Earlham CollegeAcademics Summary

There's no denying that at the core of a great education is a solid teaching staff. While students at Earlham may whine about the Residence Life personnel or this or that new policy, we consistently stand behind the great work of those who inspire and challenge us every day. At Earlham, all classes are taught by professors, and every department is chock full of great educators who are willing to work their hardest to give students the tools they need to succeed. Professors have high expectations, but if you've gotten behind or don't really understand the material, most of them are highly available. Individual teaching styles aside, Earlham professors also almost invariably share the one quality that counts most: a passion for their subject matter. A great proportion of the teaching staff lives within a stone's throw of campus, as well, and they frequently organize and attend campus events. This means students and faculty get to know one another on a personal basis. Earlham students are notoriously over-involved on campus, so the fact that we really do care about our classes can cause some stressful crunch days. This isn't to say that studying will completely overtake your waking hours, though. The workload is serious, but not overwhelming. Choose classes you're really interested in (don't sweat fulfilling all the gen-ed requirements your first year) so you'll have more fun learning. If you work hard, you'll reap the benefits of this inspiring academic community.