One Size Doesn't Fit All
The size of school you attend has little actual impact on the value of your education or how much that education will cost you but it can have a huge impact on your experience at college. For this reason, maybe more so than any other search factor, it is important that you have some understanding of what you value and what you want out of your higher education experience.
Things to Remember When Searching by Size
- School Size is Not an Indicator of Affordability
- Bigger School Doesn’t Mean Better School and Vice Versa
- Focus on Where You’ll Be Comfortable and Can Excel
- Add a Mix of Sizes to Your Favorites
School Size is Not an Indicator of Affordability
Our experience has shown us that the size of particular school has little to no impact on the affordability of that institution so don’t focus on the size of a school when looking for more cost-effective options.
Bigger School Doesn’t Mean Better School and Vice Versa
Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that the bigger the school is the better it is or the more prestigious the degree. Because of their size and student demand, larger schools can sometimes offer more variety in their curriculum. But smaller schools are often able to provide a more immersive program because fewer students participate in a major. Think about what you want and need from your higher education and tailor your search based on that as opposed to focusing on the number of students.
Focus on Where You’ll Be Comfortable and Can Excel
The size of college or university you attend can have a huge impact on your higher education experience. For this reason, you need to think about the environment in which you’ll be most comfortable. Do you like large classes with 400 other students where you can multi-task and do your math assignment and the professor won’t even know your name? Or would you prefer a smaller class where you know everyone, the professor knows you, but if you haven’t done the reading assignment, everyone will know? If you still don’t know, read the next tip.
Add a Mix of Sizes to Your Favorites
The best way to figure out what size of school you want to go to is to add a mix to your favorites and then make plans to visit several of them. Sometimes, you just won’t know what is right for you until it is right in front of you so keep an open mind and expand your possibilities.