Unique Types of Colleges
There are a few thousand colleges in America that offer post-secondary education. The National Association for College Admission Counselors offers the following definitions to guide your college research. At a basic level, you can attend a technical, for-profit, 2-year community college, or a 4-year college or university. At the 4-year level, you have public and private choices. Public schools are usually more affordable while private schools have a better track record of helping their students graduate on time.
They fall loosely into categories and some might overlap depending on how stringently you define the different types of institutions. As you research schools, you will find them characterized in various ways. I will break them down as my students see them.
LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGES
These schools, generally small in size (~100-3,000), strive to provide a solid balanced curriculum of courses in the humanities, arts, social sciences, and physical sciences. Students may earn a Bachelor’s of Arts or Bachelor’s of Science degree but generally no advanced degrees. Their goal is that students learn at the highest level. Their majors are not meant to translate directly into careers but rather to empower students with the skills that would be required in most jobs: thinking, analyzing, communicating, classifying, evaluating. Many students go on to some form of graduate school.
In reality, the experience students have at a liberal arts college can be truly amazing. Small class size is common except for those that fulfill the general education core requirements.
Even at that, a large course at a liberal arts college might mean 100 whereas at a university that number can climb to 1,000.
Students who attend liberal arts colleges often know their professors on a first name basis and might have had class meetings held at the professor’s home. When I visited Pomona College, I was told that students were even known to knock at the president of the college’s front door to borrow chocolate chips. That kind of relationship is much more difficult to develop at a university.
Many parents do not understand the value of a liberal arts college. They see college as a training ground for a high paying job. Our task is to educate them to see the difference in the experience for their children.
UNIVERSITIES
You are probably all familiar with at least one university. They range in size from ~3,500-50,000+. The basic tenet of a university is to provide a liberal arts education to undergraduate students while at the same time offering degrees at the graduate level. Since research plays such a large part in the dynamics of a university both financially and educationally, professors are bound to include research and publishing as major parts of their job responsibilities. Classes can be large, especially at the lower division level and can become smaller as a student progresses through their degree program into more specialized areas of study. Research opportunities may be more difficult for undergraduate students to obtain because of the presence of graduate students.
SPECIALIZED INSTITUTIONS
These schools are those that offer the bulk of their curriculum in specialized areas such as music (example - Julliard), aeronautics (example - Embry-Riddle), culinary/hotel management (example - Johnson & Wales), art (example - California Institute of the Arts), design (example - Woodbury University), and others. These institutions may offer degrees or certificates. It is important that students be aware that they might go through years of college and end up with no degree – investigation is essential here. Often, these schools have excellent job placement programs since they are so specialized.
PROPRIETARY SCHOOLS
These schools are for-profit technical colleges, trade schools, or expensive job training programs and thus do not qualify for membership in NACAC. Sometimes their curriculum is so specialized that students have no other options. Other times they can find most of the same opportunities at a college or specialized institution and wind up with a degree in hand along with their specialized education. Fashion design or computer studies come to mind when I think about proprietary schools. Schools like DeVry, ITT, Bryman and so many others may offer certificate programs in a variety of vocational fields, but their graduation rates are pitifully low. Some of our community colleges offer excellent beginning programs in these areas leading to a certificate or Associate's degree, and students then could transfer to a four-year institution and earn their Bachelor's Degree if they so desire. We must be sure to show students their options in these fields since proprietary schools are not inexpensive.
WOMEN'S COLLEGES
Trying to convince female students that women’s colleges provide opportunities for leadership and empowerment that are not as accessible in coed institutions is one of the more challenging parts of my job. The girls think it equates to giving them a chastity belt and locking them away from the male species for four years. The need to educate is strong here. Fortunately, examples such as Hillary Clinton and Diane Sawyer are available. Most women’s colleges have exchange programs with coed institutions close by such as Wellesley/MIT or Barnard/Columbia or Bryn Mawr/Haverford.
HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES and UNIVERSITIES
Many of my African American students look at these schools though few actually attend. In southern California there is a company that takes students on tours of these schools at affordable prices. There are also representatives from groups of black colleges that will come to your school to talk to students. Even if you do not have many students consider these schools, it is important that you are aware of them and know where they are.
FAITH-BASED
Faith-based colleges and universities are private. Many began as teaching college for theologians or teachers. Today, there are Protestant, Roman Catholic,Jewish and Mormon institutions. While you don't have to be a follower of that faith, most will require weekly religious attendance (chapel, mass...). A few may require that students sign a statement of faith.
Oklahoma Baptist University shared about the uniqueness of a Christian college. Christian colleges provide [1] a community of faith, [2] real-world application of faith, and [3] academic excellence. Read their blog and view their site to learn more.
If you want to dig deeper read Every Catholic's Guide to College by Katherine O'Brien or The Christian's Guide to College Admissions: Senior Addition by Glenda Durano.
What unique types of colleges are you interested in? Contact me.
They fall loosely into categories and some might overlap depending on how stringently you define the different types of institutions. As you research schools, you will find them characterized in various ways. I will break them down as my students see them.
LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGES
These schools, generally small in size (~100-3,000), strive to provide a solid balanced curriculum of courses in the humanities, arts, social sciences, and physical sciences. Students may earn a Bachelor’s of Arts or Bachelor’s of Science degree but generally no advanced degrees. Their goal is that students learn at the highest level. Their majors are not meant to translate directly into careers but rather to empower students with the skills that would be required in most jobs: thinking, analyzing, communicating, classifying, evaluating. Many students go on to some form of graduate school.
In reality, the experience students have at a liberal arts college can be truly amazing. Small class size is common except for those that fulfill the general education core requirements.
Even at that, a large course at a liberal arts college might mean 100 whereas at a university that number can climb to 1,000.
Students who attend liberal arts colleges often know their professors on a first name basis and might have had class meetings held at the professor’s home. When I visited Pomona College, I was told that students were even known to knock at the president of the college’s front door to borrow chocolate chips. That kind of relationship is much more difficult to develop at a university.
Many parents do not understand the value of a liberal arts college. They see college as a training ground for a high paying job. Our task is to educate them to see the difference in the experience for their children.
UNIVERSITIES
You are probably all familiar with at least one university. They range in size from ~3,500-50,000+. The basic tenet of a university is to provide a liberal arts education to undergraduate students while at the same time offering degrees at the graduate level. Since research plays such a large part in the dynamics of a university both financially and educationally, professors are bound to include research and publishing as major parts of their job responsibilities. Classes can be large, especially at the lower division level and can become smaller as a student progresses through their degree program into more specialized areas of study. Research opportunities may be more difficult for undergraduate students to obtain because of the presence of graduate students.
SPECIALIZED INSTITUTIONS
These schools are those that offer the bulk of their curriculum in specialized areas such as music (example - Julliard), aeronautics (example - Embry-Riddle), culinary/hotel management (example - Johnson & Wales), art (example - California Institute of the Arts), design (example - Woodbury University), and others. These institutions may offer degrees or certificates. It is important that students be aware that they might go through years of college and end up with no degree – investigation is essential here. Often, these schools have excellent job placement programs since they are so specialized.
PROPRIETARY SCHOOLS
These schools are for-profit technical colleges, trade schools, or expensive job training programs and thus do not qualify for membership in NACAC. Sometimes their curriculum is so specialized that students have no other options. Other times they can find most of the same opportunities at a college or specialized institution and wind up with a degree in hand along with their specialized education. Fashion design or computer studies come to mind when I think about proprietary schools. Schools like DeVry, ITT, Bryman and so many others may offer certificate programs in a variety of vocational fields, but their graduation rates are pitifully low. Some of our community colleges offer excellent beginning programs in these areas leading to a certificate or Associate's degree, and students then could transfer to a four-year institution and earn their Bachelor's Degree if they so desire. We must be sure to show students their options in these fields since proprietary schools are not inexpensive.
WOMEN'S COLLEGES
Trying to convince female students that women’s colleges provide opportunities for leadership and empowerment that are not as accessible in coed institutions is one of the more challenging parts of my job. The girls think it equates to giving them a chastity belt and locking them away from the male species for four years. The need to educate is strong here. Fortunately, examples such as Hillary Clinton and Diane Sawyer are available. Most women’s colleges have exchange programs with coed institutions close by such as Wellesley/MIT or Barnard/Columbia or Bryn Mawr/Haverford.
HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES and UNIVERSITIES
Many of my African American students look at these schools though few actually attend. In southern California there is a company that takes students on tours of these schools at affordable prices. There are also representatives from groups of black colleges that will come to your school to talk to students. Even if you do not have many students consider these schools, it is important that you are aware of them and know where they are.
FAITH-BASED
Faith-based colleges and universities are private. Many began as teaching college for theologians or teachers. Today, there are Protestant, Roman Catholic,Jewish and Mormon institutions. While you don't have to be a follower of that faith, most will require weekly religious attendance (chapel, mass...). A few may require that students sign a statement of faith.
Oklahoma Baptist University shared about the uniqueness of a Christian college. Christian colleges provide [1] a community of faith, [2] real-world application of faith, and [3] academic excellence. Read their blog and view their site to learn more.
If you want to dig deeper read Every Catholic's Guide to College by Katherine O'Brien or The Christian's Guide to College Admissions: Senior Addition by Glenda Durano.
What unique types of colleges are you interested in? Contact me.