^ The S:F ratio is a fairly crude metric. Those ratios may understate the differences in class sizes and student-faculty engagement between a LAC like Wesleyan and a big research university like Berkeley. Here are a few comments about Berkeley’s S:F ratio from the Students Reviews site:
“Berkeley is overcrowded. Classes are often huge (don’t believe the “official” student/faculty ratio, which is a joke).”
“My first qualm with Berkeley is the incredibly large and impersonal atmosphere. The 15:1 ratio is incredibly misleading. In my time here, I have had 1 lecture with less than 20 people, just 1 and I have taken classes in Math, Econ, History, English, etc.”
“Do not be fooled by the ratios that Berkeley claims: 15:1 student:faculty ratio. In four years as a PEIS major, fewer than 10% of my classes met that ratio. Discussion sections with a TA does not count in my book as fulfilling that ratio.”
These are not the only complaints on that site about huge classes at Berkeley.
On the other hand, even at Wesleyan, a few classes will be pretty big. 5% have 50 or more students. This percentage may be much higher in introductory courses or in more-popular majors. A university as large as Berkeley is sure to have many small classes, especially among upper division courses or in less-popular majors. A more precise way to compare class sizes is to look up specific subjects of interest in the online course catalogs and view the enrollment numbers.