<p>Why are some schools place under the category "Liberal Arts". Most colleges are Liberal Arts Schools unless they are professional schools like MIT/CalTech/RPI/Babson/Bently etc. For example Bradeis/Boston College/Tufts are all Liberal Arts schools. Whay are these not in the "Liberal Arts" categories? I see this in the US News and World Report and also on College Confidential. Is it the size of the school?</p>
<p>Not just size. Usually the "national universities" include a lot of graduate school programs, some professional schools on campus (e.g. law, medicine, business), and a lot of research funded by competitive outside grants. There are a lot of graduate students, and graduate-level courses to be found.</p>
<p>Some of the national universities, so-called, emphasize undergraduate education, but others less so. The identity of those is a point of considerable debate on CC.</p>
<p>My son is at a USNWR "top 20" national university, but reports that all of his classes are being taught by professors, none have more than 20-30 students, one has 7 students, all the profs seem eminently approachable. (He is a freshman but is enrolled in a number of upper level courses; perhaps it would be different if he were in all freshman-level classes.) Research opps are available for all by junior year, for many as early as freshman year. He seems to have the best of both worlds, and I am pleased.</p>
<p>Some (many?) LAC also have ample research opportunities as well, and classes are always taught by professors, so the line of distinction between the categories is somewhat blurred.</p>
<p>You'll see a lot of intermixing. OK, just don't go by the rankings, period. They are pretty useless if you ask me!</p>
<p>Brandeis. BC and Tufts all have pretty decent sized graduate schools and some professional schools so they are not LACs. An LAC is just for undergrads and tends to be smaller.</p>
<p>link to Carnegie Classification description</p>
<p>partial list from above website:</p>
<p>Doctorate-granting Universities. Includes institutions that award at least 20 doctoral degrees per year (excluding doctoral-level degrees that qualify recipients for entry into professional practice, such as the JD, MD, PharmD, DPT, etc.). Excludes Special Focus Institutions and Tribal Colleges.</p>
<p>RU/VH: Research Universities (very high research activity)
RU/H: Research Universities (high research activity)
DRU: Doctoral/Research Universities</p>
<p>Master’s Colleges and Universities. Generally includes institutions that award at least 50 master's degrees and fewer than 20 doctoral degrees per year. (Some institutions above the master's degree threshold are included among Baccalaureate Colleges, and some below the threshold are included among Master's Colleges and Universities; see Technical Details.) Excludes Special Focus Institutions and Tribal Colleges.</p>
<p>Master’s/L: Master’s Colleges and Universities (larger programs)
Master’s/M: Master’s Colleges and Universities (medium programs)
Master’s/S: Master’s Colleges and Universities (smaller programs)</p>
<p>Baccalaureate Colleges. Includes institutions where baccalaureate degrees represent at least 10 percent of all undergraduate degrees and that award fewer than 50 master's degrees or 20 doctoral degrees per year. (Some institutions above the master's degree threshold are also included; see Technical Details.) Excludes Special Focus Institutions and Tribal Colleges.</p>
<p>Bac/A&S: Baccalaureate Colleges—Arts & Sciences
Bac/Diverse: Baccalaureate Colleges—Diverse Fields
Bac/Assoc: Baccalaureate/Associate’s Colleges</p>
<p>Don't get confused between the classification of a university and the actual material taught. There are National Universities that offer a 'liberal arts' education while still being research powerhouses.</p>
<p>Hello Dear,
It is of my pleasure to be a member in your community. </p>
<p>Regards</p>
<p>Inquiring – I think it is basically a distinction between schools with > 4,200 undergraduates, and those with less. Can you show me an LAC on the USNWR list with more than 4,2
00 undergrads? Or an “National University” with fewer?</p>
<p>I see the Military Academies are included under LAC… that is stretching it a little.</p>
<p>I see Calvin College has 4,106 undergrads… that is the largest I can find.</p>
<p>Caltech has under 2,000, but then again, Caltech is an exception to EVERY rule.</p>
<p>There are a number of schools with 3,500- 4,500 undergrads. these tweeners are either classified as LAC or Nat. Uni depending on the % of graduate students.</p>
<p>ROFL most random bump ever! Hello Dear.</p>
<p>I love the hybrids that are 4000-8000, focus on undergrads, have good facilities, have a college community, very walkable, most kids live on campus. Schools like Dartmouth, Brown, Tufts, Princeton, Boston College, Colgate, Georgetown, William & Mary, Notre Dame, Northwestern, Rice, Duke, Vanderbilt, Emory, Wake Forest. These schools offer the best of both worlds.</p>
<p>They also have very little in common with huge research schools. They really shouldnt be compared. Apples and oranges.</p>
<p>@ DunninLA:</p>
<p>Rice University is a national university with approximately 3200 undergrads (although the school plans to expand to 3900 undergrads within the next four years). However, the grad programs here are definitely not up to the level of the undergraduate education here, which is fine because I don’t plan on going to grad school here.</p>