Impact of student attendance on college experience

Hey, I'm wrapping up my junior year and I'm debating between smaller liberal arts colleges and large universities. In this context, which college has the highest student attendance? This could potentially affect my college choice.

While large universities may have a larger overall student population, that doesn't necessarily translate into higher student attendance rates in classes or participation in campus activities. Similarly, just because a college is smaller doesn't mean its student attendance will be lower. Student attendance often depends more on the individual cultures of the institutions than on their sizes.

In order to determine which types of colleges have higher attendance rates, you'd need to research the specific attendance policies and participation rates in extracurricular activities at the institutions you're interested in. Unfortunately, there is no readily available database that measures and compares student attendance across various colleges.

However, generally speaking, in smaller colleges, professors often know their students better due to lower student-to-faculty ratios. This may lead to higher attendance rates since it's more noticeable when a student misses class. On the other hand, at a larger university, larger lecture-style courses may have lower attendance rates, as individual absences might not be as noticeable due to the course size, but that doesn’t mean you cannot forge close relationships with professors in these settings as well.

In terms of campus events and activities, a larger student body may mean a higher total attendance at events, but it could also lead to you feeling like just another face in the crowd. While smaller colleges might have fewer total students at events, you might find yourself having a more significant role or feeling a more palpable sense of community at them.

Ultimately, attendance rates can only tell you so much about a college's atmosphere and academic environment. The best way to understand what life is really like at a college is to talk to current students, attend virtual or physical campus events, and listen to your gut feeling about where you might fit best.