Full disclosure: I am a graduate of a large, public university. While I got a good education there, if I had it to do over again, I’d attend a small liberal arts college, and I encourage all students to consider such colleges. Here’s why:
Personal Touch and Mentorship
Small liberal arts colleges have small classes, allowing professors to truly get to know and mentor their students. It’s much easier to make yourself known in a class of fewer than 20 students than in a class of 100 or more. Professors at small colleges aren’t focused on research in the way many professors at larger institutions have to be. In fact, instructors at smaller colleges are, first and foremost, there to teach. In an article for Road to College, V. Peter Pitts, a retired admissions director at a small college, says, “Most professors at smaller colleges enjoy being available at times that go well beyond their posted office hours. Some even invite their classes to their homes for dinner or tea. Some of the most powerful learning occurs away from class, sometimes late at night, in casual conversation with faculty.”
Academic and Career Opportunities
Small liberal arts colleges emphasize writing, not just in English classes, but throughout the curriculum. The ability to effectively communicate is essential no matter what career path a student chooses. Not only are small college graduates competent writers, they are confident oral communicators, thanks to those small class sizes which require student participation.
Contrary to popular opinion, research doesn’t just happen at large, public universities. Again, according to V. Peter Pitts, “Thanks to alumni generosity, the facilities [at small colleges] are sometimes just as good as facilities available to undergraduates at larger universities. The advantage at a small college is that students have access to sophisticated equipment earlier in their college career. Hands-on work begins from day one at many small colleges.”
According to College Transitions, in 2024 more than half of the top 50 colleges producing PhDs when adjusted for size were small liberal arts colleges. College Transitions uses the National Science Foundation’s Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED), an annual census conducted of all individuals earning a research doctorate from an accredited U.S. institution, to identify the undergraduate backgrounds of all research doctorate recipients over the past five years. They examined which institutions produced the most PhDs in total and which produced the most when adjusted for size.
Return on investment, or ROI, has become a major topic of conversation surrounding colleges. According to AEIdeas from the American Enterprise Institute, “computer science majors at liberal arts colleges enjoy a median return on investment of $889,000, compared to $652,000 for students who study the same subject at other colleges—a gap of $236,000. Economics majors at liberal arts colleges outperform their peers at other schools by $215,000. For nursing majors the gap is $146,000; for mathematics and statistics majors it is $101,000.”
Creative and Adaptable Education
In today’s quickly-changing world, creativity and adaptability are essential. Who knows what careers will look like in five years, much less 20? Graduates who are creative problem solvers, who can adapt and change, will have a leg up on those who can’t. Jennifer Hollis, an admissions counselor at Rutgers University, wrote in Coalition for College, “You do not need a very specific education for a particular job that may or may not exist or be in demand in 10 or 20 years. You need instead an education that empowers you for success and allows you to design your own future in our rapidly changing society and economy. Liberal arts education is typically broad-based and exposes students to science, mathematics, social sciences, and humanities. This broad knowledge of the wider world will prepare you to deal with complexity, diversity, and change.”
Small liberal arts colleges aren’t right for every student. If you want to watch or participate in DI athletics, you won’t find them at most small colleges. Likewise, if you’re looking to choose from hundreds of clubs and organizations, you’ll have fewer choices at these schools. And, small liberal arts colleges aren’t a good option if you prefer to fly under the radar. However, if you’re looking to develop meaningful relationships with peers and professors, strengthen your communication skills, access early opportunities for hands-on research, learn the skills needed to adapt to our ever-changing work environment and reap financial rewards, a small liberal arts college is worth considering.
