)
• Colleges for Nursing
• D2 Colleges
• D3 Colleges

The full methodology of College Raptor’s rankings is outlined here. College Raptor’s annual Hidden Gem research complements its annual “Best College” rankings. When used with College Raptor’s College Match Tool, these lists empower students and families to curate their own best colleges lists based on unique campus preferences, academic performance and goals, as well as financial circumstances.

College Raptor, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Citizens Bank, N.A., a leader in providing comprehensive banking and financing solutions as a commitment to empowering students and families. With a Citizens Student Loan, students and their families can fill the financial gap after exhausting savings, scholarships, and grants to realize their dream of a college education. Student loans can be used to finance all undergraduate and graduate educational related expenses up to the total Cost of Attendance. Citizens’ student loan options offer competitive rates, flexible repayment options, and no application or origination fees.

Citizens provides college and high school students with a variety of tools and financial resources, including checking and savings accounts, student loans and scholarships to help manage finances in school as well as education and resources to assist in budgeting and planning. To learn more, please visit here.

About College Raptor

College Raptor is the most evolved, accurate, and comprehensive college search site with tools to empower students, parents, counselors, and colleges with college planning. College Raptor is the only college search platform that enables students and families to discover quality, affordable college options based on personalized estimates of financial aid, scholarships, academic match, and acceptance odds at every 4-year college in the country. More than 35 million students and families have used College Raptor to find cost-effective, academically appropriate college options that prepare them for future careers. For more information, visit CollegeRaptor.com.

About Citizens Financial Group, Inc.

Citizens Financial Group, Inc. is one of the nation’s oldest and largest financial institutions, with $219.9 billion in assets as of June 30, 2024. Headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island, Citizens offers a broad range of retail and commercial banking products and services to individuals, small businesses, middle-market companies, large corporations and institutions. Citizens help its customers reach their potential by listening to them and understanding their needs to offer tailored advice, ideas and solutions. In Consumer Banking, Citizens provides an integrated experience that includes mobile and online banking, a full-service customer contact center and the convenience of approximately 3,300 ATMs and approximately 1,000 branches in 14 states and the District of Columbia. Consumer Banking products and services include a full range of banking, lending, savings, wealth management and small business offerings. In Commercial Banking, Citizens offers a broad complement of financial products and solutions, including lending and leasing, deposit and treasury management services, foreign exchange, interest rate and commodity risk management solutions, as well as loan syndication, corporate finance, merger and acquisition, and debt and equity capital markets capabilities. More information is available at www.citizensbank.com or visit us on Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook.

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