IMPORTANCE OF THE STUDENT-TO-FACULTY RATIO.
“EducatIon is not preparation for life, education is life itself.” - John Dewey
One of the many things you’ll hear on school visits and from college recruiters is a school’s student-to-faculty ratio. While colleges hope that their ratio will encourage students to apply, many prospective applicants are not exactly sure how this statistic can affect their experience. A low or high student-to-faculty ratio can impact the experience in several ways.
The ratio refers to the number of faculty members available to each student. On average, the faculty ratio for colleges across the United States is eighteen to one. Large universities may have a student to faculty ratio that is twenty to one or higher, while small colleges could run as low as nine to one, or potentially even lower. It gives you an idea of the number of other students you will see in your classes.
There is no right or wrong answer, but mainly it provides you with information about how personalized the instruction might be.
When looking at ratios, it is important to consider your own personal priorities and academic background. While schools strive for a lower ratio, it certainly does not mean that you will not get an excellent education at a college with a higher ratio. A large university with a high student-to-faculty ratio may offer benefits that you won’t find at the small colleges with the lowest ratios. As an example: large colleges and universities often have more resources and degree programs. They may also attract renowned professors and lecturers. Others have state-of-the-art facilities and world-class athletics programs.
QUESTIONS FOR STUDENTS TO ASK THEMSELVES
· Do I feel like I would benefit more from increased individual attention from my professors?
· Do I learn better when there is a high level of accountability, often found in smaller class settings?
· Do I value intimate classroom experiences over the experience of attending a large university?
· Is it important to me to have lots of resources available on campus, such as clubs, organizations, athletics, job fairs, etc.?
WHY A LOWER RATIO MIGHT BE FOR YOU
PERSONALIZED INSTRUCTION
The main reason to attend a school with a lower ratio of students to professors is a more personalized instruction. If you sit in a lecture hall with 100 other students or more, the chances of getting personalized help is very low. Larger schools often have teaching assistants who handle classes, which means that you’ll rarely see your teacher. A TA is responsible for grading your papers, passing out your assignments and explaining instructions, but those assistants do not have the same scope of knowledge as a professor does. Teaching assistants may not be able to provide you with the individual or personalized instruction that you need as a student. Instructors may actually learn your weaknesses and strengths in your classes.
NETWORKING
One reason the ratio is so important is because it could tell you how easily you can form connections with others. When you attend a college with a large ratio of students to professors, you could feel like a small fish in a big pond. You may be attending classes with hundreds of other students, which makes it harder for your teachers to remember you. You will certainly come to find out that networking is a major part of the job world, very soon!
The connections you form can come in handy when you need a reference letter from a professor for graduate school, or even a job. The lowered ratio may allow you to get to know more people on campus and feel less anonymous than you might at a larger university. For some people, a smaller school also brings a sense of comfort and safety.
COMPETITION
Larger schools often have larger classes with a lot of competition. This can affect your grade and keep professors from grading on a curve, but competition can also affect you when it comes to getting help too. You may need to make an appointment to see a professor during office hours and find that you need to wait weeks for a time to become available. Professors working in schools with a smaller ratio often have office hours that can accommodate all students.
PARTICIPATION
Another benefit of attending a smaller school with a lower ratio is that you can participate more in your classes. When you have dozens or even hundreds of other students in the same class with you, you will have a hard time standing out. The professor may call on other students before even noticing you. With a smaller class size, you can make your thoughts and opinions known and maybe even stand out as one of the top students in your class. Students in the class will get to know you and vice versa. It is also harder to slack off in a small class, which means that you may need to devote more time and attention to your assignments.
The teachers can also benefit from a smaller class size. Teachers at the front of a small class have more opportunities to observe and assess the class as a whole and the students as individuals. Learning can be further enhanced when teachers and students can interact spontaneously in the classroom.
FACILITIES
Student-faculty ratio also impacts students’ use of time, resources, and school facilities. In the hard sciences, for example, proper allocation of tools and facilities such as state-of-the-art microscopes for each laboratory can help provide an overall better learning experience during hands-on lab sessions.
If sports are important to you, either as a fan or as an athlete, school size will make a difference. Larger schools typically have more sports at higher levels. Smaller schools typically specialize in a few sports, at lower levels of competition. The good news here is that it may be easier to get on a team and maybe even qualify for a scholarship at a smaller school.
Unless you are a super-star athlete with scouts fighting for your attention, a smaller school could offer you more opportunities to extend your career and participate.
THERE IS NO RIGHT OR WRONG ANSWER, JUST KNOW THE DIFFERENCES IN CLASS STRUCTURES.
