LEXINGTON, Ky.—The Princeton Review has once again included Transylvania University in a book featuring the top 15 percent of the nation’s colleges.
“The Best 384 Colleges: 2019 Edition,” which came out today, highlights Transylvania for its value, quality of education, location and how it prepares students for success after graduation.
“We picked the 384 ‘best’ colleges for our book primarily for their outstanding academics; we highly recommend each one,” said Robert Franek, The Princeton Review’s editor-in-chief and the book’s lead author. “However, we know applicants need far more than an academic rating or ranking to find the college that will be best for them.”
In the section on Transylvania, many students pointed out how well the university prepares them for postgraduate studies. In fact, graduates have a 96 percent acceptance rate to medical school and a 100 percent acceptance rate to law school.
In addition to the overall list of 384 schools, which is alphabetical as opposed to a ranking, the Princeton Review spotlights how colleges excel in specific areas.
Additionally, the university’s inclusion in this year’s Colleges That Pay You Back category showcases not only its affordability, but also career outcomes for graduates.
Transylvania is a top-20 school in the College City Gets High Marks category. Being in Lexington gives Transylvania students a variety of opportunities, including “widely available” internships, according to the Princeton Review. Students also noted the benefits of living so close to downtown, including “a ton of neat places within walking distance.” These include restaurants, retail outlets, parks and cultural offerings such as the Lexington Opera House.
The Princeton Review also ranks Transylvania as one of the Best Southeastern schools, and it is second in the nation for Lots of Greek Life, which measures the popularity of sororities and fraternities.
Students praised Transylvania’s professors, calling them brilliant, highly dedicated instructors who take an interest in their students’ lives. They also mentioned the rigorous classes that “require you to think deeply and critically.”
Other aspects of Transylvania’s liberal arts mission are to foster the development of the whole person and embrace diversity and inclusion. “The majority of students on campus are open-minded, creative people and incredibly accepting of others no matter their gender, race, sexual/gender orientation or socioeconomic status,” one student said. “They do not hesitate to band together to aid another student in need.”