What exactly is a college consortium? 

A college consortium is a group of two or more colleges that have a shared intention to push their students to succeed through a collection of common resources among various colleges or universities. 

Why are college consortiums hyped up?

Colleges and universities have some of the most incredible resources for students. However, it may be difficult to have all the resources you need at your college: especially if you’re a student at a college with a relatively small endowment. 

This is when having a consortium comes in handy. College consortiums have a common goal to educate their students with the help from the resources pooled together among each of the schools involved in the consortium. Being a student at a college that is part of a consortium will allow you to share your resources from each college and take advantage of the different programs there. These colleges have their own identity as separate institutions yet are a part of a collective objective.

Students pay their tuition to attend one of the colleges, but they have the access to almost infinite resources that come with the consortium. Cross-registration, libraries, and extracurriculars are all shared among a consortium.

What are some of the college consortiums?

There are multiple academic consortiums in the United States. Here are two of the more notable ones.

Five College Consortium:

The Five College Consortium resides in the Connecticut River Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts and consists of four liberal arts colleges – Amherst College, Hampshire College, Mount Holyoke College, and Smith College – along with one university – University of Massachusetts Amherst. There are a total of ~38,000 students, undergraduates and graduates combined. On top of this, Mount Holyoke College and Smith College are two of the highest ranking women’s colleges in the United States. 

History:

Before the official consortium existed, colleges in the general surrounding areas of Western Massachusetts would create committees such as the Committee on University Extension of the Connecticut Valley Colleges. These collaborations between the colleges have existed since 1914 and have been instrumental for leading the colleges into the system that we know today. 

It’s important to note that each college was founded independently of each other. Smith and Mount Holyoke Colleges are also a part of the Seven Sisters: a group of women-only colleges to allow women to have the opportunities that were denied from them at other higher education institutions. Only Hampshire College was founded on the basis of exploring higher education within a consortium.

The consortium first existed between Amherst College, Mount Holyoke College, Smith College, and University of Massachusetts Amherst which was known as the Four College Consortium. The founding of Hampshire College in 1966 completed the Five College Consortium that we know today. 

Fast Facts:

• There are collaborative theatre productions and acapella concerts thrown on various campuses.
• Intercampus transportation is provided at no cost to the student. Smith College is the furthest one away from the rest, needing a 20 minute drive. 
• Most clubs and intramural sports are open to students from a Five College.
• There is a Five College radio station that is hosted by students from each of the Five Colleges.
• Students at a Five College have access to 10 different museums. 
• Every semester, there’s about 6,000 undergraduate courses offered to the students.

The Claremont Colleges or the Claremont Consortium:

These seven schools are located in Claremont, California: a city about 35 miles miles east of Los Angeles. They consist of five very selective undergraduate colleges  – Pomona College, Scripps College, Claremont McKenna College, Harvey Mudd College, and Pitzer College – along with two graduate universities – Claremont Graduate University and Keck Graduate Institute. Collectively, they are colloquially known as the 7Cs. If people are just referring to the undergraduate colleges, they are known as the 5Cs. 

History:

Pomona College was the first to be founded in 1887; the founders wanted to bring a “New England” style of learning to the West Coast. As Pomona’s enrollment grew, the President at the time, James Blaisdell, wanted to keep the small liberal arts vibe that’s unique to a small school. With that idea in mind, he came up with a plan to establish several new liberal arts schools with an intention of having concentrations on specific issues in the time period of their establishment.

Claremont Graduate University was the first addition to the new Claremont Colleges in 1925. Soon after, Scripps College was founded in 1926 as a women’s college with a focus in the humanities. Claremont McKenna College was originally founded in 1946 as Claremont Men's College with a focus on politics, business, and government; the first students were veterans who attended college on behalf of the G.I. Bill. 

Harvey Mudd College was the next college to be founded in 1955 during the Space Race with a focus in the STEM fields. Later, Pitzer College was founded in 1963 with an emphasis on social justice. The last institute to round out the 7Cs was Keck Graduate Institute in 1997 which focuses on biomedical applications for post-graduates.

Fast Facts:

• Every semester, the Claremont Colleges offer about 2,000 courses.
• The 5Cs are all within one square mile while the two graduate institutions are only a 10 minute walk away.
• Pomona–Pitzer band together to create their NCAA DIII sports teams while Claremont–Mudd–Scripps form the rival sports team. Even if you’re not a Division 3 athlete, you can still foster inter-college relationships by getting involved in club and intramural sports.
• In total, there are 7 dining halls shared among the 7,000 students at the 5Cs. 
• Asian American Studies is one of the 9 intercollegiate majors/academic departments at the 5Cs. 

Should I apply?

Yes! Being at a consortium enriches your time at college. It is one of the biggest advantages if you end up attending a small college. If you have a chance to go to a college that is part of a consortium, take it. You won’t regret it.