Is Arizona State or Williams better for undergraduate teaching?

The biggest practical tradeoff is scale versus intimacy: Arizona State offers the resources and breadth of a huge public research university, while Williams is built around small classes, close faculty contact, and an undergraduate-only academic environment. For actual undergraduate teaching, Williams tends to come out ahead because professor access is much easier, discussion-based classes are far more central to the curriculum, and the school’s structure is designed almost entirely around undergraduates. At ASU, strong teaching certainly exists, but the student experience can vary more by major, campus, and course level, especially in large introductory classes.

Williams is widely known for seminar-style learning, and faculty whose primary focus is teaching undergraduates rather than balancing that with large doctoral programs. Because there are no graduate students competing for faculty attention in the same way you would see at a major research university, undergrads are more likely to work directly with professors in class, office hours, and research. That usually translates into stronger discussion quality and more individualized feedback.

At ASU, the picture is more mixed. There are excellent professors and many opportunities, but introductory courses can be large, and some classes may rely more on lectures or teaching assistants depending on the department. As students move into upper-level courses, the experience often becomes more personal and engaging, but the baseline undergraduate classroom environment is less consistently intimate than at Williams.

In terms of feeling supported, Williams again has the edge for most students looking specifically at teaching. Smaller classes make it easier for professors to know students well, notice when someone is struggling, and offer tailored mentorship. ASU can still be very supportive, especially for proactive students who seek out honors programs, smaller cohorts, or strong departments, but that support is less automatically built into every student’s day-to-day academic life.

So if the question is strictly which school is stronger for undergraduate teaching, Williams is the clearer answer. ASU offers more scale and a wider university ecosystem, but Williams is more consistently set up to deliver the kind of close, discussion-rich, professor-accessible classroom experience you’re asking about.