How do class sizes at the University of Michigan compare to Swarthmore College?

Swarthmore will give you the more consistently small, discussion-heavy classroom experience. Its liberal arts model means most classes are small, faculty teaching is central, and even lower-level courses are more likely to feel seminar-like than at a large public university. Michigan, by contrast, has many excellent small classes too, but the day-to-day experience usually includes more large lectures, especially early on and in high-demand departments.

That setup can work well, but it changes the rhythm of class: you may hear the main material in a lecture and do more interactive work in a separate section. As you move into upper-level courses, class sizes usually shrink a lot, especially within your major.

At Swarthmore, the practical difference is that classroom interaction tends to be built directly into the course itself rather than split between lecture and discussion. You are more likely to know your professors early, speak regularly in class, and have writing, presentations, and close feedback woven into even ordinary courses. That can make the academic experience feel more personal from the start, not just later in college.

Another difference is registration pressure and scale. Michigan’s size gives you a huge menu of classes and departments, but popular courses can feel more impersonal simply because there are so many students. Swarthmore offers fewer total courses because it is much smaller, yet the tradeoff is a tighter classroom environment where professors and classmates tend to know one another quickly.

So in practical terms, Michigan often means a mix of large lectures plus smaller breakouts at first, then more intimacy as you advance. Swarthmore is much closer to small classes as the default setting from the beginning.