Elon is named a best-run college and one of the nation's top universities for overseas study and college theater in the 2015 edition of the Princeton Review college guide.
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Elon University has earned top marks in three categories in the 2015 edition of The Princeton Review’s “The Best 379 Colleges” guidebook. Elon is #1 on the list of the nation’s “best-run colleges,” with a #9-ranked study abroad program and a #13-ranked college theater program.
Elon students told The Princeton Review that the essence of the university is about “big-school opportunities with a small-school community.”
“The Best 379 Colleges” is one of the top-selling college guides, profiling only about 15 percent of the nation’s four-year colleges that are the best for undergraduate education. The guide includes ranking lists of top-20 schools in 62 categories.
The lists are entirely based on The Princeton Review’s survey of 130,000 students (about 343 per campus on average) attending the colleges in the book and not on The Princeton Review’s opinion of the schools. The 80-question survey asks students to rate their own schools on several topics and report on their campus experiences at them.
Elon students praised the university for “the hard work that Elon puts into giving its students a hands-on, experiential learning environment.” They praised their professors as “personable,” “engaging” and “enthusiastic about their fields and helping students.”
Students described their peers as “highly motivated,” “driven” and “engaged” who are “passionate about their studies” and “take their schooling seriously.” They also lauded the campus culture. “Students fit in by getting involved,” said one student. “Whether it’s Greek life, sports, or clubs, I think there is something for everyone.”
“I felt an instant comfort when I stepped on campus,” said another student. “At other schools I really felt like a visitor, but at Elon I felt like I belonged there.”
In its “Inside Word” feature, the Princeton Review writes that securing admittance to Elon “has become an increasingly challenging feat” and that “candidates must have gone beyond the basic college prep classes offered.” The Princeton Review notes that Elon’s admission officers seek students with leadership savvy.
This is the 12th year in a row that Elon has appeared in the Princeton Review’s “Best Colleges” guide.
The Princeton Review’s “Best-Run Colleges” list includes the following:
1. Elon University
2. Claremont McKenna College
3. U.S. Coast Guard Academy
4. Pomona College
5. Bowdoin College
6. U.S. Naval Academy
7. Wheaton College
8. Stanford University
9. Brigham Young University
10. Washington University in St. Louis
11. Princeton University
12. United States Military Academy
13. University of Scranton
14. Kansas State University
15. Rice University
16. Centre College
17. Yale University
18. Vanderbilt University
19. College of the Ozarks
20. Pennsylvania State University – University Park
The Princeton Review has posted the school profiles and ranking lists in “The Best 379 Colleges” at PrincetonReview.com. The Princeton Review is an education services company known for its test-prep courses, tutoring, books, and other student resources. Headquartered in Natick, Massachusetts, the company is not affiliated with Princeton University.