AJ

There are thousands of four-year universities out there to choose from. Part of the research process is determining what type of institution works best for you. In my opinion, regardless of how the Princeton Review and U.S. News and World Report analyze, stratify, and divide them, non-profit four-year institutions of higher learning in this country really fall into one of three categories: (1) small, typically liberal arts colleges, (2) medium-sized, usually comprehensive universities, or (3) large, usually publicly-funded, land-grant research institutions. As a potential student, your job is simply to find the best fit for you.

Small: Liberal Arts Colleges

The key terms here are “small and broad.” The population of most liberal arts colleges ranges from a few hundred to around 4 or 5,000. The proximity to opportunities and professors are a big selling-point for these institutions. Average class sizes at liberal arts colleges can range from less than ten to around twenty-five on the high-end. Student-to-faculty ratios are usually in the single digits or teens to one. For context, these classes are often smaller than those at many public high schools across the country.

In smaller environments, there is also a greater chance for students to do undergraduate research alongside professors, have an internship, study abroad, and network with the campus community. Liberal arts colleges, and smaller schools in general, are typically private, which often comes with a higher price tag. As they say, “You get what you pay for,” and you are paying for access and opportunity.

The flip-side of attending schools this small is, potentially, limited resources due to size. The broad nature of many liberal arts majors can equate to a lack of specificity in what students are able to study. And socially, smaller environments can sometimes feel a little too intimate, stifling even, for some students. News travels fast, gossip even faster, and it spreads like wildfire in an environment of 1,500, as opposed to 15 or 30,000.

Large: Flagship / Research Universities

In terms of size, these are the largest schools around. Typically public institutions, these schools are indeed so large because they were founded as land-grant, publicly-funded institutions of higher learning, with the intent of being accessible to as many qualified students, primarily from their given state, as possible. In California, for example, we have the CSU and UC systems, but virtually every state has their own publicly funded school system. 

Size-wise, we’re talking student populations of twenty to nearly 80,000. Graduate student TAs (teaching assistants) are a common reality in the classrooms of many of these institutions, as the professors often find themselves immersed in the very research for which these schools were founded. So, as an undergraduate student, you can likely forget about substantive classroom discussion or 1-on-1 meetings with said professor. Introductory level courses may range from 300 to 400 students, although they can be much larger than that. In my experience, the largest in-person classes I’ve ever seen were 1,500 and 1,700; both were biology classes. 

Socially, you will typically find a large Greek life presence on these campuses. When you are in an academic environment of such large classes, it can be more challenging to make friends or social connections easily. You likely won’t see a familiar face outside the classroom as often as you would at a smaller institution--a potential reality that comes with a campus of 40,000+ students. 

The upside to these institutions is typically their cost, as they are usually much less expensive than private schools, at least for in-state students.

Medium: Comprehensive Universities

Comprehensive universities are essentially a middle-ground between liberal arts colleges and research schools, both in terms of size and academic programming. Grounded in a liberal arts philosophy, comprehensive schools typically allow for a more flexible and well-rounded academic experience, as opposed to a curriculum purely grounded in one specific program. Most schools in this category fall within the 5,000 to 20,000 students range, which isn’t small enough to feel smothering but also not large enough to feel completely lost.

At a little less than 6,000 undergraduate students and a little over 3,000 graduate students, Santa Clara University fits snugly into the comprehensive, medium-sized category. While we offer six graduate programs, at the undergraduate level, the experience is very undergraduate-focused. Every class at this level is taught by a professor, not a graduate student TA. Our average class size is around 23 students, and our student to faculty ratio is 11:1. Typically, you might see these numbers at traditional liberal arts colleges. 

Given our size, the speed of the quarter system, and the genuine sense of community that Santa Clara works to foster amongst our students, it’s easy to see why we have one of the highest retention rates (95%) and four-year graduation rates (88%) in the country! Students come in, enjoy themselves, figure things out academically, graduate on time, and move on to lucrative careers --as our graduates are in the Top 1% of salaries nation-wide-- or graduate programs.  

In the end, there are definitely arguments to be made for both small and large institutions, with respect to which type of institution best prepares students for life in the real world. In the end, as it quite often does and usually should, I think the conversation comes down to fit; does school “X” fit your needs, means, and abilities educationally, socially, and financially? Ultimately, that’s for you to decide!