Are William & Mary and Pomona equally known for small class sizes?

No. Pomona is much more consistently defined by very small classes, while William & Mary offers a more personal academic environment than many public universities but still operates on a larger scale. Pomona is a small liberal arts college built around close faculty interaction across the board, and William & Mary is a public research university with more variation by department and course level.

At Pomona, the small-class experience is part of the core structure of the school. Intro and upper-level courses alike tend to stay discussion-based, professors rather than teaching assistants usually lead classes, and the college’s size makes it easier for students to know faculty well early on. That kind of classroom intimacy is one of the main reasons students choose Pomona in the first place.

William & Mary also has a strong reputation for engaged teaching and accessible professors, especially compared with many other public universities. But in practice, it is still larger, so you are more likely to encounter some bigger introductory classes, especially in popular subjects. As students move into advanced coursework, classes often become much smaller and more relationship-driven.

Another practical difference is campus structure. Pomona’s residential liberal arts model keeps most of your academic life in a tight, small community, even though you can cross-register within the Claremont Colleges. William & Mary can still feel personal, but the experience depends more on major, course selection, and how quickly you seek out office hours, seminars, and faculty mentorship.