<p>I have been thinking about this topic lately. D2 went to an LAC ranked in the #40s by USNWR. She gets credit for class attendance in many classes, has multiple smaller papers and quizzes, and also bigger papers and tests. Compared to the research university I went to for undergrad where it was midterm/final (in a class like Calculus), and that was it for your grade. Or 3-4 signficant papers for the whole semester’s grade in an English class. I think she has it easy. 
But she has taken full advantage of it, and has a very high college GPA.</p>
<p>It seems to me this might be a numbers game. The LAC has smaller class sizes. The teacher has time to grade more assignments, keep track of who is coming to class, etc. That is just not going to happen at a bigger university, regardless of whether it is a highly ranked university or a state directional if the class sizes are large. </p>
<p>I am curious about higher ranked LACs, though. At at top 10 LAC, is it midterm/final for a grade? Or are there a lot more opportunities to make (or break) your grade during a semester, like at D2’s LAC?</p>