Universities Versus Liberal Arts Colleges
A Guide to Applying to the Right Kind of College
One of the advantages to applying to college in the United States is the chance to decide between a university and liberal arts environment. Both systems have their advantages, but the final decision should come down to what the student prefers.
The Benefits of Attending a University
The university model is popular throughout the world, and certainly has its fans in the United States. Such schools offer students a large anumber of resources; the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, for example, has separate libraries for its Engineering, Social Sciences and Management, Science, Architecture and Planning and Humanities departments, according to the “MIT Libraries” section of its website. That page also mentions that MIT has over 5,000,000 entries in its libraries and more than 20,000 subscriptions. MIT is certainly not the only school of its kind that offers a wide range of reference material.
Universities also offer plenty of majors, allowing students undecided about their study plans to explore various fields. (Students should not assume that they can freely jump from one department’s major to another, however; a university might not allow students enrolled in its college of business to switch out and major in English). And certainly, the thousands (or tens of thousands) of students in attendance at major universities are a resource in themselves, giving students exposure to new cultures and interests in their college years.
University educations can also be relatively inexpensive for students applying in-state, especially if they are able to secure additional financial aid or a scholarship. This only adds to the appeal of large-sized schools.
The Problems Students may Have With Universities
For a number of students, however, universities are not the right fit. Class sizes at large schools can stretch into the hundreds, preventing freshmen in introductory courses from connecting with professors who may also be preoccupied with research. Other students may be wary of applying to a school with a large graduate focus, as there may less administrative attention paid to those entering college for the first time.
High school seniors are often turned off by the number of students enrolled at major schools. Some applicants may want a more intimate community in which to learn and discuss topics; others may want to avoid the party scenes that result from large student bodies.
Liberal Arts Colleges Serve as a Popular Alternative
Liberal arts schools do not necessarily have the million-volume libraries or internationally recognized professors available at some universities. But their smaller student bodies and unique design inspire thousands of students to apply to liberal arts institutions.
According to the Stateuniversity.com article “Liberal Arts Colleges – History of Liberal Arts Colleges, Characteristics of Liberal Arts Colleges,” liberal arts schools “emphasize education for its own sake rather than for job preparation” in their mission statements. These colleges can certainly prepare students for graduate programs and real-world careers, but they also allow students to learn beyond the realm of their individual career path. This idea is evident in the “About Middlebury” section of the Middlebury College website; “The central purpose of a Middlebury education,” the article states, “is precisely to transcend oneself and one's own concerns.”
Some students may be wary of the comparatively steep costs of some liberal arts institutions. However, private endowments and grants (along with government aid) can help any student the costs of a smaller school.
Students Have the Power of Choice
Given that both liberal arts schools and universities can offer excellent academics with an atmosphere to match, students should not feel pressured to apply only to one type of institution. Instead, they should look closely into the benefits and drawbacks of all their prospective schools and decide for themselves which colleges fit them the best.
Universities Offer Students Plenty of Resources
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