Liberal Arts Colleges Are Disappearing
The number of liberal arts colleges in the United States has dropped 39% since 1990, from 212 to 139, reports Michigan State University scholar Roger Baldwin. While financial woes have led to closures or mergers with larger institutions, many schools have simply transformed their missions into something less philosophical and more career-oriented.
With smaller classes, liberal arts schools are traditionally valued for their focus on student development rather than career development. Their missions often include promoting tolerance and understanding of different populations and ideas.
“The diversity of U.S. higher education is widely regarded as one of its strengths,” says Baldwin. “But American higher education will be diminished if the number of liberal arts colleges continues to decline.”
Source: Michigan State University, www.msu.edu.
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