Forbes has released its list of the best 385 colleges and universities across the country. Sixteen of those are in Virginia. From the Patch.com:
“We chose the 385 colleges for this edition as our ‘best’ overall, academically, based on data we gathered in 2018–19 from more than a thousand school administrators about their schools’ academic programs and offerings,” Robert Franek, Princeton Review’s editor-in-chief and the lead author of the book, said in a press release.
“We are well aware, however, that applicants need more than an academic assessment to choose the colleges best for them,” Franek said. “We created our dozens of ranking lists specifically to facilitate that search. We tally our lists using data we gather directly from our surveys of students attending these colleges. Our survey asks the students about their professors, administrators, school services, campus culture, and other facets of life at their schools.”
Virginia Schools ranked among the best:
- Randolph-Macon College, Ashland
- Ranked 14th in Is It Food?
- Ranked 17th in Best Career Services
- Virginia Tech, Blacksburg
- Ranked 5th in Best Campus Food
- Ranked 8th in Their Students Love These Colleges
- Ranked 10th in Best Quality of Life
- Ranked 14th in Happiest Students
- University of Virginia, Charlottesville
- Ranked 19th in Best College Library
- Ranked 19th in Best College Newspaper
- Ranked 20th in Lots of Beer
- George Mason University, Fairfax
- Ranked 9th in Financial Aid Not So Great
- Ranked 11th in Least Happy Students
- Ranked 13th in Professors Get Low Marks
- Ranked 18th in Least Beautiful Campus
- Hampden-Sydney College, Hampden-Sydney
- Ranked 1st in Is It Food?
- Ranked 4th in Most Conservative Students
- Ranked 5th in Best College Library
- Ranked 13th in Most Politically Active Students
- Hampton University, Hampton
- No individual category rankings•
- James Madison University, Harrisonburg
- Ranked 8th in Best Campus Food
- • Randolph College, Lynchburg
- Ranked 14th in Nobody Plays Intramural Sports
- Ranked 18th in Most Accessible Professors•
- University of Lynchburg, Lynchburg
- Ranked 19th in Best-Run Colleges•
- Christopher Newport University, Newport News
- Ranked 12th in Most Engaged in Community Service
- Ranked 14th in Best College Dorms
- Ranked 16th in Best Quality of Life
- Ranked 16th in Happiest Students
- Ranked 17th in Most Beautiful Campus
- Ranked 18th in Best-Run Colleges
- Ranked 18th in Their Students Love These Colleges•
- Hollins University, Roanoke
- Ranked 2nd in There’s a Game?
- Ranked 4th in Most Politically Active Students
- Ranked 16th in Most Active Student Government
- Ranked 19th in Best College Theater
• University of Richmond, Richmond
- Ranked 2nd in Best Career Services
- Ranked 4th in Little Race/Class Interaction
- Ranked 5th in Best-Run Colleges
- Ranked 5th in Most Beautiful Campus
- Ranked 6th in Best Athletic Facilities
- Ranked 7th in Best Classroom Experience
- Ranked 9th in Happiest Students
- Ranked 10th in Best Quality of Life
- Ranked 12th in Best Campus Food
- Ranked 12th in Lots of Beer
- Ranked 14th in Best College Library
- Ranked 15th in Most Popular Study Abroad Program
- Ranked 16th in Their Students Love These Colleges
- Ranked 19th in Most Accessible Professors
- Ranked 19th in Professors Get High Marks
• Virginia Wesleyan University, Virginia Beach
- No individual category rankings
• College of William and Mary, Williamsburg
- Ranked 2nd in Lots of Race/Class Interaction
- Ranked 6th in Best College Library
- Ranked 6th in Happiest Students
- Ranked 6th in Their Students Love These Colleges
- Ranked 7th in Most Engaged in Community Service
- Ranked 8th in Best Science Lab Facilities
- Ranked 9th in Best Career Services
- Ranked 9th in Most Popular Study Abroad Program
- Ranked 12th in Best Quality of Life
- Ranked 15th in LGBTQ-Friendly
- Ranked 16th in Most Beautiful Campus
- Ranked 18th in Best College Theater
- University of Mary Washington, Fredericksburg
- No individual category rankings•
- Roanoke College, Salem
- No individual category rankings