Big Universities Vs. Small Colleges, Which One Is Better 

When choosing whether to go to a big university or small college, you need to consider their pros and cons. Here are some things that you can think about and hopefully help you make that decision.

Name Recognition

It is quite evident that the bigger the school, the more popular it would be. Bigger schools tend to be known even abroad as they have more alumni around the world. They are the ones who get media exposure as larger universities have athletic teams with games being televised. Larger schools also have more significant funds to promote their name, meaning they have more mainstream advertisements.

More Courses Offered

Larger universities offer more professional programs, especially in the medical, engineering, and business fields. In some cases, larger universities focus more on their science and liberal arts curricula. Overall, when asked what the top business and engineering schools are, the larger universities would always be on top of the list.

Student Population

Smaller colleges tend to be more student-centered as they have smaller class sizes compared to larger universities. It is common to see freshman classes having 100 students per class and sometimes even more in the big universities. Most professors in these prestigious schools often focus on their research, while smaller colleges tend to focus more on the student’s learning.

Classroom Participation

Since there are fewer students per class in a small college, you have more opportunities to participate and discuss with your professor. It is not that you cannot do this in more prominent universities, but it happens less than in smaller colleges. 

Imagine a professor trying to engage to hundred students in one hour. The large class size makes it physically hard, close to impossible. That is why students who like to interact closely with their professors prefer small colleges.

Teaching Opportunites for Graduating Students

Most of the time, smaller colleges do not have teaching programs that allow graduate students to teach certain classes. Smaller colleges are taught by full-time faculty members. 

On the other hand, bigger universities offer such programs which provide experience to the student which they could apply to their career. 

However, the advantage of having a full pledge faculty as your professor is that their recommendation has more weight compared to a graduate student. This is advantageous, especially when applying for work.

Nonetheless, there are graduating students that are excellent at teaching, so it is an understatement to say that you’ll be less likely to learn from them.

Sports Programs

If your goal is to become a professional athlete in the future, then a larger university is a good match for you. They have better exposure compared to smaller colleges. But the stakes and competition level are higher, which makes it a more stressful environment. If you are an athlete who wants to play for the sake of enjoyment, then going to a small school would not be the wrong choice.

Leadership Opportunities

The competition for getting a leadership position in a small college is less compared to a bigger university. Smaller colleges are easier to handle, and you can easily be recognized in a small school. But if you can be a leader in a big university and be good at it, that is impressive and can even highlight your portfolio.

Becoming Anonymous

If you are the kind of student who does not want too much attention and wants to stay hidden in the crowd, it can easily be done in a big university. Unless you do something worth noticing, you can quickly become anonymous in a big university and successfully graduate without other people prying into your own business.

School Facilities

Larger universities tend to have better facilities than smaller colleges as they have more funds to purchase equipment. It is an advantage as students would be able to learn using the latest technology available. But this does not guarantee that students from larger universities are better than smaller colleges.

There are cases wherein students from small schools outperform the students from a prestigious campus. It still depends on the student’s study habit and learning capability and often their willingness to learn.

Job Opportunities

Unfortunately, there are still companies that prefer applicants coming from more prominent schools. Though this does not guarantee an automatic hire as the employer still considers other factors.

Bigger or smaller school, which to choose? There are aspects wherein bigger universities outperform smaller colleges and vice versa. It all boils down to your personal preference. 

Whatever decision you make, ensure that you will study because if you don’t, even the best school can’t help you.