ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE PROGRAMS AT SMALL COLLEGES

There are more and more colleges and universities that are adding majors in artificial intelligence to their curriculum. I’m sure you are familiar with these:

Carnegie Mellon

Penn

UC San Diego

CalTech

Stanford

Cornell U

Long Island U

Keiser U

MIT

Georgia Tech

Michigan

Columbia U

U of Illinois

Dakota State

U of Maryland

UC Berkeley

Harvard

UT Austin

Purdue

U of Washington

IU Bloomington

Arizona State

Princeton

What do these have in common? Most are large to huge (CalTech is an exception with only 900 students) and most are very selective (many of them admit fewer than 20% of their CS/AI applicants). Most of these also tend to be a bit pricey, offering only limited amounts of merit scholarship funds.

For a student who wants to major in artificial intelligence but wants or needs a smaller, less expensive, and less selective option, you will be happy to know that there are many small private colleges with AI programs.

Here is a sampling of some excellent small colleges with AI majors:

Nazareth University NY Technology, AI, & Society Major

Oklahoma Christian University OK CS + AI MAJOR

Lyon College AR CS + AI MAJOR

York College of Pennsylvania PA DIGITAL ARTS & AI MAJOR

Elms College MA DATA SCI & AI MAJOR

John Brown University AR MAJOR

Harding University AR MAJOR

Drake University IA MAJOR

University of Charleston WV MAJOR

Concordia University- WI MAJOR

Rivier University NH MAJOR

Carroll University WI MAJOR

About these colleges:

Average enrollment: 1,600

58-99% acceptance rate (average 80%)

Most will admit a strong A/B/C student and award excellent merit scholarships to all admitted students.

Average out of pocket cost, after merit, is below $29K (range $24K-$34K).

Several of these offer a few full-tuition scholarships to high-achieving students.

There are many more small colleges that offer either master’s programs in AI or undergraduate minors, emphases, or certificates:

Holy Cross College IN CERTIFICATE

Bethany College WV CERTIFICATE

Norwich University VT CERTIFICATE AND AI CENTER

Ohio Northern University OH CONCENTRATION

Gwynedd Mercy University PA CONCENTRATION

University of Dallas TX DATA SCI CONCENTRATION

Oklahoma Baptist University OK EMPHASIS

The College of St. Scholastica MN GRADUATE CERTIFICATE

Wesleyan College GA GRADUATE CERTIFICATE

Thomas Jefferson University PA AI IN HEALTH ANALYTICS

Oklahoma City University OK MASTERS

Indiana Wesleyan Univ-Marion IN MASTERS

Houston Christian University TX MASTERS

Concordia University--St. Paul MN MASTERS

Regent University VA MASTERS

Southwest Baptist University MO MASTERS

Eastern University PA MASTERS

University of Tulsa OK MINOR

Grove City College PA MINOR

Freed-Hardeman TN MINOR

John Carroll University OH MINOR

University of Mount Union OH MINOR

Geneva College PA MINOR

Mount Mary U WI MINOR

Nebraska Wesleyan U NE MINOR

Shenandoah University VA MINOR

Ursinus College PA MINOR

Kansas Wesleyan University KS MINOR

Iona University NY MINOR AND CERTIFICATE

Clarkson College NE MINOR AND MASTERS

Indiana Tech IN UG CERTIFICATE AND MASTORS AI

[These have virtually the same profile as the first list.]

The following colleges offer a few full-tuition scholarships to high-achieving students (usually by interview):

Bethany College - West Virginia

Ohio Northern University

Gwynedd Mercy University

Oklahoma Baptist University

Wesleyan College

Lyon College

York College of Pennsylvania

Drake University

University of Charleston

Carroll University

Southwest Baptist University

Eastern University

University of Tulsa

Grove City College

University of Mount Union

Mount Mary University

Nebraska Wesleyan University

Kansas Wesleyan University

Indiana Tech

There are two of the small colleges that I would like to spotlight: Elms College and Carroll University.

I am especially impressed with the AI program at Elms College in Massachusetts (enrollment ~ 800) that combines it with data science. Since AI is so ubiquitous, I especially appreciate the interdisciplinary approach they take:

“Elms College is excited to introduce its new Data Science and Artificial Intelligence major (DS & AI) designed to equip students with the cutting-edge skills needed for the digital age. In our internet-connected world, large volumes of data are being generated every day, and data scientists are needed to analyze and extract knowledge from this data. This interdisciplinary major uses scientific, mathematical, computational, and business analytic methods to process and analyze data.

“Data Science skills serve as the foundational bridge to the world of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its transformative subfield, machine learning (ML), where mathematical and programming skills are used to learn from data and predict future trends. AI will shape the future of technology and drive innovation to new horizons.

“The new DS-AI major will provide students with a strong foundation in data science and AI machine learning techniques, which can be applied to many different fields, including Biology, Biotechnology, Business, Finance, Health Sciences, Psychology, and Social Sciences. Students in this major can choose a focus area in one of these fields to apply the skills they learn in the core data science and AI courses. Students will gain practical experience through hands-on projects and internships in focus areas tied to their fields of interest.” https://www.elms.edu/academics/nsmt/data-science-and-artificial-intelligence/

The program at Carrroll University in Wisconsin (enrollment ~ 2,400) is also comprehensive, with a strong ethics and career focus:

“Carroll’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) major equips students to utilize AI techniques and technologies across various application areas, addressing the growing demand in this field. By exploring cutting-edge technologies, students apply AI tools to solve complex problems while also examining ethical considerations. With increasing demand for AI expertise in the job market, this major ensures graduates are well-positioned for success in this rapidly evolving industry.

“A goal of this AI major is to understand how to apply AI tools to address the challenges of increasingly complex applications and processes. To accomplish this goal the courses in the AI major examine technologies associated with machine learning algorithms, natural language understanding, speech synthesis, image recognition, logical reasoning, analysis of volumes of data, and robotics and their application. The most popular skills sought for AI professionals at the current time include Python coding experience, REST API programming skills, SQL expertise, predictive AI modeling, generative AI modeling, an ability to utilize machine learning to leverage production environments and applications (MLOPS), the ability to incorporate AI into IT processes and operations (AIOPS), and data visualization. The courses identified to support the AI major address these skill requirements.

“A second goal of this AI major is to emphasize the importance of the underlying ethical issues associated with AI, including the embedding of bias, misuse of tools, lack of transparency, shifting workforce concerns, and an assortment of societal considerations that revolve around AI.

“Students completing the program will be preferred candidates regardless of industry with 71% of executives saying they prefer employees with AI skills.

The program incorporates AI and machine learning models, integrating specialized skills required for MLOPS and AIOPS, which are increasingly sought after by businesses and organizations.

Assignments and completed projects will provide students with a portfolio of samples of their work to demonstrate to prospective employers.

Career Paths

Pursue the following career paths with a degree in Artificial Intelligence (AI).

AI Architect

AI Consultant

AI Developer

Machine Learning Engineer

NLP (Natural Language Processing) Engineer or Prompt Engineer

Ethical AI Specialist

Data Specialist

Data Analytics Consultant

LLM Architect

Workforce Planning Consultant” https://www.carrollu.edu/academics/business/artificial-intelligence

These various lists are only a sample of the many AI programs at small colleges. Also, please keep in mind that 72% of the 726 small colleges offer majors or minors in computer science and provide at least a few classes and/or internships in AI.

My guess is that, within the next two years, the number of colleges offering AI programs will increase exponentially. I hope that, as you look for your collegiate home, you will consider some of these awesome small colleges. They are truly life-changing!