Connecticut has 61 colleges including 30 four-year colleges, 8 community colleges, and 23 trade schools. By control type, 15 schools are public and 46 schools are private. 201,284 students enrolled in Connecticut colleges according to IPEDS.

For 4-year colleges, commonly said to as colleges, there are 30 schools are active in Connecticut (10 public and 20 private). 157,471 students enrolled in the schools, by gender, 64,112 men and 93,359 women students.

These colleges have an average acceptance rate of 66.48% and an average SAT score of 1,219. The average tuition & fees for in-state students is $15,593 and for out-of-state students is $28,327. The average enrollment is about 5,249 students per college. On average, each college offers about 104 programs.

7 Prominent Connecticut Colleges

The following table lists major colleges in Connecticut that have high enrollment, good academic reputation, and recognized by Connecticut residents. It includes 1 public institutions and 6 private institutions.

Connecticut Major Colleges by Region
RegionProminent Institutions
New Haven AreaYale University (New Haven), Southern Connecticut State University (New Haven)
Hartford AreaUniversity of Hartford (West Hartford), Trinity College (Hartford)
StorrsUniversity of Connecticut (Storrs)
Fairfield CountyFairfield University (Fairfield), Sacred Heart University (Fairfield)

University of Connecticut, located in Storrs, is generally considered the flagship institution in Connecticut. It offers wide range of programs in both undergraduate and graduate levels, including 208 graduate programs and 26 online programs. Its total enrollment is approximately 28,306 including 1,736 online students.

University of Connecticut has the highest enrollment among these colleges, with a student population of 28,306 students. It offers the largest number of programs of 433.

Of the major colleges in Connecticut, 2 law schools and 2 medical schools are affiliated with these colleges. Yale University and University of Connecticut have both a law school and a medical school. You can check the law schools and medical schools in the table below.

Notable public institutions

  • University of Connecticut: Known as a Flagship College for Connecticut, offering 208 graduate programs and 26 online programs

Prominent private institutions

  • Yale University: Most selective Connecticut College, with an admission rate of 3.87% and an average SAT score of 1,540
  • Wesleyan University: Offering offering 84 programs; $70,042 tuition & fees; 16.49% acceptance rate; and 4,011 student population.
  • Fairfield University: Offering offering 152 programs; $58,400 tuition & fees; 33.29% acceptance rate; and 6,864 student population.
Comparison of Connecticut Major Colleges
NameGraduate ProgramsDistance LearningTuition & FeesAdm. RateSAT ScoreEnrollOffered ProgramsLaw SchoolMedical School
Yale University
New Haven
YesYes$67,2503.87%154015,564253VisitVisit
University of Connecticut
Storrs
YesYes$43,71252.39%134028,306433VisitVisit
Wesleyan University
Middletown
YesYes$70,04216.49%14904,01184
Fairfield University
Fairfield
YesYes$58,40033.29%13206,864152
Trinity College
Hartford
YesYes$70,77029.25%14052,23857
Sacred Heart University
Fairfield
YesYes$50,40465.36%11,022122
University of New Haven
West Haven
YesYes$47,33260.38%11609,229222