Grades Grow Tutors

Many students are graduating high school and getting ready for college at this time of year, and next year’s seniors are likely whittling down their short lists of possible colleges and universities. This makes it a particularly opportune time to highlight just a few of the many wonderful institutions of higher learning in the United States.

Whether public or private, large or small, there are many great places for the leaders of tomorrow to develop the experience, critical thinking skills and training they will need to live wonderful, productive lives. Today, we will explore a few examples of great schools of all types.

Before we get to the colleges and universities we’d like to talk about, let’s cover the last several articles that you may have missed. Recently, we discussed why students shouldn’t take the summer off from learning, how to find great books for summer reading, and how to use the internet to help foster learning and growth. Also, we talked about how summer jobs can help students in and out of the classroom, how to incorporate different cultures into lessons and schoolwork, and a few suggestions of great books to reading to toddlers.

Now, let’s get on with our list of top 7 liberal arts colleges and universities that you may want to consider!

1. University of California-Berkeley (located in Berkeley, California)

This public university has a rich tradition for students to aspire to- after all, eight Nobel Prize winners are faculty members. Degrees from bachelor’s all the way up to doctoral level degrees are offered at the University of California-Berkeley, and the campus is located close to San Francisco, which provides easy access to many cultural opportunities for students. The university offers a lot of financial aid, helping to keep the indebtedness of graduating students fairly low, especially for such a high quality institution.

Wheeler Hall, University of California Berkeley

The University of California-Berkeley provides a great place for students to learn and have fun, as Cal sports teams are always among the best whether they are men’s or women’s sports. Between the wonderful academic programs and the great setting of the college itself, this university is always a top choice for graduates.

2. New College of Florida (located in Sarasota, Florida)

New College of Florida, or NCF, is consistently in the top few (or at the top of) public value colleges year after year. A demanding academic program and affordable tuition help to attract students from Florida and beyond, and the system of “academic contracts” that students enter into allow them to become more focused and accustomed to working close with faculty members.

Jane Bancroft Cook Library, New College.

An NCF education seems to encourage further learning for graduates, as well. NCF is always among the top colleges in terms of graduates who go on to earn a Ph.D. The campus is located along the Gulf of Mexico in the area of southwest Florida, and provides easy access to Sarasota and Tampa, where art and culture await for NCF students.

3. Loyola Marymount University (located in Los Angeles, California)

Loyola Marymount University, founded in 1911, is a great school for academics that isn’t quite as hard to get into as some other top universities, but still provides challenging coursework for students. Consistently ranked as one of the top colleges in the west, Loyola Marymount University is also rated as one of the top 10 most beautiful campuses by the Princeton Review.

Ethnic diversity is also a source of pride for Loyola Marymount University, as the campus is known as a very culturally diverse one. Loyola Marymount is also a progressive school- for instance, the law school is the first in the state to require pro bono work.

4. Grinnell College (located in Grinnell, Iowa)

Grinnell College is located in the heart of Iowa, and offers small class sizes (most classes have less than 20 students) and a campus with a true “community” feel. Grinnell isn’t just a place to feel like home, but also a place to succeed academically, as it is ranked among the top private colleges in the entire nation. Of course, Grinnell is not just a place for great academics, but also a very physically fit college. One-third of Grinnell students compete in intercollegiate athletics.

Financially, Grinnell is a great school as well. Grinnell has the 7th largest endowment per student among all public and private higher learning institutions in the United States, and is devoted to making sure that all students get the financial aid they need to attend. Best of all, parents can send their kids to Grinnell without worrying about crime or big city distractions.

5. Rice University (located in Houston, Texas)

Rice University is the most prestigious college of the south, and is known as a school where students will learn to be independent, critical thinkers through rigorous academics and thought-provoking coursework. Rice offers a variety of great academic programs and is known as a school that churns out some of the country’s most promising young people.

Rice University Campus.

However, even though Rice is a private school, this type of value won’t cost you an arm and a leg. Actually, Rice has the lowest tuition of private schools that are highly selective, and guarantees to meet the entire amount of demonstrated need for any given student for four years. This kind of financial aid allows Rice’s students to enjoy the lowest debt burden among highly selective institutions.

6. Amherst College (located in Amherst, Massachusetts)

Amherst College is noteworthy for its interesting approach to education requirements, as students at Amherst are generally free of pre-conceived requirements and are more or less free to chart their own educational voyage. Students enjoy this philosophy nearly as much as they enjoy the generous financial aid packages that Amherst offers, making the college accessible to all different types of students. Speaking of “all different types of students”, Amherst is also known as a very diverse campus that prides itself on its multicultural appeal.

Amherst College Campus.

Variety isn’t just found in the composition of the student body, but also in the many organizations available to join, which number over 140 in all. Amherst has been around since 1821, and the faculty and students alike take pride in the college’s great traditions and history.

7. Cornell College (located in Mt. Vernon, Iowa)

Cornell College is located in the heartland of the country, and provides a surprisingly progressive outlook on education amongst a traditional midwestern backdrop. Cornell is notable not just for its relatively high admissions standards and great academics, but also because it is one of only a handful of colleges that has students take only one course at a time.

Cornell College Campus.

This scheduling, sometimes known as block scheduling, allows students to fully immerse themselves in any given subject for a complete month, before moving on to another subject the next month. This allows students and faculty alike to focus on mastering one subject at a time, and provides everyone involved with opportunities that other colleges can’t provide, such as being able to spend a class abroad or take class trips. The college, which is often confused with Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, is also notable for its beautiful campus and location in a charming Iowa town.

These are just a few of the many wonderful colleges and universities that today’s students have to choose from. It’s definitely true that if a student chooses one of these fine institutions, they simply can’t go wrong!