Researching potential schools of interest is a crucial step in making informed educational decisions. After all, no two schools are exactly alike, and each student has unique needs that should be met in order to make the most of their resources. One of the most important factors influencing a student’s success in an educational setting happens to be the ratio of teachers to students.

Many tend to overlook this statistic, thinking that surely this shouldn’t impact the quality of the education offered, right? Well, the teacher-student ratio can be a lot more telling about a school than you may think. For example, schools with teacher-student ratios that indicate smaller class sizes tend to have a more intimate atmosphere within the classroom, because the teachers get the chance to spend more one-on-one time with their students. On the other hand, with a larger teacher-student ratio, this might indicate a classroom setting where students are more reliant on their peers, as it would be difficult for one teacher to micromanage a large student body. Personal evaluation is key in determining which of these two choices may be the most suitable.

One way to find out how you can make decisions tailored to your own needs is to figure out your own personal learning style. Typically, learning styles are clustered together into the following main groups: visual, auditory, kinesthetic, social, and reading & writing. Visual learners tend to absorb information presented on graphs and charts a lot easier, while auditory learners are able to focus their attention better on information that they are able to listen to. Kinesthetic learners take more of a hands-on approach to learning. Social learners typically take in information a lot better when they are able to interact with their peers. Finally, readers and writers find their strong suit in learning information through the synthesis and analysis of text. Once you find out what kind of a learner you are, it gets easier to break down your own specific needs.

Sophomore Jonathan Hardy shares, “It’s important for you to know these things about yourself because this information can be used to benefit you in your high school career.”
In general, smaller teacher-student ratios can support and accommodate most learning styles. Having fewer students to a teacher means that teachers are able to focus more of their attention on their students’ needs, providing a more personalized learning experience within the classroom.

However, those who are social learners have the potential to thrive in both settings, whether they are surrounded by more or less of their peers. A more crowded classroom means there are more opportunities to facilitate group discussions, which is usually beneficial for this specific kind of learning style.

Lauren Saddler, a sophomore, shares, “I think that in order for students to receive a proper education, smaller classes are usually better because of the teacher’s ability to individualize their plans.”