<p>Mine is a freshman at a Big Ten school.</p>
<p>Smallest class has 8.
Biggest around 100+.
Others at about 20.</p>
<p>Smallest class about 15.
Biggest class as a freshman @ 150.
Is a sophomore now - biggest class this semester @ 250. Yikes.
The small classes are honors college classes otherwise they would be bigger.</p>
<p>Big 12 school.</p>
<p>
[quote]
biggest class this semester @ 250. Yikes.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Why the "Yikes!"?</p>
<p>Beyond a class size of about 50, there isn't going to be discussion in the classroom. It will be straight lecture, with a separate discussion section if there is discussion at all, and students who need help with the material will get it at the professor's or TA's office hours, not during class.</p>
<p>So in my opinion, once you go above 50, you might as well have 1000. In fact, last year as a freshman, my daughter was in one class that had 1200 students (Cornell's exceedingly popular Psychology 101, which is probably the largest class in the world). I see no problem with that.</p>
<p>18 to 150. I think that his Physics I class was 250. The number dwindled throughout the year. </p>
<p>He's either a sophomore or a junior - he came in with a year of credits.</p>
<p>If you don't like the big lecture halls - then there are always small LACs.</p>
<p>Smallest: 20 (English Comp)
Largest: around 400 (Psych)
Big 12 school</p>
<p>I agree with Marian on large lecture classes, though my son took a college course during senior year with about 100 students, and there was discussion. </p>
<p>Bringing in AP credits and taking honors college courses helps you fulfill distribution requirements and bypass some large entry-level classes.</p>
<p>Historical note: In my first semester at a Seven Sisters school, I had three classes in the largest lecture hall on campus.</p>
<p>This year (sophomore):</p>
<p>Smallest: 3 (Suburbanization)
Largest: About 30</p>
<p>Last Year (freshman):</p>
<p>Smallest: 15
Largest: 30</p>
<p>I am a student (freshman) but here is an example:</p>
<p>German (4th level): 10
Korean (intro intensive): ~8
Intro Microeconomics: 100+ (with TA groups of 15)
Freshman seminar: 15</p>
<p>Midwestern state flagship:</p>
<p>Smallest: Around 20 (Both English Comp & French 3)
Largest: Around 300 with 25 in Discussion Section (Microeconomics)</p>
<p>The large class is an 8:30 AM class, so I'm guessing average attendance will be somewhat less than that. :)</p>
<p>Is not it Honors are small and others large? It is at my D's college.</p>
<p>^^Not necessarily. All English comp sections at my S's very large U are about 20 students.</p>
<p>I'm a student (Junior) at an LAC...here's some more data:</p>
<p>This semester:
Largest: 60
Smallest: 18</p>
<p>Last year:</p>
<p>Largest: 300+ (Last time ever for the best lecture class at the school...possible the best class, period).
Smallest: 6</p>
<p>In general, my classes have ranged from 10-45, with a few larger lecture classes.</p>
<p>I'll be the "odd voice out" here. I've had classes that ranged from nine students to 750, and I thought the range of class sizes was good experience for me. Nine was W-A-Y too small for meaningful discussion (i.e., not big enough for a critical mass), which let to many awkward moments. With large classes you knew EXACTLY what the experience would be. My personal choice would be 18 students. Unless a student has a variety of class sizes, how is s/he supposed to get an idea of the relative advantages of each? JMHO.</p>
<p>My first semester:</p>
<p>Smallest class: ~20
Largest class: ~240 (Intro to Soc, largest class at my school.)</p>
<p>I actually really don't mind my huge lecture. The professor is really engaging, walks around the class, and calls on people for answers in lecture so there is definite participation happening. Great class.</p>
<p>I'm a sophomore at Vassar. My smallest class so far has had about 10 people - intro Italian last year - and my biggest academic classes have had around 25-30. That's a tie between intro psych, developmental psych, and symbolic logic. One of my ballet classes this year has a good 35 or so people in it, though. (Which sucks.) </p>
<p>I can't imagine going to a class with hundreds of people. Not my ideal college experience. I didn't even like having 40 people in my high school classes.</p>
<p>My son is a freshman at a small LAC. His four classes have 8, 20, 40, and 50... approximately. There are a few intro lecture classes that have 100+, as I understand it, but he isn't in one of them.</p>
<p>My son is a sophomore at a southern school with 10,000 undergrads.</p>
<p>He's taking 5 classes this fall- all between 10-15 kids in each. (Most with just 10-12).
His classes freshman year were also small. Largest 80 semester term and 60 second semester with all other classes very small, again under 20. </p>
<p>So, so far for 3 semesters, 15 classes, 13 have had under 20 students in each, 1 with 60, 1 with 80. I think it's great!!!!</p>