Neither size is better on its own. In a survey of nearly 30,000 graduates, the size of the college they attended had little relationship to their later well-being. What mattered was whether they had certain experiences: professors who knew them, a mentor, long projects, deep involvement in activities. Large universities offer breadth and many ways in; small colleges make close contact with faculty easier to come by. The real question is which setting makes those experiences likelier for you.
Where this information comes from
- College size and student-to-faculty ratios come from the U.S. Department of Education's Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS): undergraduate enrollment as used in Lens's college search, and student-to-faculty ratios from the Fall 2023 enrollment survey (file EF2023D). We grouped the 395 four-year colleges in Lens's college search by size and calculated the medians ourselves.
- Research findings come from the Gallup-Purdue Index (2014), a survey of 29,560 college graduates, and a 2024 study of 4,753 first-year students at 12 colleges (Stubblebine, Gopalan and Brady). Both are listed under Sources.
How colleges vary by size
| Undergraduates | Colleges | Public | Private | Median students per faculty member |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 2,500 | 39 | 2 | 37 | 10 |
| 2,500–4,999 | 81 | 18 | 63 | 12 |
| 5,000–9,999 | 106 | 52 | 54 | 14 |
| 10,000–19,999 | 90 | 72 | 18 | 16 |
| 20,000 or more | 79 | 76 | 3 | 18 |
Source: IPEDS undergraduate enrollment and Fall 2023 student-to-faculty ratio (EF2023D). The 395 colleges in Lens's college search; medians calculated by Lens.
Two patterns stand out. Small colleges are mostly private and large ones mostly public, so the choice of size is often also a choice about cost and residency (see what families actually pay, by income; you may pay less if receiving grants or scholarships). And the typical student-to-faculty ratio rises with size, from about 10 to 18.
A ratio isn't the same as class size. It counts faculty who teach mostly graduate students or spend much of their time on research. For a closer look, each college's Common Data Set reports how many undergraduate classes fall into each size range (section I-3).
What research says about size
- Size had little to do with graduates' well-being. In the Gallup-Purdue survey, whether graduates attended a large or small, public or private college had little relationship to their well-being or engagement at work. Six experiences did matter: a professor who made learning exciting, professors who cared about them, a mentor, a long project, an internship that applied what they learned, and deep involvement in activities. Only 3% had all six.
- Who feels at home can differ by size. In the 2024 study, more outgoing students reported a stronger sense of belonging at colleges of every size, and that link was a little stronger at large schools by the end of the first year. The authors call this finding exploratory.
What each tends to offer
Large universities often have:
- Many majors, and room to switch between very different fields
- Large research programs, libraries and labs
- A wide range of clubs, athletics and people
- Many large lecture courses, especially in the first two years
Small colleges often have:
- Smaller classes taught mostly by professors
- More discussion and writing in class
- Easier access to professors for research and mentoring
- A close residential community, where you'll see familiar faces
These are tendencies, not rules. Some large universities have small seminars and strong mentoring; some small colleges have large introductory courses.
Middle paths
- Honors colleges and residential programs inside large universities offer smaller classes and a close community within a big campus.
- Mid-sized universities, roughly 5,000 to 10,000 undergraduates, combine some of each.
- Consortia let students at small colleges take classes at their neighbors, such as the Five College Consortium in western Massachusetts (Amherst, Hampshire, Mount Holyoke, Smith and UMass Amherst) and the Claremont Colleges in California.
See also small public colleges and universities and what is a liberal arts college?
Questions to ask yourself
- Do I make friends in a big crowd, or through a few close relationships?
- Do I want to try many fields, or go deep in one I already love?
- Do I learn best by listening, or by talking things through?
- Will I ask a professor for help on my own, or would I rather they notice me?
- Does a familiar face on every path sound comforting, or confining?
Questions to ask colleges
- How large are introductory classes, and who teaches them?
- How do first-year students find mentors and research opportunities?
- How does advising work, and how often will I meet my advisor?
- How do new students find friends and groups in the first few weeks?
Whichever size you choose, the goal is the same: a place where you'll be known, and where you'll find your people.
Lens helps you understand which kinds of colleges fit you, using seven research-backed assessments, before you build your list. Start with Lens →
FAQ
Is it better to go to a big or small college? Neither is better on its own. Research finds that college size has little to do with graduates' later well-being; what matters is whether you have experiences such as close contact with professors, mentoring and long projects, and which setting makes those likelier for you.
What counts as a small college? The Carnegie Classification, a standard way of grouping U.S. colleges, calls four-year colleges with fewer than 1,000 degree-seeking students very small, 1,000–2,999 small, 3,000–9,999 medium and 10,000 or more large.
Do small colleges have smaller classes? Usually. Across the 395 colleges in Lens's college search, the median student-to-faculty ratio is 10 at colleges with fewer than 2,500 undergraduates and 18 at those with 20,000 or more. Check each college's Common Data Set for actual class sizes.
Is it harder to belong at a big university? Not necessarily. Many students find belonging at large universities through smaller communities: a residence hall, a program, a team or a club. It helps to ask how a college helps new students find those groups.
Related
- What college should I go to? What the research says matters most
- Which students thrive where? Personality and college fit
- What is an R1 university?
Sources
- U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, IPEDS: undergraduate enrollment; Fall Enrollment 2023, student-to-faculty ratio (EF2023D).
- Gallup and Purdue University (2014). Great Jobs, Great Lives: The Gallup-Purdue Index Report.
- Stubblebine, A.M., Gopalan, M., & Brady, S.T. (2024). Who feels like they belong? Personality and belonging in college. PLoS ONE, 19(1): e0295436.
- Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, size and setting classification.