Profiles of American Colleges

Profiles of American Colleges, 35th ed.
Hauppauge, New York : Barron's Educational Series, Inc., c2019.
Reference Section.
Call Number: L901 F5 2019

Hot off the presses! The annual Barron’s tome on college information is out.

The guide has smaller sections on finding a college, paying for college, and what it takes to be accepted. The next section is an alphabetical listing of academic majors with lists of colleges in the guide that have that offer that degree.

The majority of the tome is dedicated to the actual college listings. This section is organized alphabetically by the state the college is located in. Each listing includes a brief overview with location, enrollment size, basic costs, and contact information. The more detailed profile includes information on accreditation, student body demographics, faculty to student ratios, and more. The most detailed sections cover areas of academic study and services offered. Academic study lists the level of degrees offered (doctorate or not, BS, MS, etc) and areas of study in more detail.

The Services section outlines what support systems the college offers students. DSS services, library, tutoring, and any special programs are listed here. Specific admission requirements such as testing and deadlines are listed along with the contact information for the admissions office. Each profile ends with information regarding financial aid available as well as the FAFSA code for the college.

An aside note, even given the title Profiles of American Colleges, there are listings of colleges in Canada as well as a section on studying abroad. For students just starting their search this may not be the best place to start. Once they have a list in mind and can look up specific colleges then this reference is more useful.

The layout may seem a bit overwhelming to new users, so the straight alphabetical listing by college name at the back may be the best way to use this source.

Review by Sarah Way, SWC Librarian