Liberal Arts Colleges vs Research Universities: How the Two Types of US Institutions Compare Under the Carnegie Classification on First-Year Class Size, Applicants and Acceptance Rates, Test Scores, Annual Cost and Admission Factors, and How Domestic and International Applicants (Including Students in China) Can Choose
Liberal arts colleges and research universities are the two types of US undergraduate institution most often compared. Under the 2021 Carnegie Basic Classification, this site's database has 32 liberal arts colleges and 83 research universities (R1). The median first-year class is 529 at liberal arts colleges and 3,763 at research universities; the median acceptance rate is 13.8% and 33.0%; and private institutions of both types cost about the same. This guide compares the two using the official definitions and this site's data.
When choosing US universities you often hear about "liberal arts colleges" and "research universities". The difference is not about which is better but about type: size, the degrees they award and their research activity all differ. This guide uses the widely used Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education to define the two groups, then compares them using data already on this site: first-year class size, acceptance rates, test scores, cost, and the admission factors universities report in C7.
1. How the two groups are defined
- Liberal arts colleges: in this guide, "Baccalaureate Colleges: Arts & Sciences" in the 2021 Carnegie Basic Classification. These institutions award at least 50% of their degrees as bachelor's degrees and fewer than 50 master's degrees (2019–20 conferrals); those where at least half of bachelor's majors are in arts and sciences fields form the "Arts & Sciences" group (Carnegie 2021 Basic Classification). Examples include Amherst, Williams, Swarthmore, Pomona, Wellesley, Bowdoin.
- Research universities (R1): "Doctoral Universities: Very High Research Activity" in the Carnegie classification. Doctoral universities awarded at least 20 research/scholarship doctorates in 2019–20; those with at least $5 million in research expenditures are placed in R1 or R2 using a research activity index (Carnegie 2021 Basic Classification). Examples include Harvard, Yale, the University of Chicago, Michigan, UCLA, Georgia Tech.
- Where the classification comes from: each institution's 2021 Carnegie Basic Classification is taken from the IPEDS institutional characteristics file of the US Department of Education (IPEDS). A new Carnegie classification was released in 2025; this guide uses the 2021 version.
- Names are not a guide: some institutions called "University" are liberal arts colleges, such as Colgate University and the University of Richmond; some called "Institute" or "College" are research universities, such as the California Institute of Technology.
2. The data side by side
| Item | Liberal arts colleges | Research universities (R1) |
|---|---|---|
| Universities in this site's database | 32 | 83 |
| Median first-year class (IPEDS fall 2023) | 529 | 3,763 |
| First-year class under 600 | 19 | 1 |
| First-year class over 3,000 | 0 | 49 |
| Median applicants (latest year) | 11,863 | 53,007 |
| Median acceptance rate (latest year) | 13.8% | 33.0% |
| Median SAT 25th–75th percentile | 1430–1540 | 1375–1520 |
| Median total per year, private (2024–25) | $89,309 (30) | $90,759 (38) |
| Median total per year, public (2024–25, out-of-state) | none in this site's list | $60,036 (45) |
Notes: first-year class size uses IPEDS fall 2023 entering students; applicants, acceptance rates and SAT ranges use the latest year on each university page on this site (mostly IPEDS fall 2024, a few from university CDS reports for fall 2025); cost is the IPEDS 2024–25 total of tuition and fees, on-campus housing and food, books and other expenses, with out-of-state tuition for public universities.
- Size differs the most: the median first-year class at liberal arts colleges is 529, with 19 of 32 under 600 and none over 3,000; at research universities it is 3,763, with 49 of 83 over 3,000.
- Applicants and acceptance rates: liberal arts colleges have a median of 11,863 applicants and a median acceptance rate of 13.8%; research universities have a median of 53,007 applicants and 33.0%; 45 of the 83 research universities are public.
- Test scores: among institutions with an SAT range, the median 25th–75th percentile is 1430–1540 at liberal arts colleges (31) and 1375–1520 at research universities (75).
- Cost: all the liberal arts colleges in this site's list are private, with a median total per year of $89,309, close to the $90,759 at private research universities; public research universities at out-of-state tuition come to $60,036.
3. Admission factors: differences in C7
Among institutions with verified C7 data on this site, 22 are liberal arts colleges and 29 are research universities. They rate several factors differently:
| How C7 rates it | Liberal arts colleges (22) | Research universities (29) |
|---|---|---|
| Recommendations "very important" | 14 | 13 |
| Recommendations "not considered" | 0 | 6 |
| Class rank "not considered" | 0 | 11 |
| Interview "not considered" | 8 | 18 |
| Level of applicant's interest "not considered" | 8 | 19 |
| Alumni relation "not considered" | 7 | 15 |
- Liberal arts colleges more often rate recommendations as very important (14 of 22), and none rates recommendations or class rank as not considered; among research universities, 6 and 11 respectively do.
- More research universities rate the interview and the level of applicant's interest as not considered (18 and 19 of 29), compared with 8 each of the 22 liberal arts colleges.
- Each institution's full C7 is on its page on this site under "What the university weighs in first-year admissions"; see What do US colleges really look for in admissions? for how to read it.
4. How domestic and international applicants (including students in China) can choose
- Start with the environment you want: a liberal arts college class is a few hundred students and a research university class a few thousand, so check each institution's published class sizes and student–faculty ratio. If you plan to study engineering, business or similar fields, check that each institution offers the major (bachelor's majors at liberal arts colleges are mostly in arts and sciences fields).
- Different emphases in your application: if your list includes many liberal arts colleges, put extra care into recommendations and, where considered, interviews; more research universities do not consider interviews or demonstrated interest. Follow each institution's C7 and website.
- Domestic applicants: public research universities charge in-state residents less; the public costs here use out-of-state tuition and do not apply to in-state students.
- International applicants and students in China: for both types, check English requirements and aid policies for international students separately. You can open each institution's page in our university database to compare class size, admissions data, cost and C7.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a liberal arts college and a research university in the US?
Under the 2021 Carnegie Basic Classification, a liberal arts college awards at least half of its degrees as bachelor's degrees and fewer than 50 master's degrees, with at least half of bachelor's majors in arts and sciences fields; a research university (R1) awards at least 20 research doctorates, has at least $5 million in research expenditures and is in the top band of research activity. This site's database has 32 liberal arts colleges and 83 research universities.
How many students are in a liberal arts college class?
Using IPEDS fall 2023 entering students, the median first-year class at the 32 liberal arts colleges in this site's database is 529, with 19 under 600 and none over 3,000; at the 83 research universities the median is 3,763, with 49 over 3,000.
Are liberal arts colleges harder to get into than research universities?
Both groups vary widely, so there is no single answer. Using the latest year on this site, the median acceptance rate is 13.8% at liberal arts colleges and 33.0% at research universities, and the median number of applicants is 11,863 and 53,007. Check each institution's published data.
How do costs compare between liberal arts colleges and research universities?
Using IPEDS 2024–25 data, all the liberal arts colleges in this site's list are private, with a median total per year of $89,309, close to the $90,759 at private research universities; public research universities at out-of-state tuition come to $60,036.
References
Carnegie Classification: 2021 Basic Classification methodology; IPEDS (US Department of Education: institutional characteristics, entering students, admissions and charges); each institution's C7 is on its page on this site under "What the university weighs in first-year admissions". Figures compiled in November 2026; follow each institution's latest published data.