Abstract: As the oldest institution of higher education in the United States,liberal arts colleges have evolved with the changes of society and times.In the 1970s,American liberal arts colleges experienced unprecedented challenges.Their survival was threatened by changing social needs,competition from public institutions,and the financial crisis of themselves.In order to cope with the survival crisis,on the one hand,liberal arts colleges have chosen to adapt to the needs of the market and consumers,by adjusting their major and curriculum,and dereloping towards the direction of comprehensiveness and professionalism;on the other hand,many liberal arts colleges have responded to profound social changes by changing traditional single-gender education to coeducation.These changes have changed the competitive landscape of liberal arts colleges,resulting in increased stratification among different types of colleges.This reform is an important strategy for the liberal arts college to meet the needs of times and maintain their existence.It has changed their tradition of single-purpose education and their image of single-gender education,but the tradition of liberal education and their small,independent characteristics have not disappeared.

Key words: the United States, liberal arts college, comprehensiveness, co-education