Shimer attracts a wide variety of students and encourages a respect for differences and the values of tolerance and personal responsibility. Shimer students tend to be individualistic, creative thinkers, and many have not found personal satisfaction in more conventional educational settings. Because they read original sources—works often thought to be too difficult for the undergraduate—Shimer students learn that no material is too complex, no subject is too arcane to be approached and mastered.

Says a graduating senior: "I have gained as a writer and I have gained knowledge about things I never dreamed of knowing. My analytical skills, my comprehension, my communicative skills, my creativity, my ability to co-inquire with dignity and grace, all of these things have improved at Shimer."