Small liberal arts colleges are a wonderful and unique option in the US. Often when international students think about attending university in the States, they believe the best options are large research universities like UCLA, Duke, and NYU. These universities are excellent and offer a great student experience for students who thrive in large classes and can map out their own academic trajectories. However, one of the advantages of the US higher education system is its large variety—in terms of sizes of institutions and also in terms of the values of each school. The rigorous and selective small liberal arts colleges are a great example of this variety. Many of these small schools are just as selective as the Ivy League and their graduates do exceptional well on the job market as well as in professional and graduate school applications.  

Though the term “liberal arts” might be confusing, it just means students are expected to take courses in the humanities, hard sciences, social sciences, math, and art. Regardless of size and research agenda, the majority of US schools embrace this education philosophy. At these small liberal arts colleges, you will still choose an academic focus, a major, as you would at a larger university.  Also, the liberal arts includes the hard sciences and engineering! In fact, many small liberal arts colleges have programs in the hard science which rival the quality and prestige of large research universities.

What is unique about small liberal arts colleges is that they focus solely on undergraduate education. Faculty spend their time educating undergraduates rather than spending the bulk of their time training graduate students. Some studies show that this educational philosophy leads to better outcomes after college. Small liberal arts colleges tend to have smaller classes which some students prefer. Also, these schools work to create campus communities in which living and learning together are at the heart of the institution. For students who want an intimate and caring learning environment, these schools are ideal.

If you are a student who is looking for small classes, undergraduate research opportunities, and professor mentors, think about applying to these small liberal arts colleges. Starting with a strategic consultation is the best way to determine if these schools are the right fit for you!