Is liberal art college superior?

Question

to other kinds of educational institutes

Answer 1

If you're a math/science wizard, the answer is clearly no in terms of future career opportunities.

Still, liberal arts colleges really do provide you with a solid background in humanities and social sciences (and the arts if you choose). Many liberal arts degrees can be used in multiple fields and are often less static (and to some degree, restricting) than a B.S. Of course, liberal arts colleges work best when they're fairly small (less than 2,000) and thus provide for much better one-on-one interaction with professors (which is the crown jewel of any liberal arts education).

Of course, I might be a bit biased since I'm attending a small liberal arts college myself. I will warn you that liberal arts people are often sort of out-of-touch with reality and have a detrimental irrational fear of numbers and the sciences. They really, really love drama (both the stage kind and the gossip kind). As engineering majors rightly accuse them, they often pursue impractical and not all that contributive (to society or themselves) majors and careers. Engineering majors, at least from my experience, often are more pragmatic, less dramatic, and a bit more sane. I find them to be more fun to hang out with on a weekend but that's probably just me.

Answer 2

I only have experience attending a liberal arts college, but I'd say it's a great college experience and I'm getting high-quality education here (Hollins University, a small liberal arts women's college in Virginia).

I love the general education program here - called ESP (Education through Skills and Perspectives). There are certain skills, such as writing and research, that can be fulfilled through a variety of classes. For perspectives, there are seven you have to fulfill, like Global Perspective, Scientific Inquiry, and Creative Expression. You can take Biology or Psychology or Astronomy to do science. Anyway, the gen ed focuses on breadth, and then with your major you focus on depth.

That's what I've learned liberal arts is - breadth and depth. This kind of education is focused on making a person well-rounded. You can use the skills learned in your major for your career, but the rest of your education from college is helpful as well. It's definitely an advantage, and I'm glad that I'll be graduating in May from a liberal arts school!

Answer 3

I really like the idea of liberal arts colleges. I think its a very good thing to get a well rounded idea of the world, which you should get in a good one. I believe that college isnt a place to get career training, but a place to learn how to think. After getting your B.A, then you will have a better idea of what it is you really want to do with your life, and you can do graduate work for that field. Most of the people I know don't work the field they majored in anyway. Nobody really knows with any certainty at 18 what they are cut out for. Be sure to do some research into the institution you want to attend and make sure its solid.

Answer 4

Anything with the word liberal in it is better than whatever it is compared to, especially conservative.

Answer 5

no.
mit would be the best.