When it comes to getting a first job out of college, gaining admission to graduate school, or generally preparing to meet life’s challenges, graduates of residential liberal arts colleges such as Hollins University give their college experience higher marks than do graduates of any other type of colleges, according to a new national study.

The study was commissioned by the Annapolis Group, a non-profit alliance of 130 liberal arts colleges of which Hollins is a member, to determine how its graduates perceive the effectiveness of its member institutions in comparison to others.

"On virtually all measures known to contribute to positive outcomes, graduates of liberal arts colleges rate their experience more highly than do graduates of private or public universities," said James H. Day, a principal of the higher education consulting firm Hardwick Day, which conducted the study.

Among the study’s career-related findings

• Seventy-six percent of liberal arts college graduates rated their college experience highly for preparing them for their first job, compared to 66 percent who attended public flagship universities;
• Eighty-nine percent of liberal arts college graduates reported finding a mentor while in college, compared to 66 percent for public flagship universities;
• Sixty percent of liberal arts college graduates said they felt “better prepared” for life after college than students who attended other colleges, compared to 34 percent who attended public flagship universities;
• Liberal arts college graduates are more likely to graduate in four years or fewer, giving them a head start on their careers.

For a complete report of the study’s results, click here.