Campus News

Westminster Makes Princeton Review 'Best 361 Colleges' in Nation for 2007

August 21, 2006

Westminster is One of Only Two Schools to Be Added to the List in the Country

SALT LAKE CITY  - The Princeton Review has added Westminster College to its list of “The 361 Best Colleges” in the country. According to the book’s author Robert Franek, Westminster one of only two schools in the nation to be added this year. “Two new schools have been selected to receive our Best College distinction; two schools were removed from the book. These additional schools give students a wider breadth of excellent schools to consider,” said Franek.

This prestigious national ranking puts Westminster among only 15% of four-year colleges in America who are deemed to have the best academics by the Princeton Review. Commenting on the selection process for including Westminster in this guide, Franek 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 and survey year-long.”

In its profile on Westminster, The Princeton Review describes the school as deeply “rooted in personal interaction and discussion." The profile also quotes extensively from Westminster students who The Princeton Review surveyed for the book. Among their candid comments on the college: "I like the emphasis on learning to think through concepts and ideas myself rather than simply accepting someone else’s perspective. My ideas and opinions have been challenged.” Others students noted the personal relationships they can form with faculty, and a location that enables students to easily access outdoor recreation, cultural events, and the eclectic Sugar House neighborhood.

Westminster President Michael Bassis remarked, “As Utah’s only private, comprehensive liberal arts college, we are pleased to be recognized as one of the best by the Princeton Review this year. Westminster works hard to provide a supportive yet challenging educational environment for our students and it is gratifying to see our commitment reflected in this college guide book.”


Joining Westminster in the “Best 361 Colleges,” Brigham Young Univeristy was ranked as both the #1 school for “Top Stone-Cold Sober” school and for “Most Religious Students.”

The ranking lists in the 2007 edition of "The Best 361 Colleges" are based on The Princeton Review's survey of 115,000 students (about 300 per campus on average) attending the 361 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 361 Colleges" (Random House / Princeton Review, $21.95), will go on sale tomorrow. The book's complete ranking lists will also be posted on their website at www.PrincetonReview.com this Tues., Aug. 22.