Picture yourself at your “dream” college. What do you see? Is it a brimming campus with thousands of students gallivanting about every day? Or is the atmosphere cozier? With familiar faces everywhere? Maybe it is somewhere in between? There are endless factors to consider when deciding where to go to college, from location and reputation to majors and student clubs. Deciding how big or small you want the size of your college to be is an important decision you have to make and can also help you narrow down your choices. let us know Why Is Size Important When Choosing A College?
Are you deciding where to go to college? Well, guess what? Size matters. The size of a college – its campus and student body – can directly affect a multitude of things, from the academic offerings of the school to the social life on campus.
A smaller college with 3,000 students would not offer hundreds of majors or courses but would provide you with more support from faculty members with your research work. On the other side, a large college with over 30,000 students can offer thousands of academic opportunities and extracurriculars. Still, it would require more independence from its students as a large number of students mean that professors have little time to get to know every student on a 1-on-1 basis. As size can impact your college experience, it is essential to understand the ways in which small, medium, or large-sized colleges differ, their pros and cons, and which qualities appeal or do not appeal to you.
How Are College Sizes Defined?
Typically, colleges are categorized into three different sizes: small, medium, and large.
A “Small” college would have less than 5,000 students and often are private institutions such as Middlebury College, Oberlin College, CalTech, and Vassar College.
“Medium” colleges can have between 5,000 to 15,000 students and are a mix of both public and private institutions. Some examples include Howard University, Vanderbilt University, Brown, Yale, and College of William and Mary.
“Large” Colleges would typically have over 15,000 students. Temple University, NYU, UCLA, and USC all qualify as examples of prominent colleges and universities.
Deciding The Right College For Yourself
You are the only one that can decide what type of college is best for you. Doing your research is key. There are many factors to aid your decision. What Is a top priority for you? Having friends? A wide range of extracurricular activities to choose from? Diversity? Close interactions with your professors? Name recognition? There are several factors to consider. Before you begin creating your college list, let us go through the pros and cons of small, medium, and large-sized colleges.
The Pros And Cons Of The Small College Experience
The benefits of attending a small college are fostering a strong sense of community. You see familiar faces more often, making it easier to meet and build relationships with other students. Class sizes are also generally small, with 25 students or less, allowing closer interactions with professors and better guidance and feedback on your work. The disadvantages, however, are that small colleges often lack the same reputation or big-name status as larger colleges and universities. The number of majors and programs is also limited, and there are often fewer clubs and student organizations to choose from. These institutions also tend to have fewer resources for undergraduate research.
Attending A Large College: Heaven Or Hell?
When we think of having the full college experience, large colleges or universities are what we often imagine with large fraternity parties and sports events. Large colleges have more social opportunities with greater access to extracurricular activities and events and are also more likely to have extensive research and graduate programs to enhance your education. There is also a large base of current students and alumni, which helps in professional networks, and larger schools also tend to offer greater brand recognition when job hunting. However, with large colleges, it is easy to feel like a small fish in a big pond. Everything’s bigger in a large college. The campus, the class sizes, the sea of bodies. The faculty are less hands-on, meaning you must be more independent and take control of your education and opportunities.
Medium-Sized Colleges, The Perfect Balance?
Do you want the best of both worlds to have a mix of both the small and large college experiences? Then a medium-sized college might be the best fit option for you. With a medium-sized college, you can reap the benefits of having a small enough student population size for that intimate experience but still have a large enough student body size to keep meeting new people. The classes can also be varied in size with smaller classes as students get into major-specific courses. However, there is also the possibility that you might find these colleges not to be as diverse or intimate as you’d like. Depending on the location and composition of its student body, a medium-sized school may have more of a big or small college feel. For example, if the college is in the city, the social life might be as vibrant and diverse as a larger college. For a medium-sized college, it is important to research the specifics of the school’s offerings in terms of class sizes, extracurricular activities, and research facilities.
Begin Your Search
Whether you are deciding between a big or small college or somewhere in between, remember to carefully look at all the options and determine what is most important to you. You look up the profiles of colleges in the United States. Use College Navigator to help in your initial search.
Conclusion:
This article clearly portrays all aspects of how size matters in deciding on colleges and gives sufficient reason for it. It also lays down the pros and cons of size to help students decide which college to prefer for.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Do all small colleges have small class sizes?
It is possible to find large classes at any size college, especially if they are introductory courses.
2. What is the smallest IVY league school?
Dartmouth is the smallest Ivy as of 2020, with about 6,600 students.
