PROVIDENCE – Students across the nation had a lot to say about their college experience and The Princeton Review was listening.
The college ranking organization released its 27th annual top 20 list Tuesday. Sixty-two categories – from quality of life, to politics, religion and food – were covered and four Rhode Island-based colleges and universities, as well as two Bristol County Mass., schools, appeared in the rankings.
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The state’s flagship research institute, the University of Rhode Island, ranked No. 1 for least politically active students on the Election? What Election? list.
URI also appeared on three additional lists:
- No. 8 on the colleges with “Reefer Madness” ranking based on marijuana use on campus.
- No. 10 in the Party Schools ranking, which queried students about the use of alcohol and drugs, the number of hours spent studying outside class time as well as the popularity of fraternities and sororities.
- No. 13 on the Students Study the Least ranking measured by out-of-class hours spent on course work
Brown University came in at No. 3 in the LGTQ-Friendly list and appeared on 11 additional lists.
- No. 7 on the These Students Love Their Colleges list based on the statement: “I am satisfied with my school.”
- No. 10: Happiest Students; Least Religious Students; and Birkenstock-Wearing, Tree-Hugging, Clove-Smoking Vegetarians lists
- Brown ranked No. 13 on the Most Politically Active Students list
- No. 16 on the Students Study the Most ranking
- No. 17: Great Financial Aid and Most Liberal Students lists
- No. 18: Best College Theater and Professors Get High Marks rankings
- Quality of the Brown Daily Herald guided the school to No. 19 on the Best College Newspaper ranking
Bryant University was the fifth college listed on the Is It Food? ranking as students voted against the quality of food served. The Smithfield-based school appeared on two additional lists:
- No. 10 on the Students Study the Least ranking
- No. 13 on the Everyone Plays Intramural Sports list
Providence College, once again, topped the Little Race/Class Interaction and No. 10 on the LGBTQ-Unfriendly lists. The Catholic school appeared on 12 additional lists:
- No. 6 on the Is It Food? list
- No. 9 in the Students Pack the Stadiums ranking based on athletics game attendance
- No. 10: Everyone Plays Intramural Sports
- No. 12 on the Lots of Beer list
- No. 13 on the Is that a Dorm? ranking regarding satisfaction with student housing, Party Schools and Town-Gown Relations Are Strained
- No. 14: Best Athletic Facilities and Best College Radio Station lists
- No. 20: Lots of Greek Life, Lots of Hard Liquor and This is a Library? lists
Regarding the race/class interaction ranking, Providence College Director of Media Relations Madeline Parmenter said the school finds the Princeton Review report “somewhat suspect.”
For example, she added, PC “ranked 20th for Greek Life [in the latest findings].” Parmenter called that a “strange” outcome as the school’s campus is devoid of fraternities and sororities.
Stonehill College in Easton was ranked No. 20 on the Students Most Engaged in Community Service list.
Norton-based Wheaton College appeared at No. 13 on the Lots of Race/Class Interaction list.
The 2019 rankings were tallied from 138,000 student surveys on 384 college campuses. Full results can be read on The Princeton Review site.
Emily Gowdey-Backus is a staff writer for PBN. You can follow her on Twitter @FlashGowdey or contact her via email, gowdey-backus@pbn.com.
