Old Main

This original account draws on key data and firsthand observations to tell the story of the small college in America. Defined as institutions that enroll between 500 and 3,000 full-time students, small colleges number about six hundred in the United States. Many are thriving, while some--whether through low enrollment, ballooning debt, or simple misfortune--face uncertain futures. Informed by his own experiences as a teacher and administrator, Samuel Schuman sketches the history and development of these institutions and then focuses on their current conditions and future possibilities.