University of Arkansas Named to 'Best Colleges' Guide

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The University of Arkansas is the only public university in Arkansas to be included in the annual Princeton Review guide to higher education, the 2011 edition of The Best 373 Colleges. It is also ranked as one of the top 50 ”Best Value Public Institutions,” and one of the top 133 colleges and universities in the Southeast.

Only about 15 percent of all four-year higher education institutions in the United States are chosen to be profiled in the Princeton Review.

“It’s always a pleasure to be recognized in a consumer guide like the Princeton Review,” said Chancellor G. David Gearhart. “I’m happy to see that we are being recognized for our students, our academics and the environment here on campus – as well as for the value that we provide for our students.”

The Princeton Review guide offers two-page profiles of each of the 373 institutions listed. The profiles are a mixture of ratings and assessments researched and prepared by the publication; recruiting material from the institution; and a description of the campus environment, prepared from comments by students. The University of Arkansas received high scores in “quality of life” and a “green” rating, related to sustainability efforts. Other ratings were in the mid-range of the survey. Student comments were generally positive, such as these about academics:

“The University of Arkansas is affordable, ‘student-centered,’ and large but not gargantuan…. ‘The facilities are exceptional’ and otherwise ‘state-of-the-art.’ More than 100 undergraduate majors and programs are available. The Sam Walton College of Business is awash in cash and ‘one of the strongest assets.’ Engineering majors can participate in cutting-edge research. Agricultural programs are strong and diverse. The honors college is ‘wonderful.’ Also, some 25 percent of all Arkansas students study abroad.”

The Best 373 Colleges is intended as a tool to help high school students decide where they want to apply to college, according to the guide. The full Princeton Review survey can be found on its website.