Liberal Arts Colleges vs. Traditional Universities

Might lack name recognition globally compared to larger universities, but may be well-known in the U.S. or educational professionals.

The majority of liberal arts colleges are private institutions.

Most liberal arts colleges are located in towns and suburban areas with a smaller student body.

Often more expensive than public universities, but are able to be more generous with financial aid.

Undergraduate education is the primary focus at liberal arts colleges. They award most of their degrees in natural science, humanities, and arts.

Usually require their students to take a wider variety of courses to better prepare them for graduate and professional schools.

Classes are significantly smaller and offer a smaller student-teacher ratio with many discussion-based courses.

Most liberal arts colleges offer stronger academic preparedness overall. Students are provided with many leadership, internship, and research opportunities.

There are relatively less student clubs and organizations.

Strong relationships between alumni, professors, and other classmates often leads to more career opportunities.

Generally have a greater name recognition and reputation globally.

There is a large variety of both public and private universities.

There are universities located in rural, city, and suburban areas. Most universities have a larger population, especially state universities.

Public universities are less expensive than private universities and liberal arts colleges, but there are fewer financial aid opportunities, especially for international students.

Usually have professional and graduate schools in addition to undergrad studies, and have a wider variety of programs and majors to choose from.

Courses are tailored to each student's career path, especially for students pursuing technical careers.

Class sizes are larger, especially for general education courses. Many classes are taught lecture style.

Students have higher chances of being admitted to graduate schools in the same university. There are many research opportunities, but many are reserved for graduate students.

Wider variety of clubs/organizations for students to be a part of, including Greek life and competitive sports.

More on-campus career fairs and recruitment events will be hosted at large campuses.