Campus News

Westminster Makes Princeton Review 'Best 366 Colleges' in Nation for 2008

U of Utah and BYU Also Make The List 


August 20, 2007

Westminster College has once again been included in the Princeton Review’s annual guide, “The 366 Best Colleges” in the country. This prestigious national ranking puts Westminster among only 15% of four-year colleges in America and Canada who are deemed to have the best academics by the Princeton Review.

Commenting on the selection process for including Westminster in this guide, Robert Franek, Princeton Review’s V.P. Publishing, remarked, “We chose schools for this book primarily for their outstanding academics. We evaluated them based on institutional data we collect about the schools, feedback from students attending them and our visits to schools over the years. We also consider the opinions of independent college counselors, students and parents we hear from year-long.”

In its profile on Westminster, The Princeton Review describes the college as having “some of the coolest programs anywhere”, specifically noting Westminster’s May Term classes, the Winter at Westminster program, and its strong programs in nursing, business and education. The profile also quotes extensively from Westminster students who The Princeton Review surveyed for the book. Students remarked on Westminster’s “easily accessible” professors who facilitate “fun and interactive discussions,” and also on the plentiful opportunities to participate in learning experiences outside the classroom. “Many people are involved with extracurricular activities” and “leadership opportunities are abundant,” they said.

Westminster President Michael Bassis remarked, “We believe Westminster truly offers a unique environment for learning. It is gratifying to see that our own students recognize the characteristics that distinguish our college from others, including our engaged and innovative learning designs, our close-knit campus community and vibrant location, all of which contribute to our track record, both for the college, and more importantly, for our students.

Joining Westminster in the “Best 366 Colleges,” Brigham Young University was ranked as both the #1 school for “Top Stone-Cold Sober” school and for “Student’s Pray on a Regular Basis.” The University of Utah was also included in the “Best 366 Colleges” rankings.

The ranking lists in the 2008 edition of "The Best 366 Colleges" are based on The Princeton Review's survey of 120,000 students (about 325 per campus on average) attending the 366 colleges in the book. A college's appearance on these lists is attributable to a high consensus among its surveyed students about the subject. The 80-question survey asked students to rate their schools on several topics and report on their campus experiences at them.

The Princeton Review book "Best 366 Colleges" (Random House / Princeton Review, $21.95), will go on sale tomorrow. The book's complete ranking lists are also be posted on their website at www.PrincetonReview.com .

Westminster is a nationally recognized, comprehensive liberal arts college distinguished by its unique environment for learning. With a broad array of graduate and undergraduate programs, Westminster prepares students for success with its emphasis on engaged learning, real world experiences and its vibrant campus community. These are further enriched by the opportunities presented by Westminster’s unique location, adjacent to the Rocky Mountains and to the dynamic city of Salt Lake. For more information visit www.westminstercollege.edu .