When my son registered for his two intro chem classes in 2011 and 2012, the course listing showed over 500 students registered for each class. I asked my son how everyone was able to sit down before the class started, and he said not everyone showed up for every class, so there was room. He was thinking of a chemistry major at the time because he enjoyed AP chemistry so much, but that experience turned him off. It looks like those intro chem classes fortunately have shrunk since that time.
I just spent a minute at Lou’s List for Spring 2015 for examples, and it showed 3 pyschology classes with over 340 registered students, an organic chem class of 346 students, an envi science class with 495 registered students, intro bio classes with 493 and 416 students, Mr. Cappock’s macro econ class with 525 registered students, and a computer science class with 275 registered students. Of course, that is not the norm for the vast majority of classes, but it is common for first years to have more than one of those classes.
I wish the U. would move more towards the hybrid classes, which many college and universities have done. It makes much better use of class time. Instead, it seems the U. is handling the large lectures the same way they did when I was in those classes 35 years ago.
Many of the politics classes are in smaller rooms (such as 150 capacity), but it was hard for my son to register for them. If you look at student ratings of profs, the politics and history departments had some of the highest ratings. There just weren’t enough politics professors or classes when he was there.