UL on vaunted Princeton Review list again

Tina Marie Macias. The Advertiser, August 22, 2012

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette is one of the nation’s best institutions for undergraduate education, according to the 2013 edition of The Princeton Review’s "The Best 377 Colleges."

Only about 15 percent of America’s 2,500 four-year colleges are profiled in the college guide. The book includes detailed school profiles with ratings based on surveys of 122,000 students who attend the 377 colleges cited.

"The interesting aspect of this analysis is that it comes from students," UL President Joe Savoie said. "It shows a high confidence in the quality of the educational programs that the students are receiving."

The Princeton Review noted that "tremendously generous grant and scholarship programs and out-of-state fee waivers make UL one of the best bargains in the country." In June, the U.S. Department of Education’s College Affordability and Transparency List ranked UL in the top 10 percent of the most affordable four-year public universities in the nation. That list also showed that UL is the most affordable university in Louisiana.

It’s not the first time the university is featured in a Princeton Review college guide. In 2012, for example, UL Lafayette was featured in The Princeton Review’s "Best 376 Colleges."

"We are honored that The Princeton Review once again selected us from among so many universities," Ken Ardoin, vice president of university advancement, told The Associated Press. "In addition to UL’s excellent academic reputation, we feel that students who visit our campus immediately sense how much our students love being here, and that it truly feels like home."

"The Best 377 Colleges" profile notes that UL Lafayette’s programs in "education, computer science and engineering are ranked as some of the best in the nation." Also, it stated: "Seasoned and overwhelmingly helpful professors are friendly, fun, and honestly interested in having you learn."

The university’s nursing program also often ranks highly on lists, Savoie said, naming several reasons for its highly ranked programs.

"It’s the faculty. It’s the quality of the students," he said. "It’s the number of graduates that we produce. It’s their own evaluation of the quality of preparation that they feel they receive once they get out into the workforce."

The latest college guide included quotes by students who responded to the Princeton Review’s survey. Among UL students’ comments about their campus experience: "There is so much history and culture in Louisiana that, frankly, it’s hard to ever be bored or without something fun to do on any day of the week."

In a "Survey Says" sidebar, The Princeton Review provided common observations that survey respondents made about UL Lafayette. The list included: "students are friendly," "students love Lafayette, La.," and there are "diverse student types on campus."

"We commend UL Lafayette for its outstanding academics, which is the primary criteria for our selection of schools for the book," said Robert Franek, Princeton Review’s senior vice president.

Material from the Associated Press was used in this report.