Student to faculty ratio

Just because the faculty are there does not necessarily mean they are willing or able to teach. At many elite schools, faculty define themselves as scholars at a research university, not educators. They may teach as a condition of their contract with the university ( or may not even have to) but that is not their primary role nor interest. Low ratios do need necessarily equate to small classes. Princeton has a low ratio but there were 600 in my economics 101 course.