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Reed College
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Reed College - Academics - College ProwlerCollege Prowler4.24

Academics

A-
Where does this grade come from?View all Academics rankingsReview this school to add your opinion

Comparable Schools' Academics Grades:

Quick Stats

Student-Faculty Ratio 10:1
Full-Time Student Population 1,406
Part-Time Student Population 75
Full-Time Instructional Faculty 145
Part-Time Instructional Faculty 10
Total FT Faculty 145
Faculty with Terminal Degree 89%
Average Faculty Salary $87,217
Full-Time Retention Rate 88%
Graduation Rate 78%
Programs/Majors Offered 25
Average Course Load 4 courses
Academic/Career Counseling? Yes
Remedial Services? No
Class Sizes
  • Fewer than 20 Students: 73%
  • 20 to 49 Students: 24%
  • 50 or More Students: 3%

Student Author OverviewWhat's This?

As any good college informer will say, Reed does not have any student teaching assistants; a professor (almost always with a doctorate in their possession) leads every lecture, conference discussion, and seminar. However, what often gets overlooked in an analysis of Reed is our penchant for first names. Our professors are not simply professors, they are Pancho, Natalia, Steve, Bill, and a slew of other friendly-faced first names. All students agree that before they are scholars and instructors, our professors are friends and educators. At Reed, no professor is an ivory tower; every person who educates at Reed College works to further the comprehension of any student in need. Accordingly, each professor devotes numerous hours each day to aiding students that require assistance.

As an academic institution, Reed revolves around the concept of the conference system. Each class runs in a conference setting, in which a minimal number of students (10 to 25) and a professor critically discuss the subject of the class. In the conference setting, most Reed professors attempt to guide the conference of students without dominating the discussion. Although some professors may stray from the conference style by either over-guiding or under-guiding a conference, most Reed professors genuinely want to discuss what students think. In the end, Reed professors are no different from Reed students—they simply want to pursue knowledge with the help of others.

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Reed Student ReviewsWhat's This?

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Academics at Reed College

papa_justify

'14

Biology

4.6
A

Tradtional Structure at an Untraditional Environment

If one is truly interested in their studies Reed should be at the top of their list. Reed provides a classic liberal arts education including a hellish workload, a diversity of subjects, and excellent professors. Reed is not for the light of heart. Students work to the bone, and would work more if there was any time. Professors are all PhD's and love their subjects. Students must interact closely with professors due to the conference system, in which there are classes with as few as four or five students. Reeds curriculum is very traditional, and to some may seem limiting, with many requirements and a somewhat small offering of classes.

Dec 29, 2011

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Academics at Reed College

mountainsun19

'13

Biology

4.2
A-

Brilliant Professors

I am in the Biology department, studying soil microbiology. The professor are extremely responsive, keeping track of my progress and making sure everything is ok. They respond to emails and support my independent research. When I took a year off to work, I didn't have an adviser. One of the professors helped me through the whole process of choosing classes and getting ready to come back.

Jul 11, 2011

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Academics at Reed College

tbrandow

'14

Religious Studies

5.0
A+

It's Reed. It's Academics. You Know It. You Love It.

No one said Reed was easy. No one said we were going to a diploma mill. You go to Reed to go to Reed, and that means you're going to get a world class education. You are going to be accepted into the top graduate programs around the world because of the education and work you do here. By the end of it, you will love learning, and that is a fact.

May 27, 2011

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Student Survey Poll ResultsWhat's This?

Rate your school’s professors on the following topics

Rate your school’s academic environment on the following topics

Facts

Instructional Programs Occupational: No
Academic: Yes
Continuing Professional: No
Recreational/Avocational: No
Adult Basic Remedial: No
Secondary (High School): No
Special Credit Opportunities Advanced Placement (AP) Credits: Yes
Dual Credit: Yes
Life Experience Credits: No
AP Test Score Requirements Approval of AP credit varies from department to department; however, all those granting credit require scores of 4 or 5. Credit for AP tests will apply toward the 30 units of academic credit needed for graduation, but cannot be used to meet any other Reed College requirement. Students are generally awarded one unit of credit for each AP exam.
IB Test Score Requirements Two units of credit are granted for each Higher Level (HL) International Baccalaureate exam passed with a grade of 5 or higher. No credit is granted for subsidiary level (SL) work. Credit for IB exams will apply toward the 30 units of academic credit needed for graduation, but cannot be used to meet any other Reed College requirement.
Undergraduate Schools/Divisions Reed College
Degrees Awarded
  • Bachelor's degree
  • Master's degree
Most Popular Majors
  • Anthropology: 4%
  • English Language Studies: 6%
  • History, General: 4%
  • Psychology: 5%
Special Study Options Study abroad
Best Places to Study
  • Dorm rooms
  • ETC
  • Front lawn (in good weather)
  • Library
  • Social rooms
Did You Know?

Reed is considered one of the toughest academic institutions in America. Beyond working the students to the bone both freshman and sophomore year, Reed juniors must pass a qualifying exam in order to be accepted into senior study. When accepted, Reed students must complete a year-long thesis, which serves as an incredibly in-depth investigation of a topic or topics in the student’s major. Some theses turn into books, while others propose novel ways to approach age-old problems or conceptualize novel theories developed by students. Essentially, the thesis is a proving ground in which Reed allows its students to explore both themselves and their academic field. If Reedies survive the four (or more) years, they usually are more than adequately prepared for whatever graduate school has to offer.

Most Recent Student Author

College Prowler guides are in the hands of students throughout the entire process. Because you can't make student-written guides without the students, we have students at each campus who write, edit, and survey their peers for every guide that we publish. Thanks to our most recent student author at Reed

Name: Ben DuPree

Hometown: Los Angeles, Calif.

Major: English

see all student author bios >

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