Is American University or the University of Wisconsin better for a liberal arts experience?

American University is the closer match for the liberal arts experience you described. It is smaller overall, has a more undergraduate-centered feel, and its classes in many social science and humanities fields are more likely to emphasize discussion and close interaction with professors.

One big difference is scale. Wisconsin is a large public research university, so the academic menu is enormous and the faculty resources are outstanding, but that size often means more introductory lectures, more bureaucracy, and a less intimate day-to-day classroom experience, especially early on. At American, the campus is smaller and the undergraduate environment tends to feel easier to navigate if you want seminar-style classes and more direct faculty access.

Another differentiator is advising and exploration. Wisconsin absolutely gives you room to try different subjects, and in some ways it offers even more variety because it has so many departments and programs. But AU often feels simpler for students who want interdisciplinary exploration without getting lost in a very large system, particularly in areas like politics, international studies, sociology, history, literature, and communications.

The classroom culture also leans differently. Wisconsin has plenty of excellent discussion-based courses once you get deeper into a department, but its identity is still tied to being a major research institution. American’s culture is more consistently built around undergraduate participation, class discussion, and connecting ideas across fields, which is usually what people mean when they want a liberal arts-style education without attending a small liberal arts college.