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At most large universities, a liberal arts education means large lecture halls, graduate teaching assistants and limited access to faculty until your junior or senior year. At Ä¢¹½´«Ã½, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS) is the academic heart of a 11:1 student-to-faculty ratio institution where every course, from your very first First-Year Seminar to your Senior Capstone, is taught by a professor who knows your name, your goals and your potential. With 52 majors and 61 minors spanning the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences and mathematics, you explore widely and deeply, guided by faculty who hold you to the highest expectations and mentor you toward a life of purpose.

"Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ pushes you in the direction where you want to do as much as you can in the four years you have." – Aahad Vakani '26

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Absolutely, and that's one of Ä¢¹½´«Ã½'s most powerful differentiators. Every student at Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ is admitted to the university as a whole, not to a single school. As a CLAS student, you have immediate, day-one access to courses, programs, and resources across all three schools. A biology major can minor in entrepreneurship. A political science student can take film production. A psychology major can pursue a leadership minor in the School of Business and Leadership. Ä¢¹½´«Ã½'s three-school framework was designed specifically to break down the silos that limit students at larger institutions, because the leaders the world needs are those who can think across disciplines, not just within them.

"You can be anything. That's what a liberal arts school like this teaches you. You don't have to fit into one type of box." – Maria B.

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The Honor Scholar Program is Ä¢¹½´«Ã½'s most rigorous and distinctive academic pathway, and one of the most intellectually demanding undergraduate honors programs in the country. Admitted through a competitive essay and faculty interview process, Honor Scholars complete a four-year sequence of small, discussion-based interdisciplinary seminars spanning the Arts and Humanities, Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences. The program culminates in a Senior Honors Thesis, an original, faculty-mentored research project that draws from multiple disciplines and is defended before a faculty committee. Honor Scholars regularly go on to premier graduate and professional programs, competitive fellowships, and leadership roles across every sector.

"Without the Honor Scholar thesis, I wouldn't have been able to work with experimental technology, which allowed me not only to get into grad school but also get the best financial package available." – Caleb O.

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At Ä¢¹½´«Ã½, undergraduate research is not a privilege reserved for seniors or graduate students; it is a cornerstone of the CLAS experience from your first year. 36% of Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ students conduct original research alongside faculty mentors, with opportunities spanning every discipline: field ecology in the Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ Nature Park, political science research through the Janet Prindle Institute for Ethics, biochemistry in state-of-the-art laboratories, and independent interdisciplinary projects through the Asher Office for Undergraduate Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity. Because every course is taught by faculty, not graduate assistants, the mentorship that leads to co-authored publications, conference presentations and graduate school admissions begins the moment you arrive on campus.

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Ä¢¹½´«Ã½'s Liberal Arts Foundations general education requirements are designed to be a launchpad for exploration, not a checklist of boxes to check. You'll engage with coursework across the Arts and Humanities, Social Sciences and Natural Sciences, developing the breadth of knowledge and the cross-disciplinary thinking that employers and graduate programs consistently identify as the most valuable skills a college graduate can possess. Flexible distribution requirements allow you to pursue genuine intellectual curiosity across departments and schools, including courses in the Creative School and School of Business and Leadership. Your First-Year Seminar anchors your academic journey, and your Senior Capstone brings it full circle.

"You don't have to know what you want to do to come here. If you're unsure of what you want to do, Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ is a great place to find out." – Cooper M.

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Ä¢¹½´«Ã½'s CLAS graduates go on to lead in every field: journalism, medicine, law, science, education, public service, and the arts. Alumni have gone on to thrive as renowned journalists, authors, scientists, educators, and leaders around the world. Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ graduates rank in the top 7% nationally for lifetime earnings, and 93% achieve their desired outcome, within six months of graduation. Recent CLAS graduates have earned admission to premier programs at Harvard University, Yale University, Northwestern University, Indiana University School of Medicine, and the Mayo Clinic. The analytical rigor, ethical reasoning, and communication skills built in the CLAS don't just prepare you for your first job; they prepare you for a four-decade career of growth, leadership, and impact.

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Yes, and the data is unambiguous. Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ graduates rank in the top 7% nationally for lifetime earnings, placing Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ ahead of many larger research universities in long-term return on investment. Through the Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ Promise, Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ meets 100% of calculated financial need for every incoming first-year student. More than 90% of students receive financial assistance, with Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ awarding over $75 million annually in merit and need-based support. Recognized as a Top 60 Best College Value and No. 12 in Innovation among liberal arts colleges by U.S. News & World Report, featured in Colleges That Change Lives, and named a "Dream School" by education expert Jeffrey Selingo, Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ ensures that a transformative liberal arts education is within reach for every student of promise, regardless of financial circumstances.

"...What really made me realize that this is where I was meant to be was the fact that there are so many resources on campus that are willing to help. I could go to the financial aid office, and I could sit down with someone, and they'd say, 'We want you to be here. How can we help you be here?' That's what it was for me." – Ava Rennard '26

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