Great Lakes Colleges
Member colleges of the Great Lakes Colleges Association (GLCA) are small independent colleges located in Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania. GLCA’s member colleges are: Albion College, Allegheny College, Antioch College, Denison University, DePauw University, Earlham College, Hope College, Kalamazoo College, Kenyon College, Oberlin College, Ohio Wesleyan University, Wabash College and The College of Wooster.
These thirteen liberal arts colleges have several things in common: they are smaller institutions with enrollments ranging from 900 to 3,000 students; the student-faculty ratio averages 12 to 1; their residential learning environments offer small average class sizes, more interactive relationships with professors and fellow students, and expanded opportunities to engage in collaborative research with professors.
GLCA member colleges seek to provide the highest quality of education both within and outside the classroom. Residential colleges such as these seek to develop in students an understanding of themselves, an appreciation of others, and a willingness to meet responsibilities within society. Each college offers a variety of service learning and off-campus study programs, providing experiential learning opportunities within the local community and throughout the world. Community service is regarded as an important and vital aspect of undergraduate education at these colleges. Students develop strong leadership skills on their home campus and beyond through a process of becoming active and involved learners.
GLCA member colleges emphasize the importance of students gaining a strong foundation in reading, writing, and quantitative analysis. Students build on these skills the capacity to think critically and logically, employing the methods of different fields of inquiry to address complex problems confronting communities, nations, and the world. These colleges foster skills that allow graduates to engage in a lifetime of learning and growth.
The GLCA colleges stress global education, peaceful resolution of conflict, respect for differences in culture and background, and high moral standards of personal conduct. Each student has the opportunity to study abroad, learning and experiencing cultural differences first-hand. Off-campus study programs in England, Africa, Japan, New York, Philadelphia, the Oak Ridge Science Center, the border region between the U.S. and Mexico, and many other settings are available for students to experience different cultural environments both internationally and within the U.S.
GLCA colleges promote environmental sustainability within their community of students, faculty and staff. Most member institutions have sustainability coordinators or committees who have made a commitment to campus wide recycling and a broad variety of energy saving practices. Six of the 13 schools have signed the College & University Presidents’ Commitment to Climate, and over half of the campuses already have LEEDS certified (environmentally sustainable) buildings. Many campuses have strong and active student-led initiatives that have been recognized nationally.
Beyond the skills of critical thinking and expression, GLCA member colleges place a strong value on the social and physical development of students. These liberal arts colleges regard intramural and interscholastic athletics programs as integral parts of the collegiate learning experience. Students who participate in athletics are required to achieve and maintain the high academic standards required of all students. The spirit of learning easily crosses into the athletic fields. Being an athlete on any of these campuses requires a strong dedication to academics as well as athletics.
GLCA colleges are noted for their students being nominated to the Fulbright Fellows Program, averaging 30 Fulbright Student Scholars a year, and for faculty and students receiving funding from the National Science Foundation, and Phi Beta Kappa among others.
As independent liberal arts colleges that do not receive direct support from their state governments, these institutions list higher tuition prices than public universities. However, often overlooked is the fact that every one of these colleges offers generous packages of financial aid to accepted students. The combination of financial support from the college with federal support and other sources often makes the final cost of attending a private college less than that of a public university. Financial aid consultants and counselors are available to work with you in taking best advantage of the financial aid available at each college.
Students who have graduated from the GLCA colleges include Rosetta Scott King, wife of Civil Rights Activist Martin Luther King, Jr.; Percy Levon Julian, respected and renowned research chemist; Paul Newman, noted actor and philanthropist; as well as Nobel Prize winners and scores of politicians, activists, writers, actors, scientists, doctors, attorneys, and more. Students who graduate from GLCA member colleges are prepared to succeed in life and actively serve in the world.
If you are seeking a college that promotes academic excellence, global education, the development of strong values, equality, and community then the Great Lakes Colleges are colleges you will want to explore.