Deep Springs College

Deep Springs College is a private junior college in Deep Springs, California. With the number of undergraduates restricted to 26, the college is one of the smallest institutions of higher education in the United States. Though it offers an associate degree, most students transfer into a four-year college after completing their studies. Those enrolled pay no tuition and are given room and board.

Founded in 1917 as Deep Springs Collegiate and Preparatory, it was originally a men's college backed by funding from L. L. Nunn, a lawyer and businessman. Nunn envisioned an unorthodox form of education that combined academic rigor, manual labor, and self-governance. Located in a geological depression, its campus is situated within a cattle ranch with the aim of providing a secluded environment away from urban life so undergraduates may focus on their studies and leadership ability. The college is primarily maintained and self-governed by students, becoming a coeducational institution in 2018.