If you want a better understanding of independent colleges and the liberal arts, check CIC Research Reports and Briefs

The Council of Independent Colleges has a number of research reports and briefs available on their web site that will be of interest to anyone thinking about independent colleges.  The most recent brief looks at the impact of Living-Learning Communities and Independent Higher Education.

• The Cost-Effectiveness of Undergraduate Education at Private Nondoctoral Colleges and Universities (September 2015)
• Mission-Driven Innovation: An Empirical Study of Adaptation and Change among Independent Colleges (July 2015)
• Independent Colleges and Student Engagement: Descriptive Analysis by Institutional Type (June 2015)
• Expanding Access and Opportunity: How Small and Mid-Sized Independent Colleges Serve First-Generation and Low-Income Students (March 2015)
• Strengthening the STEM Pipeline: The Contributions of Small and Mid-Sized Independent Colleges (March 2014)
• Research Brief 4: Living-Learning Communities and Independent Higher Education (October 2015)
•  Research Brief 3: Career Preparation and the Liberal Arts (July 2015)
• Research Brief 2: Interdisciplinary Undergraduate Education (May 2015) 
• Research Brief 1: Competency-Based Education (April 2015)