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<p>Class size affects the quality of class discussion as well as the time a professor can devote to written assignments and other student needs. Carleton, Chicago, Northwestern, and WUSTL are all very strong by this measure.</p>
<p>As for library collections, it does not take too much to support typical undergraduate needs (though some are more attractive study spaces or social spaces than others). However, the best university libraries can help attract and support top faculty with a wide range of research interests. For this purpose, size matters. Chicago’s new Mansueto-Regenstein complex houses America’s third largest collection of books under a single roof (after the LOC and the New York Public Library). It’s big, glitzy, and high-tech (enough so that it might be a factor in swaying a few students’ choice of college.)</p>