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How big are college classes?

#college #class-size

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Theodore’s Answer

Are you asking how big classes are for a specific course? In general?

Most college courses are can range from 12 to 120 depending on the topic and the teacher.

What are you looking for specifically?
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Estelle’s Answer

My son is at UT in Austin and some of his introductory classes had as many as 500 students.
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Cameren’s Answer

So the size of classes are dependent on the size of the university and the type of course it is. For example, a lot of gen ed courses will have large lecture halls ranging from 100-300 students because these are courses that all freshman and some sophomores are taking. However, for higher level classes you will see class size decrease to about 15-50 students. I have even had a course with only 8 other students before. If your university is large you can expect to have a greater number of students in your classes and for smaller universities you can expect the opposite. Also many classes that have larger lecture sizes usually have a separate discussion section that meets at least once a week for a more direct learning environment. I hope this was helpful.
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Yasemin’s Answer

Hi Karoline! I agree with previous answers. Class size depends on classes; some lecture halls are very large and can host about 100 students. For example chemistry and biology had a lot of students in their lecture hall however the labs are by sections, so for labs there was about 20 students. For other classes, possibly in your major and further advanced, like psych stats for example, there can be a smaller number of students maybe 25-30 in a more traditional classroom than a large lecture hall. It really depends on the class so therefore there could be ranges from 15 to 100+ students; the university also matters too, if it is a small university/college then class sizes can be smaller than compared with larger institutions that hosts a large amount of students.

Best of luck!
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Gloria’s Answer

Hi Karoline,

This is a hard question to answer. It often depends on the class that you are taking. Many of the classes within your major are often a size like a high school class (20-30). If the classes are part of the Core curriculum, the level 100 classes for the most part. The Core classes that I took were sometimes upwards of 300 people in the class. You are mostly listening during those classes, because the class is just way too big. Your challenge will be to make sure that you know your teacher's open hours or join a study group that is related to the class, but smaller. I would also recommend making friends in the really big classes. Those are the people who are going to help you in those large classes.

Gloria
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Lisa’s Answer

Hi Karoline,

It depends on the college and the type of class. If a class has a large general lecture 2 days a week, for example a required math class, then they also have much smaller labs at least 1 day a week with teaching assistants so you can ask questions and have a better teacher/student ratio. In your last years of college, most classes specific to your major (not a general required class) tend to be much smaller.

With Covid-19 most colleges have greatly reduced their class size for safety so this also helps create a more collaborate learning environment. Also most colleges will tell you how big the class size is for their offered classes, so you will have that information before you choose the class.

Good Luck!!

Lisa
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Bryce’s Answer

Hi Karoline,

College classes size are little complex as the vary from college to college and depending on the class. First off, no matter what school you go to general education classes will always be bigger than classes within your major. I attended a medium sized school with a little over 15 thousand students and my biggest class was a general biology lecture with 150-180 students. Clearly at a larger school this could get close to 300 or 400, but at a smaller school be lower than 100. Within my major or upper level course work I haven't had a class with more than 20 students. Most schools will tell you what their average class size is on their website or when you visit. I hope this helped!
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Stephanie’s Answer

Hi Karoline,

Much like the others have stated, class sizes are going to be dependent on a few different variables. The size of the college, course subject, and delivery method will all factor into the class size. Most general education courses are going to consist of larger class sizes due to the fact that all students are required to complete them. Once you get into your junior and senior year, you will be enrolled in most courses that pertain to your major. Typically, the upper division courses will be of smaller size.

If you'd prefer to be enrolled in smaller-sized classes, make sure you inquire about teacher-to-student ratios while reviewing colleges.

Best of luck!
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