Puget Sound Ranks High Among National Colleges and Universities
September 1, 2006

Tacoma, Wash. - University of Puget Sound has been ranked as one of the nation’s top undergraduate institutions for everything from accessible professors to one of the best campuses for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) students by some of the country’s most respected reviewers. 

The Princeton Review features Puget Sound in the 2007 edition of its annual book, "The Best 361 Colleges."  Only about 15 percent of the four-year colleges in America and two Canadian colleges made it on the list.  Student survey-based rankings list the top 20 schools in more than 60 categories, and each school is featured in a two-page profile. 

In its profile on Puget Sound, a student describes the school, saying “We are a very student-centered school,” which means that teaching is top priority for the highly qualified faculty. Not only are professors “intelligent, well-versed, [and] articulate,” they’re also concerned about the well-being of their students.”
 Out of 100 points, University of Puget Sound received a score of 89 points for quality of life and a score of 92 points for academics.

Among the 361 best colleges featured in the publication, University of Puget Sound also received recognition for its campus radio station, "KUPS…The Sound."  This year’s it is ranked as the 11th best college radio station, a move up from last year's rank.  The school was also listed among the top 20 colleges whose professors make themselves most available. 

Ranking lists in The Best 361 Colleges are based on The Princeton Review's survey of 115,000 students (about 300 per campus on average) attending the 361 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,  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, interest in sports, and other aspects of campus life.  The Princeton Review does not rank the colleges in the book from 1 to 361 in any single category.

Another popular guide, the 2007 edition of the U.S. News World Report’'s America’s Best Colleges, University of Puget Sound placed 85 out of the 111 Best Liberal Arts colleges in the nation.

And in another tribute to it's inclusive campus environment, Puget Sound was recently recognized as one of the "20 Best Campuses for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) students" in the nation, according to a new guide released by Campus PrideNet and endorsed by The Advocate magazine. As a result, the university will be featured in The Advocate College Guide for LGBT Students, the first comprehensive campus guide to highlight the 100 most LGBT-friendly campuses in the United States. Puget Sound was the only university in Washington state to make PrideNet’s top 20 ranking.

The Princeton Review’s  "The Best 361 Colleges" is currently available for purchase.  For more information, go to www.review.com. More information on The U.S. News World Report’s America’s Best Colleges is also available on their Web site, www.usnews.com. The Advocate College Guide for LGBT students was released August 1, 2006 and profiles 100 colleges and universities from across the country that offer resources and create a positive living and learning environment for LGBT students. For more information about Campus PrideNet or to order a copy, visit www.campuspride.net.

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