Wooster earns Best 389 Colleges distinction from Princeton Review
The College of Wooster was selected again this year as one of the nation’s top schools by The Princeton Review in its guidebook, The Best 389 Colleges: 2024 Edition. The Princeton Review uses surveys of 165,000 students from across the country attending the 389 colleges to make their distinctions. Wooster was also selected for the “Best Value Colleges,” “Best Midwest,” and “Green Colleges” lists.
While the Best Colleges guidebook does not rank the schools 1-389, it includes several ranking lists of the top 25 colleges in specific categories based on students’ answers to several questions. The College Profile for Wooster and full list of rankings and lists for the College, including a No. 2 endorsement of Wooster’s faculty as “Most Accessible Professors,” is available in the on The Princeton Review guidebook website, and a full list of the categories for which the College was selected appears below. Wooster was recognized as the only private school in Ohio on the top 20 lists for Internships and Making an Impact.
- Most Accessible Professors – No. 2
- Best Classroom Experience – No. 19
- Lots of Race/Class Interaction – No. 17
- Best Science Lab Facilities – No. 8
- Most Liberal Students – No. 18
- Best College Library – No. 25
- Top 20 Best Schools for Internships (Private Schools) – 14
- Top 20 Best Schools for Making an Impact (Private Schools) – 11
According to the book’s editors at The Princeton Review, “mentoring is a huge focal point of Wooster’s academics and the ‘resources are endless’ for those looking to take advantage of things like ‘numerous opportunities for research and internships’”—a nod to Wooster’s emphasis in experiential learning. Students at Wooster surveyed noted the Independent Study program as the highlight of the undergraduate experience, saying the school “teaches research and how to apply skills learned to the outside world.” The publication added, “This ‘very open school’ challenges its students to succeed both in and out of the classroom, and ‘the staff pushes [the college] to change with the times in the classroom and around the campus.’”
The No. 2 ranking in accessibility for Wooster’s professors recognizes their commitment to student support and success, with one student saying the faculty-student relationship is “what makes Wooster such an incredible place. My professors, both past and present, know more than just my name.” Another added, “My success is a product of my professors’ enthusiasm toward their subject matter and our futures.” While students acknowledged the work may be “challenging,” they also noted that “plenty of help is available from professors, TAs, and peer tutoring.” The publication also stressed, “The institution is also aware of the effort that students must put in to have success and ‘is realistic in its expectations for students’ learning.’ As one student best sums it up, ‘Wooster is a community of learners working together to help one another reach their full potential and goals,’” quoting student comments.
Wooster’s “fantastic student body” was called the “life force of the school.” Students surveyed mentioned the range of people who make up the “unparalleled” community and emphasized that students are “very accepting of different personalities, beliefs, and ways of life.” Campus life is another important factor in Princeton Review’s assessment of a college, and students noted the variety of hot spots on campus for socializing and special events with comedians, speakers, and professional music artists. As noted above, Princeton Review’s editors recognized Wooster as No. 17 in their top 25 category, “Lots of Race/Class Interaction,” defined based on how strongly students agree or disagree with the statement “Different types of students (black/white, rich/poor) interact freely and easily.” The recognition acknowledges Wooster’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and shows how frequently diverse students with varying socioeconomic backgrounds engage with each other on campus. They also mentioned how students are involved in a variety of sports, clubs, music ensembles and groups, and other activities that suit their interests and find many ways to celebrate school pride and Scot spirit.
The Best 389 Colleges is one of more than 150 Princeton Review books in a line published by Penguin Random House. The annual book and its rankings have been featured on NBC’s TODAY more than two dozen times and referenced by many other media from NPR to The Wall Street Journal and The Chronicle of Higher Education. The Princeton Review is an education services company known for its tutoring, test-prep, admission services, books, and other learning resources. Headquartered in New York City, New York, it is not affiliated with Princeton University.
Posted in News on August 15, 2023.
