Liberal arts colleges are a popular alternative to public or private institutions. For students who feel constricted by the narrow focus of a research or vocational curriculum, a liberal arts college is the best choice. These institutions approach teaching with more emphasis on developing soft skills and critical thinking in students, rather than preparing them for a specific career. This helps learners obtain a well-rounded education, along with essential life skills.
In the current job market, it makes sense to pursue an education that can equip you for more than one occupation. Here are the top 5 US liberal arts colleges that can help you with that:
- Williams College
- Amherst College
- Swarthmore College
- Pomona College
- Wellesley College
What Are Liberal Arts Colleges?
So, how are liberal arts colleges different from research universities? There are key important aspects to discuss here. However, it’s worth mentioning that one is not essentially better than the other. Liberal arts colleges, research universities or vocational schools simply serve different purposes for different people and career paths. With that in mind, here’s a visual comparison:
Liberal arts colleges focus on well-rounded education by enrolling fewer students, putting them in small groups and teaching them how to develop strong social connections. Students who graduate from liberal arts often share a deep appreciation for many disciplines as a result of an all-encompassing curriculum.
Best Liberal Arts Colleges by Specialization
Now, students looking for a school to apply to can feel confused and overwhelmed by all the options. Let us simplify your research. Here are the best liberal arts schools in the US, sorted by specialization for your convenience.
Best Liberal Arts Colleges for Physics
A physics degree from a liberal arts college is a great starting point for a prominent career in engineering. When choosing a school, you are likely looking for experienced teaching staff, lots of research opportunities, and modern lab facilities. Here are the colleges you should consider.
Wesleyan University
Wesleyan’s Physics Department is considered one of the strongest in the country. The school’s acceptance rate is only 14%. With only about 4,000 students, the school is small and exclusive. Classes are small, too, which allows professors to build rapport and personally coach their students.
The graduation rate is 93% here, which is a very high student success rate. The intimate atmosphere in class and high faculty involvement support deep learning, which is why Wesleyan graduates make up a significant percentage of postgraduate students at top US schools.
Amherst College
Amherst College is ranked #2 among liberal arts schools and #9 overall. This small, private institution only has about 2,000 students, with a 7:1 student-to-professor ratio. Staff closely guide the students on their learning journey, encouraging independent research and creative thinking.
Facilities at Amherst are supportive of students’ success. Learners have access to state-of-the-art labs, modern tools and learning methods. The professors’ goal here is to foster deep contextual understanding, and not memorization through repetition.
Best Liberal Arts Colleges for Psychology
Psychology is a common discipline in liberal arts schools, but let’s focus on the institutions that have the most prominent programs in the US. Students studying psychology need to understand the intricate organization of each human’s psyche. This requires a broad perspective, empathy, and high emotional intelligence. Here are the colleges that can help you achieve that.
Swarthmore College
Psychology students at Swarthmore College learn valuable skills required for solving complex problems in psychology and related liberal arts fields. There is a vast array of programs offered, including majors and minors in many subdivisions of psychology and even neuroscience.
The school fosters a tight community of students guided by esteemed professors. There are only about 2,000 attendees, which ensures personal attention and a tailored approach to every student.
The versatile nature of programs offered ensures that students graduate with a deep understanding of the current professional landscape. Learners explore not only psychology itself, but also its relation to other sciences.
Williams College
The psychology department at Williams covers a wide range of disciplines, with professors specializing in clinical, developmental psychology, behavioral neuroscience and other subfields. The educators here are dedicated to continuous learning. They support and facilitate students’ research efforts from the very first semester, preparing them for extensive academic work and their future careers.
Critical thinking, aptitude for independent research, and analytical skills are highly valued and considered essential for psychology students to obtain. That’s why the school encourages interdisciplinary research, prompting students to broaden their horizons, shift perspectives and eliminate bias. Williams College helps students explore psychology as they build general social awareness and emotional intelligence.
Best Liberal Arts Colleges for Business
Top US liberal arts colleges with business programs integrate students into the fast-paced and dynamic business landscape rather than merely teaching them economics. Unlike research universities, humanities schools blend many aspects and subdisciplines together. This allows professors to provide students with a well-rounded understanding of the current market.
University of Richmond
Here, students have a unique opportunity to explore business practices and statistics, and apply their knowledge in class. After two mandatory years of the liberal arts program, each student is fully equipped with the supporting knowledge required to become an expert in business.
The undergraduate business program at Richmond is a part of the Robins School of Business, one of the top-rated US business schools. Within the program, you have a wide choice of majors, like finance, accounting, international business, economics and marketing, all geared towards you receiving a holistic education. The school also supports interdisciplinary research, from group projects to study-abroad programs.
Bucknell University
Bucknell University students greatly benefit from all the innovations implemented at the Freeman College of Management. Here, education is provided with a focus on current events and modern methods. Students experience the business world first-hand by visiting the New York Stock Exchange or speaking to CEOs of tech companies.
Academic centers allow students to observe and participate in operations of a real business with on-campus entrepreneurship labs and business consulting. This hands-on approach helps learners build a powerful business network and prompts them to use that network before they even graduate.
Best Liberal Arts Colleges for Biology
Liberal arts colleges are an obvious choice for learners interested in humanities. Nevertheless, many schools also have strong pre-med programs and offer majors in chemistry, physics, and biology. Let’s look at the liberal arts institutions recommended for their biology programs.
Smith College
This private institution is a dream college for many US applicants. Smith is a women-only school that promotes well-rounded education. The faculty does that by combining an acclaimed biology program with a humanities curriculum.
Deep understanding of molecular science, genetics, and evolution, along with ethics and practical life skills, builds a strong foundation. It is critical for students pursuing further education in adjacent fields. Biology graduates often continue their studies in neuroscience, environmental science, biochemistry and biology. At Smith College, students thrive in an environment of collaboration and practical knowledge application.
Oberlin College
Biology is among the most popular majors at Oberlin College. This college only has about 2,500 students. This ensures that the teaching staff are able to give each learner personalized attention and guidance.
The school’s curriculum focuses on hands-on learning, interdisciplinary research and teamwork. Vast, modern facilities and well-trained staff ensure high rates of success, satisfaction and graduation among students. After Oberlin College, students tend to pursue post-graduate degrees in medicine and related fields, like education.
Best Liberal Arts Colleges for Political Science
For future political science majors, applying to a liberal arts school is perhaps the wisest choice. The nature of education in colleges like the ones below encourages critical thinking, debate, and fosters a deeper understanding of global systems. For students with political ambition, these are essential skills.
Wellesley College
This nationally acclaimed women’s college aims to nurture talent and educate people who will change the world. Wellesley is one of the first colleges in the US to teach political science. To graduate, you’ll need to acquire American politics and law, international relations, political theory and comparative politics.
This is an intense course that will help you develop creativity and analytical thinking. By the time you graduate, you will be able to aptly analyze past events and predict the consequences of political moves. Eventually, with a commitment to continued education, you can work your way into the White House.
Barnard College
This private New York City college also accepts exclusively women. With its long history and tradition, it can be your alma mater if you are interested in learning all about power.
The humanities background will help you determine the deep underlying causes for past political events. A Political science major combined with a liberal curriculum will help you develop unparalleled analytical skills, while also studying history, psychology and gender. Upon graduation, you will be ready to take on any challenge.
Best Liberal Arts Colleges For Pre-Med
For pre-med students, a liberal arts college is a popular choice. It might not be intuitive, however, the curriculum at these schools provides a perfect blend of medical knowledge and interpersonal skills.
Bowdoin College
The Bowdoin administration takes an unusual approach to pre-med studies. Essentially, there’s no pre-med program here. Instead, students take the liberal arts curriculum and choose a major as usual. The director of health professions emphasizes that this is done for students’ benefit. In this teaching model, students are able to take their time and really understand what they want from life.
If they succeed, graduate, and continue to pursue medicine, the health director personally writes a letter for every student applying to a med school. Acceptance rates among these students are as high as 97%.
Bates College
Bates College follows a similar procedure to Bowdoin, where there is no specific pre-med track. Instead, students choose a major that is relevant to their future occupation, while following a liberal arts curriculum.
The college has a support & resources office, where staff will guide and advise students. They will recommend the best approaches, provide advice on specializations and help learners gain an understanding of all the different jobs in healthcare. With the help of experienced support staff, students can score opportunities for volunteer work, internships and even real jobs sometimes.
Best Liberal Arts Colleges for Computer Science
STEM majors are not the most common among liberal arts schools. While science and math majors do occur often, computer science is not as easy to find. However, the colleges presented below all offer high-quality education in computer science.
Harvey Mudd College
Also known as The Liberal Arts College of Engineering, Science and Mathematics, Harvey Mudd is the place to be for computer science applicants. The curriculum supports theoretical knowledge, curiosity and experimentation, along with technical skills development.
The school is committed to innovation and promoting essential life skills. At Harvey Mudd, every student has to take a mandatory CS course, which ensures computer literacy among the entire student body. Upon graduation, students often have no trouble finding a job or securing spots in prestigious grad schools.
Pomona College
Pomona is a place where innovation is greatly valued. If you opt for the CS major here, you are sure to learn core areas of science. Additionally, you can pick among the advanced elective sources, such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, high-performance computing and robotics.
Over the study course, you will also explore the areas where computer science intersects with the liberal arts. Disciplines like mathematics, cognitive science, but also linguistics and philosophy are all covered by the program. You will also discover how CS can be applied in subjects like arts, humanities and social sciences.
Conclusion
Picking among the best liberal arts colleges is hard because the programs are all so attractive. The broad knowledge given in a liberal arts school can hardly be compared to a traditional university curriculum. Small classroom sizes, high staff-to-student ratios and a personalized approach are the main reasons why a humanities college education is so sought-after.
There is a downside, though. Liberal arts schools tend to be more expensive than other private schools, not to mention public institutions. Still, humanities colleges offer more financial aid opportunities.
Eventually, the choice is yours. Look at what’s important to you, whether it be student organizations or location. Only you know which path to take.