75 Questions to Ask Before Choosing a University

  1. Are you interested in attending a traditional university or are you more interested in attending online classes? 
  2. Is the university located in a city that you would like to live in if you were to go there? 
  3. Is the university located in a town that has had an impact on your life in a negative way? 
  4. Do you think the dorm life is the same as it is described on the website when you visited the campus? 
  5. Is the university offering the major or minor you are interested in? 
  6. Does your university offer a major/minor that’s similar to what you’re interested in, if it doesn’t offer the major/minor you’re looking for? 
  7. Can you find internships in your field of choice in this city or will you be required to travel? 
  8. Could you please let me know if the campus is a social campus, a commuter one, or a quiet one? 
  9. Would you prefer a campus which is quiet, a campus which is social, or a campus which is a commuter campus? 
  10.  Would the university fit within your budget or will you have to take out loans in order to attend? 
  11. Are you being offered grants/scholarships by the university? 
  12. Is it possible for you to see yourself spending the majority of your time on the campus of the university? 
  13.  Can you see yourself settling down in the town after you graduate if you find a great job in the area? 
  14. Are you able to see yourself settling down in the town if you meet someone and get married in the town? 
  15. Is the weather there a problem for you? 
  16. Does the professor hold a doctoral degree or have they published a book? 
  17. What are the academic ratings of the university? 
  18. How has tuition cost fluctuated over the years? Have there been significant changes in tuition costs? 
  19. Would you consider the students at the university to be truly happy? 
  20. Would you consider talking to any of the current or former students? 
  21. The university offers a wide range of electives that you may find interesting. Are you interested in any of them? 
  22.  Can you tell me if the university imposes any infringing rules, such as no smoking or drinking on campus, which you envision yourself rebelling against, even for off-campus students? 
  23.  Is it true that you have considered the cost of living in the town where the university is located? 
  24. Can you tell me how far the university is from your home and if it matters to you? 
  25.  Is there anybody in your family or friends who attend the university or who lives nearby? 
  26.  Is the class size at the university large or small? 
  27.  Is it true that there are any successful alumni of the university who are well known and successful? 
  28. How big or small is the campus itself? 
  29.  Are you able to reach some of the larger, nearby cities within a reasonable amount of time from the university? 
  30. Would you consider the professors to be approachable? 
  31. Do you have any experience with looking at the professor ratings on websites such as ratemyprofessors.com or speaking with any current (or former) students about their professors?
  32. Would you be interested in attending any other university in addition to this one? 
  33.  Can you tell me what the graduation rate of the university is? What are the four-year, five-year, and six-year graduation rates?
  34.  There are a number of reasons as to why students fail to graduate on time. What are some of those reasons? 
  35.  What is the number of students that transfer from one university to another? 
  36.  What is the average number of students who transfer out of the university? 
  37.  Why do students leave the university in the first place? What are the main reasons cited? 
  38. How many transfer credits does the university accept on an annual basis? What percentage of transfer credits does the university accept? 
  39.  How many tenured professors do you have in your department? 
  40. How many faculty members are full-time at the university? 
  41. In your chosen field of study, how large are the classes on average? 
  42.  What is the average class size at the lower levels of education? 
  43.  What is the average number of students in upper-level classes? 
  44. Is there a freshman experience that I could participate in such as a learning community? 
  45.  Can you tell me what percentage of students study abroad? 
  46. What kind of interaction will an undergrad have with tenured faculty members? 
  47.  What is the role of teaching assistants in the classroom? 
  48. Undergraduate students are allowed to conduct research? 
  49. Is there a restriction on any of the majors that you are aware of? 
  50. Are there any departments that allow undergrads to conduct research? Which departments allow undergrads to conduct research? 
  51. Can you tell me if there are any majors that have more restrictions than others? 
  52.  What are the chances of you being able to double major at the university you are considering? 
  53.  Does the school offer seniors the opportunity to complete a capstone project or a senior project? 
  54.  What kind of honors program does the university offer? 
  55.  What are the requirements to become a member of the honors program? 
  56.  What percentage of students pursue a graduate degree after graduating from college? 
  57. Are there any career services offered by the university? 
  58.  The career services department can be of assistance to you in a number of ways. 
  59.  Is financial aid used by a significant percentage of students? 
  60. How much money do students receive in grants compared to loans at the university? 
  61. Is there a merit scholarship program offered by the university? 
  62.  Could you please tell me if there are any talent scholarships available at the university? 
  63.  Can you tell me if this university offers any athletic scholarships? 
  64.  In order to receive a merit, talent, or athletic scholarship, what are the requirements? 
  65. Is it true that the percentage of financial aid decreases after the freshman year? 
  66. When students leave a university, do they leave with an average amount of debt- either upon graduation or upon transferring to another university? 
  67.  Does the university provide health/counseling services to its students? 
  68. Can you tell me a little bit about the Greek life at the university? 
  69. Former/current students may find it useful to ask the following questions: 
  70. In your opinion, what are the top five reasons you chose this particular university? 
  71.  Would you be willing to change just one thing about this university if you could? 
  72. Is there a reason for you to want to change that rather than something else? 
  73.  What are the top three things you like the most about this university? 
  74.  In your opinion, what are the top three things about this university that you dislike the most? 
  75. Which types of students are most likely to succeed at this university? 
  76. How would you describe the type of students you think are a good match for this university?