Colleges That Change Lives: Impact & Choosing the Right College in 2025

The former New York Times education editor, Loren Pope, wrote the book, Colleges That Change Lives (CTCL), in 1996 to address several issues that prospective college students often face. Pope drew from his years of experience as a college journalist and researcher to offer suggestions for improving college admissions processes with more holistic standards.

There is now an entire CTCL movement, whose mission involves guiding college applicants toward a ''student-centered college search.'' Below, we'll explain these concepts and show you a few colleges that make an impact by employing CTCL's novel education philosophy.

What Is Colleges That Change Lives?

After Pope's book became popular, many colleges started promoting it as the foundation for their admissions and educational processes. By 1998, some of the book's supporters had taken Pope's idea and created the CTCL organization, dedicated to matching students with the country's top liberal arts colleges.

What Is the CTCL Organization?

Pope did not start the CTCL organization named after his book, but approved of it entirely. This group consists of member colleges that adhere to his student-centered approach to college life.

Another goal of CTCL is to invite students to look beyond the highly publicized college rankings among various outlets and conduct their own personalized college search after finishing high school. You can learn more about specific CTCL members by visiting the organization's Board of Directors section of its website.

Which Colleges Are Included in CTCL?

Here is the most comprehensive list of CTCL colleges. This includes schools that were added after the publication of the original CTCL book.

• Agnes Scott College
• Allegheny College
• Antioch College
• Austin College
• Bard College
• Beloit College
• Centre College
• Clark University
• Cornell College
• Denison University
• DePauw University
• Earlham College
• Eckerd College
• Emory & Henry University
• The Evergreen State College
• Goucher College
• Guilford College
• Hampshire College
• Hendrix College
• Hillsdale College
• Hiram College
• Hope College
• Juniata College
• Kalamazoo College
• Knox College
• Lawrence University
• McDaniel College
• Millsaps College
• Oberlin College
• Ohio Wesleyan University
• Reed College
• Rhodes College
• Southwestern University
• St. John's College
• Saint Mary's College of California
• St. Olaf College
• University of Lynchburg
• University of Puget Sound
• Ursinus College
• Wabash College
• Wheaton College
• Whitman College
• Willamette University
• College of Wooster

Core Principles CTCL Uses To Select Colleges

CTCL defines eight core principles, illustrating what it means to be a high-quality college by its standards. These principles cover everything from the actual learning environment to the impact your education has on future job prospects.

1. Student-Centered Learning Environment

A student-centered learning environment is one where professors place their teaching duties as their top priority, even beyond research interests and other responsibilities. The academic environment must be conducive to developing a lifelong love of learning, not just studying for tests or struggling to meet strict course requirements.

2. Focus on Undergraduate Education

While there's nothing wrong with graduate education, the CTCL approach tries to direct students toward the colleges that place most (or all) of their focus on the undergraduate experience. This is where it helps to focus on aspects such as small class sizes, access to professors, flexible learning formats, online education opportunities, and so forth.

3. Transformational Outcomes

A college cannot change lives if it leaves the student exactly the same as before they enrolled. Therefore, the objective is to transform minds by instilling a love for learning, critical thinking, and a willingness to ask questions about any topic. Students should leave their degree programs with a fresh perspective on the world — socially, culturally, economically, and more.

4. Emphasis on Critical Thinking and Writing

Since CTCL features liberal arts colleges, the academic curriculum places greater emphasis on writing, critical thinking, humanities, and classic literature as compared to traditional universities. A four-year degree should prepare students on how to think and troubleshoot issues in the real world as much as it develops academic skills in math, science, or other career fields.

5. High Engagement and Community

You may notice that the country's top liberal arts colleges often emphasize community and civic involvement when they select applicants for admission. Prospective undergraduates will fit into these programs well by becoming involved with community affairs, including simple community service work, while they complete high school.

6. Holistic Admissions Approach

The process for selecting students for acceptance and program admission has changed significantly in recent years. More universities have moved toward a holistic admissions system (evaluating the whole person) that goes beyond checking incoming candidates for SAT scores and grades.

The CTCL approach, which more colleges are adopting, considers a range of broader factors and personal circumstances, including intellectual curiosity, extracurricular activities and achievements, letters of recommendation, and personal statements.

7. Strong Postgraduate Outcomes

Students should experience both a transformation of themselves personally and improved career prospects upon graduation. Although most liberal arts colleges do not offer the networking contacts with major companies like large universities do, they may have an advantage with individualized career development plans, which lead graduates to long-term career success.

8. Institutional Integrity and Stability

We always recommend attending accredited institutions because they are stable and their degrees earn recognition from outside institutions and employers. This is how you know your degree will have real-world value. CTCL directs students to colleges with sound track records of integrity and good relations with the surrounding communities.

How You Can Apply These Principles in Your College Search

Of course, the CTCL core principles only work if you apply them to your college search. This means you'll have to research target schools and assess whether they mention factors such as smaller class sizes, holistic admissions, or community engagement. You can do this by reviewing school websites, but we also have a few suggestions to begin your search below.

Featured Online Colleges That Make a Difference

Here is a list of five schools that fit the CTCL model. It includes a brief description, tuition costs, and accreditation status.

Saint Leo University

Saint Leo University offers plenty of online courses and entire degree programs, along with a rolling admissions process. This liberal arts college in Florida accepts 72% of applicants, and its library website has multiple sections devoted to critical thinking, essay writing, and avoiding plagiarism.

• Estimated tuition cost: $28,360
• Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)

Rowan University

Rowan University has an average class size of only 20 students, an acceptance rate of 78%, and offers online degrees in liberal studies, network technology, psychology, and several other fields. The university's website says this is an ideal place to attend college for ''thinkers, doers, organizers, helpers, and persuaders.''

• Estimated tuition cost: $15,700 per year (in-state)
• Accreditation: Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)

Transylvania University

Transylvania University is perhaps the top liberal arts college in Lexington, KY, not far from the University of Kentucky. It accepts 95% of applicants, does not require the SAT for admissions, but prefers to see strong personal essays and recommendations from high school teachers. It even has a website section dedicated to ''Digital Liberal Arts,'' which facilitates online undergraduate learning.

• Estimated tuition cost: $44,980
• Accreditation: SACSCOC

Campbellsville University

Campbellsville University has an admission process designed to offer user convenience, including an opportunity to work with ''engagement specialists'' who can help you navigate everything. This school accepts 77% of applicants and pays particular attention to homeschool students, transfer students, and former military personnel.

• Estimated tuition cost: $26,990
• Accreditation: SACSCOC

Azusa Pacific University

Azusa Pacific University's admissions department expects applicants to demonstrate strong moral character and an appreciation for the school's standards and spirit. It accepts 87% of students, offers a solid selection of online degrees, and promises a transformative experience where students develop relationships with faculty and peers.

• Estimated tuition cost: $43,600
• Accreditation: WASC Senior College and University Commission

FAQs About Colleges That Change Lives

Below are five frequently asked questions (FAQs) about CTCL. This section explains why CTCL matters, how it can help you find a job, and how competitive it is to gain acceptance into a CTCL school.

Who Wrote Colleges That Change Lives?

Loren Pope wrote Colleges That Change Lives in 1996 after years of working as a New York Times education editor. The mission of his book is to ''educate the undergraduate,'' and promotes 40 liberal arts colleges as best exemplifying the book's approach.

How Many Colleges Are in CTCL?

CTCL mentions 40 colleges altogether. These are small, liberal arts colleges spread out across the country, known for their student-centered approach. They include institutions like Pope's alma mater, DePauw University in Indiana. CTCL also includes respected liberal arts colleges, such as Reed College, Lawrence University, Bard College, and Ohio Wesleyan University.

Are CTCL Colleges Accredited and Reputable?

Yes, CTCL selects reputable institutions that receive rigorous auditing and accreditation from review boards like SACSCOC. You can also apply to these schools confidently because they yield plenty of graduates who earn lucrative employment in many markets and fields.

Can You Get a Good Job With a Degree From a CTCL School?

Yes, graduates of CTCL schools report terrific career opportunities. Since these colleges offer small class sizes, while covering many diverse and useful subjects, students gain a competitive edge in the job market after honing several skills working in small groups.

These schools have a superior professor-to-student ratio, which not only leads to better teaching but also to better mentoring and easier access to letters of recommendation after graduation.

How Competitive Are CTCL Colleges?

Although CTCL schools offer alternative or holistic admissions, it does not mean they lack admissions standards. The acceptance rate varies substantially among member schools. Most of these colleges offer students a better chance of admission than traditional universities, but they may still reject a certain portion of applicants.

Find the Right College

We welcome you to explore the rest of the content on Learn.org to find other suitable colleges for your specific career plans. This website covers a range of topics — from financial aid and online degrees to fast-track programs and self-paced curricula — to help you identify the best college possible.