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Faculty-Student Interaction   Fact 1 · Fact 2 · Fact 3 · Fact 4 · Fact 5 · Fact 6 Fact 7 · Fact 8 · Fact 9

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Students tend to interact much more closely with professors on independent college campuses than at public universities. Independent college faculty-student ratios are higher, with far more classes taught by professors (and fewer by graduate assistants) than at public universities. Professors talk regularly with students outside the classroom, are interested in them personally as well as professionally, and take the time to challenge and mentor them.

Fact 1 - Faculty Interaction with Students
Fifty-six percent of independent college alumni surveyed say that they benefited very much from personal interaction with professors, a significantly higher proportion than alumni from other kinds of colleges and universities.

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Fact 2 - Types of Faculty Interactions
Students at independent schools discuss a variety of issues with faculty members. For example, 51 percent of independent college seniors say they had discussed career plans with a faculty member or advisor, compared with 38 percent of public university seniors.

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Fact 3 - Professors Who Teach
Eighty-four percent of independent college alumni surveyed say they benefited very much from a majority of classes taught by professors, compared with fewer than half of the public university alumni.

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Fact 4 - Professors Challenge Students Academically
Independent college alumni surveyed are more likely than public university alumni to say their professors often challenged them academically, but also personally helped them meet those challenges (72 percent vs. 52 percent).

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Fact 5 - Faculty Don't Just Teach
Students at independent colleges and universities benefit from faculty members who care about helping students. For example, 97 percent of the students at independent colleges say that faculty members took a personal interest in their progress.

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Fact 6 - Faculty Outside of Class
Independent college alumni surveyed are nearly twice as likely as public alumni to say their experience often included conversations with professors outside of class (60 percent vs. 34 percent).

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Fact 7 - Student-Faculty Ratios
Student-faculty ratios are lower at independent colleges and universities (averaging 13 to 1) than at public institutions (16 to 1).

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Fact 8 - Teaching-Oriented Faculty
Independent college alumni surveyed are more likely than public university alumni to say they benefited very much from high-quality, teaching-oriented faculty members (54 percent vs. 30 percent).

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Fact 9 - Professors as Mentors
Independent college alumni surveyed are more likely than public university alumni to have a mentor (73 percent vs. 56 percent). In addition, independent college alumni are more likely to cite a professor as a mentor (57 percent vs. 44 percent).

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Related Materials

These materials reference the themes and topics addressed in the above facts and data, serving as a helpful resource on how presidents and others are making the case for independent higher education.

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