Big School vs. Small School: Who’s more satisfied?

In a recently conducted survey, results were gathered that show in certain aspects students who attend a large university are more satisfied than students who attend a small university. The two higher learning institutions that were surveyed are Kalamazoo College (small) and Texas State University – San Marcos (large).

The most significant difference between the large and small school debate lies in the dining services. Students at Kalamazoo College are less satisfied with the dining services provided by the institution than students at Texas State University – San Marcos. On a scale of one to four, one being very dissatisfied and four being very dissatisfied, the average of Kalamazoo College students was 2.48 whereas the average of Texas State University – San Marcos students was 2.81. Through simple hypothesis testing and utilizing critical regions it was found that the two averages are statistically significantly different and that students are more satisfied at Texas State University – San Marcos.

Another significant difference found between the large and small schools was the level of satisfaction with security. The average for Texas State University – San Marcos students was 2.97 on a four-point scale whereas the average for Kalamazoo College students was 2.32. Again, through simple hypothesis testing it was found that these two numbers are in fact statistically significantly different and that students at the small school are less satisfied.

These results are useful because many students struggle with the decision to attend a big school or to attend a small school. Many students do not know which one is best for them and results like these can aid with the decision making process. However, the results did show that in some areas students at a small school are more satisfied and in some areas students at a large school are more satisfied. The large/small school debate is one that will continue to grow, and more prospective students each year will be faced with the same tough decision, hopefully more surveys like this can be conducted to ease the process.