Comparable Schools'
Academics Grades:
Quick Stats
Student-Faculty Ratio
10:1
Average Course Load
4 courses
Faculty with Terminal Degree
89 %
College Prowler Take
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.
Students Speak Out
Love your school more than free food? Hate your school more than term papers?
Somewhere in between? Show the world what YOU think of YOUR school:
Anonymous says:  |
Most of the teachers and classes...
Most of the teachers and classes are interesting as long as you slept the night before. |
Anonymous says: |
My teachers are all fantastic....
My teachers are all fantastic. They’re fun and brilliant and are here because they love to teach. My classes are all interesting, interactive, and informative. |
Anonymous says: |
Professors are generally engaged...
Professors are generally engaged and motivated, although a few are a bit, shall I say, useless. The classes are good, except that several of my conference-type classes have been too big. I find it impossible to have a useful discussion in a class of more than 12 or so. |
Anonymous says: |
How interesting classes are...
How interesting classes are depends very much upon how much you’re willing to put into them. The teachers are uniformly very good, but they can’t really do very much if the class is not into the discussions. This, I suppose, is the only possible drawback to a small-group style of teaching. If you want to be anonymous and quiet, it’s very hard to get anything out of the class. |
Anonymous says: |
The classes are fantastic,...
The classes are fantastic, particularly the conferences. The professors are all very knowledgeable and excited about their subjects and more than willing to help their students. |
Facts
Most Popular Majors
- Biological/life Sciences - 10 %
- English Language and Literature/Letters - 15 %
- Physical Sciences - 9 %
- Psychology - 10 %
- Social Sciences - 21 %
Special Degree Options
- 3-2 Computer Science porgram with University of Washington
- 3-2 Engineering program with Caltech, Columbia University School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, or Rensellaer Polytechnic Institute
- 3-2 program in Forestry and Environmental Sciences with the Nicholas School of the Environment at Duke University
- Cross registration
- Double Major
- Dual enrollment
- Exchange student program (domestic)
- Independent Study
- Internships
- Joint-5 year program in the visual arts with the Pacific Northwest College of Art
- Pre-Medical and Pre-Veterinary
- Study Abroad
Class Sizes
- 20 to 49 Students - 24 %
- 50 or More Students - 3 %
- Fewer than 20 Students - 73 %
Graduation Rates
- 4-Year - 60 %
- 5-Year - 76 %
- 6-Year - 77 %
Best Places to Study
- Dorm rooms
- ETC
- Front lawn (in good weather)
- Library
- Social rooms
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.
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.
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