Where does your college rank in the latest survey by The Princeton Review? If you're not yet a student, the information provided can help you narrow down your academic choices.

How Does Your School Rate?

This just in: The Princeton Review has announced the 368 Best Colleges just in time for the 2008-2009 academic year. Actually, the results were released on July 28th, but we didn’t have the time to share that information with you until now.

The Princeton Review, a New York-based education services company also known for its test-prep courses (and not related to Princeton University) compiled its annual list by surveying more than 120,000 students. The 80-question survey asks students about their school’s academics, administration, campus life, student body and themselves. The schools are not ranked 1 to 368 in any category.

The Top 368 Schools

“In our opinion, each school in this book is first-rate academically,” says Robert Franek, the author at The Princeton Review. “But their campus cultures and offerings differ greatly. Instead of ranking schools academically, 1 to 368, we tally ranking lists in 62 categories based on what students at the schools (their customers) report to us about them. We also compile rating scores in eight categories based on institutional data we collect. We believe college applicants need to know far more about schools than an academic ranking to identify which colleges may be best for them. It’s all about the fit.”

Top Rankings, By Category

If you want to know which school has the dorms that would be Loyola College in Maryland. Other categories of significance include:

• Best Career / Job Placement Services – Northeastern University (Boston)
• Best Classroom Experience – Stanford University
• Most Conservative Students – Texas A&M University (College Station)
• Most Liberal Students – Occidental College (Los Angeles)
• Most Politically Active Students – American University (DC)
• Top Party School – University of Florida (Gainesville)
• Top Stone-Cold Sober School – Brigham Young University
• Least Religious Students – Lewis & Clark College (OR)
• Race / Class Relations Friendliest – Pitzer College (CA)
• Most Diverse Student Body – City University of New York – Baruch College
• Best Financial Aid Package - Princeton University
• Best Athletic Facilities  – University of Maryland at College Park
• Everyone Plays Intramural Sports – University of Notre Dame
• Great College Town – DePaul University (Chicago)

You Can Participate Too

The 368 Best Colleges survey isn’t the only one conducted by The Princeton Review. College staff as well as former and current students can also participate in other surveys, lending a hand to one of the largest college survey organizers of its kind.

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Adv. – When you need money for college, a private student loan can help plug the financial gap.

Tags: Best Colleges, Princeton Review, student survey, universities

We’re Under Construction!

We are in the process of building an all-new website for your reading pleasure — SayCampusLife. Our goal is to bring to you timely information and helpful resources to strengthen your college experience. From college search to college planning and all the way through to campus life, SayCampusLife offers to you:

• Tips and advice for getting into the college of your choice.
• How to survive dorm living — is off-campus housing the better way to go?
• The top ranked academic schools — as well as the top party schools!
• NCAA sports — Football bowl season, Men’s and Women’s basketball — fencing, anyone?
• Paying for your education — student loans, scholarships and jobs you can do from your dorm room.
• Your personal health — taking care of your body; staying well.
• Thinking ahead — the top career choices and how to prepare your resume, cover letter, interviewing and more.
• Fun stuff for alumni — your endowment can impact the school of your choice for generations.
• Lot’s more!

SayCampusLife is brought to you by the bloggers behind SayEducate, Krayton M Davis and Matthew C. Keegan. We are looking forward to your participation so please register, snag a feed, and feel free to leave comments — we’ll have plenty to share in the weeks and months ahead.

Photo Credit: Mary E. Gober

Tags: basketball, college living, college sports, colleges, financial aid, football, Scholarships, Student Loans, universities