为什么你想知道美国文理学院排行?因为美国人用的“学院”这个词，意味着同样4年制授予学位项目，就像“大学”一样。“学院”和“大学”都有排名。实际上多数美国的“学院”都比“大学”好。举个例子来说，如果你想读一个顶级MBA课程，或者中等法律学校，如果你持有一个文科学位的话，会比商科或者前医学或前法学课程毕业的学生有更多的录取机会。同时你应该知道，多数美国大学内部都有一个文理学院。

　　Why do you want to know the U.S. Liberal arts College rankings?Because Americans use the word “college” to mean the same four-year degree- granting program as the word “university!” One is not better than the other. They both have #1 rankings. In fact, many of the American colleges are better than the universities. For example, if you want to go to a top MBA program, or medical or law school, you have a better chance to get in with a liberal arts degree than a business or pre-med or pre-law program in a university. At the same time you should know that most American universities have a College of Liberal arts or sometimes called Arts and Sciences College within their university.

　　进入哈佛或者耶鲁学院的高中生有4年的时间去拿到他们的B.A或者B.S学位。在大多数大学里大学意味着研究生院校，你认识到这其中的区别了么?在文理学院你学的东西都是为了更好地思考，更有创造力，更有创新能力。

　　High school students who go to Harvard and Yale College for four years to get their B.A. or B.S. degree. “University” in most U.S. universities means graduate school. Do you see the difference? In a liberal arts college you study everything in order to learn to think and be creative and innovative.

　　你不是为了求职而求学。你在那里接受教育学习，为了解这个世界上有什么而学习。在你知道了你的很多选择之后你才了解哪种职业道路适合你。在美国人17岁的时候，在知道他们的选项之前是不会选择自己的职业的。

　　You are not there to train for a career. You are there to be educated and learn what there is in the world to study. To learn which career path feels right to you after you know your choices. Americans do not choose a career at 17 years old before they know their options!

　　通常“学院”比“大学”小，但不总是这样。比如说达特茅斯学院(常青藤盟校之一)有超过5000个学生是一所学院，卫理公会大学仅仅有3000个学生，却叫做大学。

　　Usually a college is smaller than a university – but not always. For example Dartmouth College (Ivy League) has more than 5,000 students and is a college; Wesleyan University with only 3000 students is called a university.

　　重点是，为了搞清楚申请哪里，你必须仔细研究美国的“大学”和“学院”，因为你不能光从名字就知道“大学”和“学院”的区别。