<p>I'd prefer a school with smaller class sizes. What is the best way to find accurate information? I wonder if some of the statistics I'm seeing are misleading because they're averaging tiny upper-level classes with gigantic intro classes?</p>
<p>Try putting “schedule of classes” in the school’s web site search box. Then take a look at representative classes like freshman English, math, and your major courses, and junior and senior level courses in your intended major.</p>
<p>Most intro classes are well suited to being larger. Upper level matters more as does the number of choices.</p>
<p>This information has been compiled several times on College Confidential. Example:
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/708190-avg-class-size-4.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/708190-avg-class-size-4.html</a></p>
<p>You can also find this information in the Common Data Set file that many colleges post on the Web. Go to section I3.</p>
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<p>I disagree. Most intro classes (and the first year experience in general) would benefit from small classes with lots of discussion, many written assignments, essay-based tests, and abundant feedback from the professor.</p>
<p>I have information on class size at [Student</a> to Faculty Ratios: Should they be part of your college college rankings?](<a href=“http://diycollegerankings.com/2011/09/02/student-to-faculty-ratios-should-they-be-part-of-your-college-college-rankings/]Student”>http://diycollegerankings.com/2011/09/02/student-to-faculty-ratios-should-they-be-part-of-your-college-college-rankings/). If you have some idea of what classes you are interested in, check the actual class schedules for class size limits. You can find wide variation even at the upper division level depending on the department. I found one large public university where the class size never go below 60 in the history department. You can usually find the info from the registrar’s web page.</p>
<p>Common Data Sets on section I have not just average class sizes, but class size distributions with “real” classes and labs/subsections reported separately.</p>
<p>I’d prefer a school with smaller class sizes</p>
<p>Few schools have small “intro” classes because those classes are just too expensive to be small…the cost can’t be justified. Profs often only teach 3 classes, so cost is a consideration. </p>
<p>Even many small privates will still have large lectures for US History or other Gen Ed type classes. My older son attends a top 20 private for grad school…the school is small. Last semester, he took an undergrad class “for fun”. The class was so big that on the first day, nearly 30 kids didn’t have seats and had to sit on the floor! They soon moved to a larger lecture hall to accomodate the entire class of about 100 kids. The funny thing is, I’m sure that many chose that school because it’s a ranked private and pricey, so they assumed their classes would be small and intimate. </p>
<p>Schools know that many upper division classes, writing classes, labs, and some other classes need to be smaller, so they direct budget for those. </p>
<p>That said, some schools have Honors classes where class size is very limited and those classes often count for Gen Ed. At my kids’ undergrad, honors college classes are limited to 15 students each. All Frosh Comp classes are limited to 25 or 30 kids (don’t remember)</p>
<p>BTW…if you come into college with a good number of AP credits that your school accepts, then you can skip over many of these large intro classes. My kids rarely had a class that had more than 30 kids in it. Once in upper division, their classes shrunk to as low as 8 kids.</p>
<h2>*Most intro classes are well suited to being larger. *</h2>
<p>*I disagree…, many written assignments, essay-based tests, and abundant feedback from the professor. *</p>
<p>Often THOSE classes do have limited class size so the prof can adequately grade those written papers. At my kids large flagship, those classes are limited to 25 kids…and I’m guessing other schools do the same. For large lectures that might need some individual attention, those classes often have a “recitation or lab” period for 20-25 kids and individual attention can be more easily had then.</p>