Princeton Review Reports Annual College Rankings Based on How 120,000 Students Rated Their Schools in 'Best 366 Colleges - 2008 Edition'

NEW YORK, Aug. 20  /PRNewswire/ -- According to a survey by The Princeton Review that asked 120,000 students at 366 top colleges to rate their schools in dozens of categories and report on their campus experiences, the most interesting profs are at Wellesley College (MA). The best campus food is at Virginia Tech (Blacksburg), while the best dorms are at Smith College (Northampton MA).  The students happiest with their financial aid attend Princeton University (NJ). The college at which students gave their career center the highest marks is the University of Texas at Austin.

The Princeton Review's ranking lists reporting the top 20 colleges in these and over 50 other categories appear in the 2008 edition of its college guidebook "Best 366 Colleges" (Random House / Princeton Review, $21.95), on sale tomorrow. Other list categories cover campus politics, race/class relations, social scene, gay community acceptance, sports interests, and town- gown relations. The book's ranking lists will also be posted on http://www.princetonreview.com/ after 5 pm EDT today.

"In our opinion, each school in this book is a 'best' when it comes to academics," says Robert Franek, the guide's author at The Princeton Review. "But as anyone visiting colleges can attest, their campus cultures and offerings differ greatly. We compile rankings in multiple categories to give college applicants and their parents -- particularly those who can't visit these schools -- a wide range of information to decide which of these academically outstanding colleges will be best for them. It's all about the fit."

  Other ranking lists in the book and #1 colleges on them are:
   Best Classroom Experience -- Reed College (Portland OR)
   Most Beautiful Campus -- Sweet Briar College (VA)
   Most Liberal Students -- Warren Wilson College (Asheville NC)
   Most Conservative Students -- Thomas Aquinas College (Santa Paula CA)
   Most Politically Active Students -- George Washington University (DC)
   Biggest Frat & Sorority Scene -- DePauw University (Greencastle IN)
   Top Party School -- West Virginia University (Morgantown)
   Top Stone-Cold Sober School -- Brigham Young University (Provo UT)
   Most Religious Students -- Brigham Young University (Provo UT)
   Race / Class Relations Friendliest -- Wesleyan College (Macon GA)
   Most Diverse Student Body -- Temple University (Philadelphia PA)
   Gay Community Most Accepted -- Macalester University (St. Paul MN)
   Everyone Plays Intramural Sports -- University of Notre Dame
    (South Bend IN)
   Students Pack the Stadium -- University of Maryland -- College Park



The Princeton Review survey asks students 80 questions about their school's academics, administration, campus life, student body, and themselves. Tallies for this edition's rankings are based on surveys of 120,000 students (about 325 per campus) at the 366 schools in the book (not at all schools nationwide) during the 2006-07 and / or previous two school years. Ninety percent were completed online at http://survey.review.com/. Ten percent were paper surveys conducted on campuses. The schools in the book are not ranked academically nor are they ranked 1 to 366 in any category.

"Best 366 Colleges" is one of 200 Princeton Review books published by Random House. Eight schools were added to the 2008 edition.  In addition to its profiles on the schools and ranking lists, the book has a new section with lists of "Great Colleges for 15 of the Most Popular College Majors." The book was first published in 1992. No school has ever paid a fee to be in it.

The Princeton Review is a New York City-based company known for its test- prep courses, education services, and books. It is not affiliated with Princeton University and not a magazine. 

The Princeton Review