What Are Liberal Arts Colleges?

Liberal arts colleges are the colleges that emphasise the study of liberal arts, sciences, humanities, and social sciences at the undergraduate level. As opposed to a professional, vocational, or technical curriculum, these colleges aim to transmit a broad general knowledge and develop general intellectual abilities. US News defines them as institutions that "emphasize undergraduate education and award at least half of their degrees in the liberal arts fields of study." Some liberal arts universities offer graduate degrees leading to a master's or doctorate in fields such as business administration, nursing, medicine, and law.

The top five liberal arts colleges in the United States are Williams College, Amherst College, Pomona College, Swarthmore College, and Wellesley College, according to National Liberal Arts Colleges Rankings by US News. Many well-known individuals, such as Barack Obama (Occidental College) and Hillary Clinton, have liberal arts college backgrounds (Wellesley College).

Liberal arts colleges, with small class sizes, better student-to-teacher ratios, tight-knit campus communities, and more generous scholarships and financial aid, could be an option for students who find applications to universities competitive, as the acceptance rates are also higher than universities.

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