July 30, 2008
St. John’s University is once again one of the nation’s best
institutions for undergraduate education, according to The Princeton
Review. The New York-based education services company
known for its test-prep courses features the college in the
just-published 2009 edition of its annual book, "The Best 368
Colleges" (Random House / Princeton Review, July 29, 2008).
Only about 15% of America’s 2,500 four-year colleges and two
Canadian colleges are in the book, which features two-page profiles
of the schools and student survey-based ranking lists of top 20
colleges in more than 60 categories.
Says Robert Franek, Princeton Review's V.P., Publishing, "We
chose schools for this book primarily for their outstanding
academics. We evaluated them based on institutional data we
collect about the schools, feedback from students attending them,
and our visits to schools over the years. We also consider
the opinions of independent college counselors, students, and
parents we hear from year-long. Finally, we work to have a
wide representation of colleges in the book by region, size,
selectivity and character."
In its profile on St. John’s University, The Princeton Review
report, which includes candid comments from students surveyed,
states, “The school’s administration is committed to constantly
updating the university’s facilities” and “recent improvements
include a state-of-the-art athletic training facility and revamped
cafeterias, as well as a $20 million upgrade to science facilities.
In addition, the school distributes brand-new laptops to all
incoming students and has done a tremendous job of implementing
technology throughout the campus.”
St. John’s University is highlighted on the 2009 ranking list as
#17 in diversity. Candid comments by students on this topic
include that since St. John’s is “located in Queens, the most
diverse place on Earth, its no surprise
that St. John’s itself is “very, very diverse,” adding that
“everyone gets along exceptionally well.” Students also
acknowledged an “amazing effort” by the University to enhance
campus life, and summed up the University as “a quality private
education.”
The ranking lists in "The Best 368 Colleges" are based on The
Princeton Review's survey of 120,000 students (about 325 per campus
on average) attending the 368 colleges in the book. A
college's appearance on these lists is attributable to a high
consensus among its surveyed students about the subject. The
80-question survey asked students to rate their schools on several
topics and report on their campus experiences at them.
Ranking lists report the top 20 schools in categories that range
from best professors, administration, and campus food to lists
based on student body political leanings, race/class relations,
sports interests, and other aspects of campus life. The
Princeton Review does not rank the colleges in the book 1 to 368 in
any category, nor do the rankings reflect The Princeton Review's
opinion of the schools.
In a "Survey Says. . ." sidebar, The Princeton Review lists
topics that St. John’s students surveyed for the book were in most
agreement about. The list includes: "great computer
facilities," "diverse student types on campus," and "athletic
facilities are great."
"The Best 368 Colleges" is one of nearly 200 Princeton Review
books published by Random House. Over the years, various
ranking lists in the book have been favorably referenced by
President Bill Clinton, Vice President Dick Cheney, and Secretary
of Education Margaret Spellings (among others), and praised by USA
Today as "a public service." The Princeton Review also
designated 630 colleges and universities (including those in “The
Best 368 Colleges”) for its website feature 2009 Best Colleges
Region by Region (Northeast / Midwest / Southeast /
West). The company’s book line also includes "The
Best Northeastern Colleges" and "The Complete Book of Colleges,"
the 2009 editions of which will be published August 5, 2008.
The Princeton Review
is a New York-based company known for its test preparation,
education, and college admission services. It is not
affiliated with Princeton University and it is not a magazine.
For more information about St. John’s University, contact
Dominic Scianna, Assistant Vice President for Media Relations at
(718) 990-6185, or by e-mail to sciannad@stjohns.edu.
The Media Contact for Princeton Review Books is Jeanne Krier,
212-539-1350, or Jeanne@Jeannekrier.com