<p>How do the LACs rank compared to the National Universities. I don't mean the very top though. More like 30-50 rank(usnews). </p>
<p>How does the LACs ranked 30-50 compare as far as success in getting a job compared to the 30-50th ranked national universities?</p>
<p>Well the top 30-50 LAC's according to US News...are bad. Dickinson is bad for example. As far as top 30-50 Universities, look what's there, New York University, University of Rochester, Lehigh University, Brandeis, George Washington and Boston University (almost) and Tulane. All those schools are definately much better than Dickinson so i would say Universities top 30-50 are much better. Its better to have University of Rochester or NYU or Brandeis on your resume than Dickinson. Im a Cornell class of 2010 hopeful btw (applying ED this October)</p>
<p>Well...Boston University is also 'bad.'</p>
<p>To the OP - there are some special cases. Remember, LACs are a lot weirder.</p>
<p>I applied to Reed College and St. John's College. Both of them refused to cooperate with USNWR for rankings, so they got trashed and placed low. But they are excellent, and I seriously thought about going to one of them instead of Princeton, where I am right now. So what I would say for LACS - look closely.</p>
<p>But dont look at those stupid rankings. If you're a junior, then i understand what you're going through. Dont look at those rankings. Look at the big picture. LAC's are small...personally, i prefer a university.</p>
<p>Reed is so great. For me, I would choose any top 50 LAC over any 30-50 Uni.</p>
<p>"Bad..."
I don't think anything in the top 150 LACs/Universities can be called "bad."
LAC's have a sort of uniform strength up through the 60s-70s. Besides Reed (they would be top 10 if they submitted info) schools like Ohio Wesleyan, Kalamazoo, Beloit, etc. have an excellent record for grad schools that rivals schools in the top 10. All of these colleges are likely to give a similar education to a top-10 one, since they all attract similar professors (since getting tenure at any college is so competitive nowadays). The lower ranked LAC's also have great facilities generally.</p>
<p>Also, many LAC's have better track records than similarly (or better ranked) universities for subjects like Biology. Carleton has scored better on the medical aptitude test than Harvard. Ohio Wesleyan has a med-school acceptance rate in the 80's.</p>
<p>In terms of getting a job, you may have a more difficult time, unfortunately. The only way that 30-50 LAC's are "bad" is that they have very little name recognition from employers compared to 30-50 universities. You will have an enormous benefit for graduate school, though.</p>
<p>LAC's do have name recognition with major companies...you can check on a LAC;s website and see who comes to the campuses....LAC grads are sought after as employees.</p>
<p>This post is dominated by tabloid thinking, "Top LACs are better than Uninversities." The true answer is much more complicated and depends on what kind of student you are, what you want to major in, etc. Reed College might be great for one person but it might be horrible for another.</p>
<p>Something to think about thought: </p>
<p>In the NYU music department, the most graduate students did their undergraduate work at Oberlin College - one of the best schools for undergraduate music. What's that ranked in the US News rankings anyway?</p>
<p>Jon</p>
<p>That's not fair. Oberlin has a conservatory.</p>
<p>Of course and you have supported my contention that Oberlin has an excellent conservatory of music.</p>
<p>But the larger point is that Oberlin College may be good for one type of student and not good for another type of student and that its placement in the US News ranking system is largely irrelevant.</p>
<p>The schools it seems I have a good shot at would be 30-70. What schools in that range, have good economics programs?</p>
<p>There are no "bad" schools. Any LAC or Univ. in the top 100-150 is a good school for many students. Most have pros and cons that is why fit is so important. Some kids would thrive in an urban campus while other require a small enclosed wooded setting to make the most of their college experience. Try and cast a large net and don't get caught up on LAC VS Univ. Vs state school. Think of any as offering an opportunity for a quality education and try to slowly make up a list based on several factors that make sense for you such as size, location, culture, majors, "feel" or "vibe", social life.</p>
<p>Personally...i did that and realized University was the way to go for me.</p>
<p>what is LAC???</p>
<p>LAC = Liberal Arts College</p>
@ncparent2 : By entering standardized scoring, LACs can, in cases, over-perform their university counterparts. For example, Harvey Mudd College, 21st among LACs in USNWR, appears as the 4th highest school when compared to all colleges in the nation:
This deeper (and one year older) list can provide statistical context for hundreds of schools:
http://www.businessinsider.com/the-610-smartest-colleges-in-america-2015-9
That said, standardized scoring simply relates to a component of selectivity, and should be regarded with this limitation in mind.