Student Services and Small Colleges

As important as academics are to college life, student services are similarly important. Students not only need quality instruction during their college careers, but they also need support to make the most of that instruction. Though smaller schools often have fewer student services, they do have increased access to the services they do offer as well as more faculty to assist students with both academic and extracurricular tasks.
  1. Academic Services

    • Even small colleges offer academic student services, ranging from tutoring or tutor labs to small group sessions to special accommodations for those with disabilities. Further, according to US News and World Report, students who attend small colleges have more contact with professors, so they may be more likely to get individualized help with difficult concepts. Students who attend small colleges may also be able to work with professors on their research more than students who attend larger colleges where graduate students get most of these jobs.

    Mental/Physical Health Services

    • Although Education.com notes colleges are legally required to offer assistance to disabled students, which necessitates mental and physical health centers, the site also notes that times of economic struggle often result in cutting funding from these programs. Thus, smaller colleges may have fewer health center staff members, shorter hours or fewer services.

    Social Services

    • According to the College Board, small colleges often provide social and extracurricular events as well as "a strong sense of community." However, the Board also notes that small schools have fewer large events, like big sports games, in which students can attend.

    Employment Services

    • Most colleges, whether large or small, provide some kind of employment services for students and recent grads. These include seminars on working or looking for work, resume workshops, mock interviews and career counseling. Sometimes these jobs are handled by the counseling center, other times by a career center and sometimes by both. At smaller schools, there may be fewer employment services, and workshops and counseling may occur less often. However, small schools may have shorter waits for these services, and students may also be able to get career advice from a professor.

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