The Allure of Small Colleges | Episode 013
Guest: V. Peter Pitts
TIPS
TOP TIPS FROM THIS EPISODE
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Top Tip #6: Small colleges are defined by enrollment size. A useful definition is under 3,500 students. There are about 735 such colleges in the U.S., with an average size of 1,400 students. Peter’s personal sweet spot is between 700 and 1,700 students.
Top Tip #5: Small colleges offer strong relationships—between students and faculty, students and staff, and students with one another.
Top Tip #4: Opportunities often increase at small colleges, including research, athletics, leadership, and hands-on learning.
Top Tip #3: Small colleges offer unique academic options, including alternative calendars, flexible majors, and creative approaches to general education.
Top Tip #2: Avoid the assumption that a college smaller than your high school will feel the same. Academics, social life, and opportunities are fundamentally different.
Top Tip #1: Small colleges tend to be more responsive and attentive to students as individuals.
EPISODE
Summary
Why do so many students thrive at small colleges—and why are these schools so often overlooked in the college search?
In this episode of The College Talk Show, host Chris Bell talks with longtime admissions professional and author Peter Pitts, widely known as “the small college guy,” about what makes small colleges uniquely powerful learning environments. Drawing on more than four decades in college admissions, Peter explains how close faculty relationships, flexible academic structures, and increased access to opportunities can shape a student’s college experience in meaningful ways.
The conversation challenges common assumptions—such as the idea that smaller schools offer fewer opportunities or feel too much like high school—and instead highlights how small colleges often provide earlier research access, greater academic flexibility, and more personalized support. Peter also shares examples of innovative academic calendars, unique majors, and student-centered program design that are far more common at smaller institutions.
This episode is a reminder that keeping small colleges on the table during the FIT phase can open doors students didn’t even realize were available.
GUEST
About The Guest
Peter Pitts is a nationally recognized advocate for small colleges and a longtime college admissions professional with more than 42 years of experience in higher education. Much of his career was spent at Monmouth College, where he worked directly with students and families and developed a deep appreciation for the personalized, relationship-driven nature of small college education.
In retirement, Peter has dedicated himself to researching, writing, and speaking about the benefits of small colleges. He is the author of several books, including 333 Awesome Small Colleges, Cool Stuff at Small Colleges, and The Common Sense Guide to Choosing a College, all of which highlight the academic flexibility, innovation, and student-centered opportunities found at smaller institutions.
Known widely as “the small college guy,” Peter continues to help students and families rethink assumptions about college size and explore options that prioritize fit, engagement, and access.
Transcript
Episode: The Allure of Small Colleges
Guest: Peter Pitts
Host: Chris Bell
Opening Monologue
Chris Bell:
Today, we’re looking at the allure and power of small colleges. There are many more small colleges than large ones in the United States, and the variety is exciting.
This is not intended to be a blanket advertisement for small colleges. Rather, it’s a challenge to keep the option of small colleges open during the FIT phase—when you’re exploring colleges and building your list of places you’ll apply.
Tonight, my guest Peter Pitts, known to many as the small college guy, will be joining us to talk about some of the compelling benefits of the small college experience. I hope this conversation opens up some new ideas for you.
Announcer Intro
It’s The College Talk Show.
Today’s theme: Small Colleges.
With special guest Peter Pitts.
And now, here’s your host—Chris Bell.
Guest Introduction
Chris Bell:
My guest today is Peter Pitts, better known as the small college guy. After 42 years in college admissions—most of them at Monmouth College—Peter has dedicated his retirement to researching, writing, and sharing the incredible advantages of small colleges.
He’s the author of several books, including 333 Awesome Small Colleges and Cool Stuff at Small Colleges, and he’s here to explain why these schools can be such a great fit for so many students.
Peter, thank you for joining us tonight.
Peter Pitts:
Thank you very much.
What Makes Small Colleges Special?
Chris Bell:
You spent more than four decades working in college admissions, much of that with small colleges. What is it about these schools that makes them so special?
Peter Pitts:
I think there’s a certain magic that happens at small colleges. The relationships that develop between students and faculty, and among students themselves—there’s just something special about that experience.
I really like the personal touch. At small private colleges especially, that personal connection is everywhere you look.
What Does “Small” Really Mean?
Chris Bell:
When we say “small colleges,” what does that actually mean in terms of size, campus feel, and resources?
Peter Pitts:
It depends on who you ask. A lot of people think anything under 10,000 students is small. I would disagree.
I focus on the roughly 735 colleges in the U.S. with fewer than 3,500 students. For me, the real sweet spot is between about 700 and 1,700 students. Once you get above that, you start to lose some of the personal nature of the experience.
The average size of those colleges is about 1,400 students.
Do Small Colleges Mean Fewer Opportunities?
Chris Bell:
Some families worry that a smaller college might mean fewer opportunities. Do you think that’s true?
Peter Pitts:
That actually makes me laugh, because the truth is the opposite.
Think about a student who wants to do research, be involved in theater, play sports, or join Greek life. At a large university, the odds of doing all of those things are pretty slim. At a small college, there’s often much more opportunity.
For example, at big universities, research often means assisting faculty with their research. At small colleges, students frequently conduct their own research, often starting as early as freshman or sophomore year.
That experience makes a résumé stronger and more complete.
Resources and Facilities
Peter Pitts:
Another misconception is about resources. Many small private colleges have extremely loyal alumni with deep connections to the school. As a result, their facilities—especially labs—can rival those of large universities in quality, even if not in sheer quantity.
Flexibility and Student Experiences
Chris Bell:
I’ve seen similar flexibility. I had a friend who decided late in her senior year that she wanted to write for the student newspaper—and she was able to jump right in.
Peter Pitts:
Exactly. That kind of thing often happens at small colleges.
I also worked with a student who was strong in both volleyball and soccer. At her small college, the coaches worked together to allow her to participate meaningfully in both sports. That kind of flexibility is rare at larger institutions.
“Cool Stuff” at Small Colleges
Chris Bell:
In your book Cool Stuff at Small Colleges, you highlight some surprising opportunities. Can you share a few?
Peter Pitts:
There are so many. Some small colleges offer unique academic calendars—like one course at a time or two courses at a time.
The College of Idaho, for example, has a program called Do More in Four, where students attend classes four days a week, take four classes per semester, and can earn both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in four years.
You also see innovation in general education. Some colleges dramatically simplify requirements, and a few—like Grinnell—don’t have traditional general education requirements at all. Students design their own programs with faculty support.
And then there are unique majors, like expressive arts therapy, which combines art, theater, and psychology into one interdisciplinary program.
Common Assumptions to Avoid
Chris Bell:
In your Common Sense Guide to Choosing a College, you challenge some assumptions families make. What do you wish people would stop assuming?
Peter Pitts:
There’s a lot of assuming. For example, people assume that if a college has a religious heritage, it must be religious in daily life. That’s often not true.
Another big one is assuming you must attend a large university with a medical school to get into medical school. If you look at medical school classes, you’ll see students from dozens of different colleges.
One assumption that really bothers me is when students say, “I don’t want to go to a college smaller than my high school.” Beyond having students and classes, there’s no real similarity between high school and college. Comparing them by size just doesn’t work.
“Smaller Than My High School”
Chris Bell:
I hear that concern a lot too. Do you have a way you explain this to students?
Peter Pitts:
I ask them: in high school, you’ve known many of those students for years. In college—even a college with 800 students—you’ve never met any of them before.
And beyond that, colleges allow you to do things high schools don’t: create your own major, do independent research, design your academic path. It’s not repeating high school at all.
How to Evaluate Fit on Campus Visits
Chris Bell:
When students are visiting campuses, what should they pay attention to when deciding fit?
Peter Pitts:
Yes, the feel matters—but also the responsiveness of the people. Are you just another visitor, or are they genuinely curious about you?
Are faculty accessible? Are people asking thoughtful questions? That responsiveness tells you a lot.
Finding Peter Pitts’s Work
Chris Bell:
If people want to find your books and resources, where should they go?
Peter Pitts:
They’re all on Amazon. Just search V. Peter Pitts, and they’ll come right up.
Sponsor Message
This episode is brought to you by Bell College Consulting.
Visit bellcollegeconsulting.com to learn more.
Top Tips: The Small College Experience
Chris Bell:
Before we wrap up, let’s run through Top Tips.
Top Tip #6: Small colleges are defined by enrollment size. A useful definition is under 3,500 students. There are about 735 such colleges in the U.S., with an average size of 1,400 students. Peter’s personal sweet spot is between 700 and 1,700 students.
Top Tip #5: Small colleges offer strong relationships—between students and faculty, students and staff, and students with one another.
Top Tip #4: Opportunities often increase at small colleges, including research, athletics, leadership, and hands-on learning.
Top Tip #3: Small colleges offer unique academic options, including alternative calendars, flexible majors, and creative approaches to general education.
Top Tip #2: Avoid the assumption that a college smaller than your high school will feel the same. Academics, social life, and opportunities are fundamentally different.
Top Tip #1: Small colleges tend to be more responsive and attentive to students as individuals.
Closing
And there you have it—our look at the allure of small colleges.
Thank you again to Peter Pitts.
And remember: College is Awesome.