Is Lehigh or Arizona State better for small class sizes?

The biggest practical tradeoff is that Lehigh offers a small-class environment as the default undergraduate experience, while Arizona State’s scale creates many more large introductory lectures, even though smaller discussion-based courses are available. At Lehigh, students are more likely to see the same professors repeatedly, participate in class early on, and build relationships within a relatively compact campus community. ASU’s undergraduate population is far larger, so course size varies much more by major, campus, and whether a course is introductory or advanced.

Introductory STEM, business, and social-science courses can still be sizable, but they are commonly paired with labs, recitations, or smaller sections. By the time students move into major-specific coursework, small seminars and professor interaction are especially common.

At ASU, large first-year lectures are more likely, particularly in high-enrollment subjects such as biology, psychology, economics, and business. Upper-level major courses can become much smaller, and Barrett, The Honors College provides seminar-style classes and closer faculty access, but students may need to be intentional about choosing sections and pursuing office hours.

For a student who considers regular participation and knowing professors a top priority, Lehigh is the clearer choice. ASU can still provide smaller academic settings, especially through Barrett or upper-division courses, but it does not make that experience as consistent across the undergraduate curriculum.