And for my D, I believe it is 15% international, and has students from nearly every state in the US, so diversity is huge for a 2800 student body.
As others have said, it depends on the LAC and the kid. One of mine decided against a LAC that was about the same size as his high school as it appeared to be very non-diverse and because one of his older friends that was there admitted it sometimes did feel like high school. Some kids love the small schools, others start to feel confined, especially at schools that are in isolated areas. One thing to look at is how often classes required for a major are offered. Met a kid recently who had to wait to take a class because it was only offered every other year during the spring semester. I think he may have changed majors and so was not quite on the right track.
OTOH many kids like the small schools that encourage close connections with faculty And the reality is that most kids make their friends and stick with them.
It really comes down to what she thinks and the vibe she gets. Good luck!
My kids both attend LACs. One school is around 2,000 students and offers 9 modern languages. One is under 1,400 students and offers 7 modern languages.
Since they only take 8 classes per year, its more a case of having to figure out which classes they are interested in that they have to skip rather than having problems finding classes that interest them. They have more than enough options and have never felt like they were wanting for more.
My daughter is loving the social aspect of her LAC. It is nothing like HS. Pretty much everyone lives on campus, and the diversity (geographic and otherwise) makes discussions quite interesting since students bring their own unique perspectives. She only knows a small percentage of the students at this point, but I can’t imagine that she will run out of new people to meet. There are plenty of events and activities, and even at a school of 30,000, how many students does a kid really get to know well?
My daughter attends a private LAC with an enrollment of about 2300. She really likes it. There are two other bigger colleges very close by - one about 1/2 a mile and another just a few miles away. They each have an enrollment of about 10,000. She has made friends with people at the other schools through work and a lot of the kids at her school are locals and have friends who attend these schools.
DS went to a small, all-male school (900 at its highest). He has had paid internships, paid research experiences, two international trips and countless dinners and meetings with professors and deans. The faculty have done everything they could to help him in his goals. Because he applied ot medical school, he thrived in an environment that offered him chances to make personal connections. his letters of recommendation were so personal because he knows his professors. His research work was significant because it was just 4 students working on the project for 2 years in the lab. His school works with the local community.
He has never felt that he outgrew the school, and he will miss his classmates so much when he moves on. It is a unique environment and he has thrived.
My college had around 1,800 students and I thought it was perfect; big enough to have some variety, and small enough to feel “homey”.
Then again, I prefer less crowded environments in general, so things might be different for students who want large, bustling campuses with dense populations.
My DD attended Reed and loved it. The only size-related problem was that, at least in her major at the time (art history), there were so few professors and they seemed to come and go with sabbaticals, leaving for other positions, etc. So several times when she was supposed to sign up for the next semester’s classes, they weren’t sure what they were going to be offering yet because they hadn’t filled the positions yet! So, at least in her major, the professorial “bench” wasn’t deep and instead it was tenuous, and the course offerings had to wait until they saw who was going to be on hand to teach! I didn’t like that, and when it was time for my DS to apply, I steered him away from very small schools for that reason.
The number of professors in any department could be a drawback at a small school. There likely will be less diversity in points of view. How about diversity in points of view of the student body as well? Large campuses have enough people to form substantial minority voices- eg conservatives at a liberal place.
Could go in a philosophical direction here. We ultimately want a comfortable life (not money but happiness) so why choose to be uncomfortable for the sake of it even in college. Perhaps poorly stated but hopefully you get my drift. No need to be unhappy just to push limits when you can get as good an education (education in its broad sense, not just academics in classes) and enjoy life while doing it.
It sounds like those who chose their small schools may have found their fit.
Two of my children went to smallish,private colleges and found that there was all kinds of advantages for being a ‘big fish in a small pond’. They were both very strong students and earned top grades. So their teachers noticed their work and this led to a number of extra opportunities for them. This would not have been as likely to happen at a large school where it is harder to stand out.
i don’t get your drift – are you promoting the party aspect of your university? Or saying that somehow a small campus is more uncomfortable than a large one? Or really saying that students should go with the environment they feel more comfortable in? Really… just not understanding.
@intparent, I interpreted it to mean “students should go with the environment they feel more comfortable in” (especially based on last statement " It sounds like those who chose their small schools may have found their fit. "
Probably… just the sentence I quoted made me think of party schools. 
Never thought of partying. I imagine just as much partying can be done at small as well as large schools. Enjoyment includes the whole experience. post #51 got it.
btw- large schools with party reputations can mean a small minority of students get attention for partying.
My high school is around 5,000 students and I haven’t been to college yet, but I want a bigger college so that I can experience something different in terms with size. Does she want something she knows works for her, or something new to experiment with?
It would be different to have 1,000, too. Just saying… carry on.
Would anyone be willing to name some of the small colleges that they recommend? My daughter will be a junior next year and I would like to start discussing colleges with her this summer. She currently attends a small boarding school in western Mass., Buxton School. Thanks!
My son attended University of Alabama (40,000) one year before starting at Olin (350). Having been to both extremes of large and small school, he prefers the small, intimate atmosphere of the small classes and tight knit groups at Olin. It’s not for everybody, and I totally understand people who want a ‘normal’ college experience.
Thanks NoVADad99
My daughter also prefers the idea of smaller schools (but not “too” small because some diversity of majors and professors is a plus). Her range is 2,000-6,000 students, with most clustered on the lower end. Her high school is very small (about 300 students total or 75 per grade) so anything will seem large in comparison! Like others who have posted here, better access to professors and being part of a close-knit community are the main attractions.