What’s the difference between large and small institutions?

When considering the size of a college or university, you have countless choices, from small colleges with a few hundred students to large universities with student populations topping 60,000. While there are pros and cons to any size, and the specifics vary widely from school to school, here are some basics to consider.

Major and Course Offerings
Small universities and colleges usually focus their majors and course offerings on either the basic liberal arts (psychology, English and the sciences, for example) or specialized fields (like an engineering or business). By virtue of their size, large universities usually offer a wide diversity of majors and a broad course catalog.

Faculty Interaction and Class Size
Small colleges and universities usually offer small class sizes and a low student-to-faculty ratio that allows for close interaction with professors. At large institutions, big freshman and sophomore classes mean there’s a good chance of spending your first year or two in large, lecture-style classes, taught by graduate students.

Research Opportunities
Research is an important part of academic life, and institutions of all sizes offer research opportunities. Large institutions may have more ongoing research projects, but often the actual research in those instances is limited to graduate students and professors.

At small colleges and universities you are likely to have opportunities for hands-on research and even the chance to publish and present results regionally or nationally.

College Life
Many students at small colleges and universities speak about a strong sense of community—a sense that “everyone knows your name” and looks out for each other. Small institutions often offer more opportunities for a student to get involved and lead campus organizations.

Large institutions offer a wide diversity of extracurricular opportunities and experiences.  Their size may also promote a college town atmosphere in the surrounding community.


The best way to get a feel for whether you would prefer a small college or a large university is to see for yourself! Visit a small school and a big school. Take note of which aspects you like, which you don’t like, and which seem attractive to you in a college or university.