21 Virginia, DC Colleges Named Among 384 Best By Princeton Review

RICHMOND, MD — The Princeton Review has named 16 colleges in Virginia and five colleges in Washington, D.C., among the top 384 in America. Nearly all of those schools appear on various “Best Of” — and “Worst Of” — lists, and you might be surprised where some of our colleges land. The tutoring, test prep, and college admission services company surveyed 138,000 students at the schools and asked them to rate the institutions on dozens of topics.

Some colleges found themselves high on lists that are not so flattering. For example: Catholic University of America in DC places 19th in the nation on the list entitled: "Is It Food?" and the University of Richmond ranks 13th for "Lots of Beer." On the upside: American University in DC finished tops in America on the list entitled: "Most Politically Active Students" and College of William and Mary was No. 1 for "Happiest Students."

Although the company did not rank the top 384 colleges — the list is in alphabetical order — it did rank them for numerous category lists, including best college theater, best science lab facilities, best party schools, most beautiful campus and even something as silly as “nobody plays intramural sports.”

Here’s a breakdown of the best colleges in Virginia — all ranked among top 384 – as well as their rankings in the various categories:

• Virginia Tech, Blacksburg
  • Ranked 2nd in Town-Gown Relations are Great
  • Ranked 3rd in Best Campus Food
  • Ranked 3rd in Their Students Love These Colleges
  • Ranked 7th in Best Quality of Life
  • Ranked 14th in Happiest Students
• University of Virginia, Charlottesville
  • Ranked 18th in Best College Newspaper
• George Mason University, Fairfax
  • Ranked 8th in Financial Aid Not So Great
  • Ranked 15th in Least Beautiful Campus
  • Ranked 19th in Professors Get Low Marks
  • Ranked 20th in Least Happy Students
• Hampden-Sydney College, Hampden-Sydney
  • Ranked 2nd in Is It Food?
  • Ranked 5th in Most Conservative Students
  • Ranked 18th in Best College Library
• Hampton University, Hampton
  • Ranked 5th in Least Accessible Professors
  • Ranked 6th in Is That a Dorm?
  • Ranked 17th in Administrators Get Low Marks
  • Ranked 17th in College City Gets Low Marks
  • Ranked 17th in Town-Gown Relations are Strained
  • James Madison University, Harrisonburg
  • No individual category rankings
  • Randolph College, Lynchburg
  • Ranked 8th in Nobody Plays Intramural Sports
  • Ranked 18th in Most Accessible Professors
  • University of Lynchburg, Lynchburg
  • Ranked 12th in Best-Run Colleges
  • Christopher Newport University, Newport News
  • Ranked 17th in Most Beautiful Campus

  • Hollins University, Roanoke

• Ranked 5th in Most Politically Active Students
• Ranked 10th in Best College Theater
• Ranked 10th in There’s a Game?
• Ranked 13th in Most Active Student Government

• University of Richmond, Richmond

• Ranked 3rd in Best-Run Colleges
• Ranked 4th in Best Career Services
• Ranked 5th in Best Classroom Experience
• Ranked 8th in Most Beautiful Campus
• Ranked 9th in Little Race/Class Interaction
• Ranked 10th in Best Athletic Facilities
• Ranked 10th in Best Quality of Life
• Ranked 11th in Best College Library
• Ranked 11th in Lots of Greek Life
• Ranked 12th in Most Popular Study Abroad Program
• Ranked 13th in Best Health Services
• Ranked 13th in Lots of Beer
• Ranked 16th in Best Campus Food

• Virginia Wesleyan University, Virginia Beach

• Ranked 15th in Is That a Dorm?

• Ranked 1st in Happiest Students
• Ranked 2nd in Lots of Race/Class Interaction
• Ranked 2nd in Their Students Love These Colleges
• Ranked 5th in Most Beautiful Campus
• Ranked 6th in Most Popular Study Abroad Program
• Ranked 7th in Most Engaged in Community Service
• Ranked 8th in Best Quality of Life
• Ranked 13th in Best College Library
• Ranked 13th in Best Science Lab Facilities
• Ranked 13th in LGBTQ-Friendly
• Ranked 19th in Best Career Services
• Ranked 20th in Best College Theater

• No individual category rankings

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Here’s a breakdown of the best colleges in DC and their rankings in the various categories:

• American University
  • Ranked 1st in Most Politically Active Students
  • Ranked 2nd in Most Active Student Government
  • Ranked 3rd in Nobody Plays Intramural Sports
  • Ranked 6th in College City Gets High Marks
  • Ranked 11th in Financial Aid Not So Great
• Catholic University of America
  • Ranked 9th in Most Religious Students
  • Ranked 14th in Most Engaged in Community Service
  • Ranked 19th in Is It Food?
• George Washington University
  • No individual category rankings
• Georgetown University
  • No individual category rankings
• Howard University
  • Ranked 10th in Least Accessible Professors

Robert Franek, editor in chief at The Princeton Review and the book's lead author, said in a release that the 384 “best” colleges were primarily based on their “outstanding academics” and that the authors “highly recommend each one.” But Franek noted stellar academics aren’t the only things students — and parents — look for in a college.

“We created our 62 ranking lists to help narrow that search,” he said. “They are based entirely on data we gather beyond academics that give insight into what the schools' enrolled students say about their professors, administrators, school services, campus culture, and student life. In the end, it's all about the fit.”

Among the key findings: Bentley University had the most highly-rated career center and Vanderbilt University in Tennessee topped the "Great Financial Aid" list. Reed College in Oregon — where most class sections contain just two to nine students — ranked No. 1on the list, "Professors Get High Marks," based on how students rated their faculty specifically in their roles as teachers.

Here are the top performers in some of the other categories:

• "Most Accessible Professors" — United States Military Academy (New York)
• "Best College Dorms"— Washington University in St. Louis
• "Best Campus Food" — University of Massachusetts-Amherst
• "Best Health Services" — University of Wisconsin-Madison
• "Most Beautiful Campus"— Bucknell University (Pennsylvania)
• "Best Athletic Facilities" — The University of Alabama-Tuscaloosa
• "Happiest Students" — College of William & Mary (Virginia)
• "Most Politically Active Students" — American University (Washington D.C.)
• "LGBTQ-Friendly" — Emerson College (Massachussetts)
• "Party Schools" — University of Delaware
• Stone-Cold Sober Schools" — Brigham Young University (Utah)
• "Students Pack the Stadiums" — Syracuse University (New York)
• "College City Gets High Marks" — Tulane University (Louisiana)
• "Their Students Love These Colleges" — Clemson University (South Carolina)

The 84-question survey asks students about their school's academics, administration, student body and themselves. You can read more about the ranking methodology here.

Patch national reporter Dan Hampton contributed to this article.

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