Compared to state-supported public schools, Barry and other privates can appear pricey. But students have to remember that those large public schools rely on faculty members lecturing to 400 or more students in huge, impersonal auditoriums. Small, undergraduate sections almost invariably are taught by graduate assistants. Another 33 percent were in classes holding 10-19 students. Students express much greater appreciation with the college experience if they have personal attention with a faculty member.
Students coming here get doctorally-prepared faculty members.
At some state institutions, they may never meet a faculty member until their senior years. Trying to maintain that good will after graduation has been a struggle, Fenton said. Barry's giving percentage among alumni stands at 10 percent, less than half the national average. Barry only recently began working to improve that statistic. It attracts giving by corporations and foundations, and is one of the key components that rating agencies consider.