Randolph College Named One of Nation's Best

LYNCHBURG – Randolph College is one of the nation’s best institutions for undergraduate education, according to The Princeton Review. Only about 15% of America’s 2,500 four-year colleges were included in the book.

Randolph College was one of 138 schools named a “Best Southeast College”by the Princeton Review. The college also ranked highly for its diverse student population and race/class interaction.

Students quoted in the guide said Randolph College “is all about traditions: of learning, of excellence, of experiences, and of fun” and touted the school’s close student/faculty relationships and challenging academic programs.

“In our opinion, each school in this book is first-rate academically,” said Robert Franek, The Princeton Review’s vice president of publishing. “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. Finally, we work to have a wide representation of colleges in the book by region, size, selectivity and character.”

The ranking lists in “The Best 368 Colleges” are based on The Princeton Review’s survey of 120,000 students (about 325 per campus on average). 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. Ranking lists report the top 20 schools in categories that range from best professors, administration, and campus food to lists based on student body political leanings, race/class relations, sports interests, and other aspects of campus life. Randolph earned a spot on several of these lists, including “lots of race/class interaction,” “diverse student population,” and “students happy with financial aid.”

The Princeton Review is a New York-based company known for its test preparation, education, and college admission services. It is not affiliated with Princeton University and does not print a magazine.

For more information, see www.PrincetonReview.com.