Princeton Review Guidebook Rates University of Richmond High On Academics, Campus Life and Student Selectivity

August 26, 2003

The Princeton Review has included the University of Richmond in its 2004 edition of "The Best 351 Colleges." Richmond received four stars, the highest ranking possible, for academics, campus life and student selectivity.

The academics rating was based on such as factors as "how many hours students studied and the quality of students the school attracts," as well as "students' assessments of their professors' abilities and helpfulness," according to the editors.

Campus life measures "how happy students are with their lives outside the classroom" based on a survey rating "students' overall happiness, the beauty, safety and location of the campus, comfort of dorms, food quality and ease in dealing with the administration."

Student selectivity measures how competitive admission is at the school, determined by "class rank of entering freshmen, test scores and percentage of applicants accepted."

Although the review does not rank the 351 universities and colleges numerically, it has a section that ranks the top 20 schools in a number of categories ranging from "Best Overall Academic Experience for Undergraduates" to the top "Party Schools." In the new guide, the University of Richmond was rated no. 3 in the nation in "Quality of Student Life," no. 17 in "Schools Run like Butter" and no. 18 in "Professors Make Themselves Accessible."

The 351 colleges included represent "the cream of the crop -- comprising the top 10 percent of all colleges in the nation," according to the editors.

The Princeton Review selects colleges and universities for inclusion based on recommendations of independent educational consultants, research by its editors and student surveys.