Research University or Liberal Arts College

Large research universities offer world-class labs, famous professors, and vast course catalogs, but undergraduates often meet graduate teaching assistants first. Liberal arts colleges like Williams and Amherst invert the trade: small classes, professors focused on teaching, and strong PhD pipelines per graduate.

Neither is better; they serve different temperaments. A student who wants depth and mentorship may thrive at Swarthmore.

One who wants range, research openings, and big-school resources may do better at Michigan or Berkeley..