SUU is “Best in the West”

Published: July 28, 2009 | Read Time: 3 minutes

The Western United States is home to more than 350 colleges and universities for students to choose from; with so many options, the possibilities may seem daunting. 

Yet Southern Utah University has once again managed to stand out from the multitude, and for the sixth consecutive year, SUU is proud to be recognized by The Princeton Review for its high quality academics. 

This time, the education services company selected SUU as one of 123 western institutions it recommends on its 2010 Best Colleges: Region by Region listing posted July 27, 2009. 

The 2010 Best Colleges listings is a culmination of student surveys, campus visits, national and institutional data, and expert recommendations from high school-based college advisors. As one of the most comprehensive institutional ratings systems, based upon real-world experience in addition to statistical comparison, an appointment as one of the “Best in the West” from The Princeton Review is certainly an accomplishment of merit. 

According to The Princeton Review, “Our goal is simple: to identify some of the colleges and universities that we feel stand out within each region.” 

In SUU’s profile, The Princeton Review describes the personalized educational experience afforded every student at SUU, explaining “We’re told that professors demonstrate ‘passion for the subjects they teach, but are more concerned about the student and his or her potential than the subject and thus will do everything possible to ensure’ student success.” 

The University’s campus life and facilities also received very high marks, with a 97 rating on a scoring scale of 60 to 99 for quality of life. Says one student included in the rankings survey, “Whatever your interests, the small student body … makes it easy to make friends.” Students specifically mentioned the wide variety of campus clubs and activities, ideal location for outdoor recreation and small town fun when surveyed about campus life at SUU. 

According to SUU President Michael Benson, “at all levels, our faculty and staff work diligently to ensure student success. Beyond that, we strive to give students the opportunity and support to shape their SUU experience into something personal, meaningful and life changing.” 

Of this most recent accolade, Benson continues, “That our efforts are once again garnering recognition by a well-respected and widely-circulated publication like The Princeton Review is both gratifying and inspirational. We will continue to put our energy, resources and most importantly, our hearts, into providing every student ample opportunity for success and satisfaction both inside the classroom and across our campus.” 

Of The Princeton Review's selection process, Vice President of Publishing Robert Franek states, "We chose Southern Utah University and the other terrific schools we recommend as our 'regional best' colleges primarily for their excellent academic programs. We also work to have our roster of 'regional best' colleges feature a range of institutions by size, selectivity, character and locale." 

The 123 colleges The Princeton Review chose for this year’s "Best in the West" designations are located in fifteen states: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming, The Princeton Review also designated 218 colleges in the Northeast, 141 in the Southeast, and 158 in the Midwest as best in their locales on the company’s 2010 Best Colleges: Region by Region section on its site. The 640 colleges named "regional best(s)" represent only about 25 percent (one out of four) of the nation's 2,500 four-year colleges. 

The Princeton Review does not rank the colleges in its 2010 Best Colleges Region by Region website section. The Princeton Review survey for this project asks students to rate their own schools on several issues -- from the accessibility of their professors to quality of the campus food -- and answer questions about themselves, their fellow students, and their campus life. Actual comments from surveyed students pepper each Princeton Review college profile on its site. 

Additional information about The Princeton Review’s rating of SUU can be found at www.PrincetonReview.com.

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