A new report from the Council of Independent Colleges says that students at small private colleges enjoy better learning outcomes, more support, and a more rigorous education than students at large, public colleges and universities.
The report, released June 18, looked at the results from the National Survey of Student Engagement and included data from 540,000 first-year and senior students enrolled at more than 900 four-year colleges and universities.
From the report:
Many findings demonstrate the value and utility of the education offered by small and mid-sized private colleges and universities, especially when compared with public institutions:
- Academically Challenging Experiences: Private college students are more likely to experience courses that emphasize higher-order learning and reflective and integrative learning experiences as well as studying, writing, and reading.
- Student-Faculty Interactions: First-year and senior students at private colleges are more likely to interact with faculty members about their academic performance, course topics outside of class, co- and extra-curricular activities, and career plans after graduation.
- Effective Teaching Practices: Students at small, independent colleges report greater satisfaction with course organization, course lectures, and feedback on course assignments.
- High-Impact Practices: Private college students experienced more educational practices that result in greater gains in student learning and higher levels of persistence, including service learning, research conducted with a faculty member, internships and field experiences, study abroad, and culminating senior experiences. Moreover, students at private colleges are more likely than their peers at public institutions to participate in two or more High-Impact Practices.
- Supportive Learning Environment: Students enrolled at private colleges are more likely to report that their institutions provided support that helped them succeed and that they attended events that addressed important social, economic, or political issues.
- Emphasis on Values and Ethics: Both first-year students and seniors who enrolled at private colleges are more likely to perceive that they made greater strides in developing or clarifying a personal code of values and ethics.
