The Value of a Whittier Education

I like to talk to parents and other family members about how to assess the value of a college education, not just Whittier's. Most small private colleges boast an intimate learning environment where students know their professors, where students are unlikely to "get lost," and where their talents will be noticed and strengthened by faculty. Whittier is a stellar example, with its 12.5 to 1 ratio of students to faculty and with our national renown for the faculty's active and collaborative teaching styles. Because of the way our faculty teach, students form strong connections to professors who can counsel them about careers and write in-depth, personal letters of recommendation for jobs and for graduate and professional school.

How else can you know that Whittier provides a high-quality, transformative education? Our interdisciplinary focus means that every student—regardless of major—will grapple with various points of view, developing critical thinking skills and a penchant for discovery. Being one of the most diverse colleges in the country, Whittier's students learn from difference and build leadership skills day and night that will prepare them to live in a globally interconnected world. And Whittier's founding tradition of honoring community and service continues today as students learn from doing, apply theory to practice, and test the world of ideas.

Whittier prepares students to do anything in life. We have poets and professors among our 18,000 graduates spread across the country and the world, as well as numerous doctors, lawyers, bankers, business owners, teachers, CEOs, physical therapists, coaches, actors, directors, and even one president of the United States. It all starts here, as students dream and grow in ways they never imagined.

All my best wishes,
Sharon Herzberger, President of Whittier College