Princeton Review again rates ISU among Best in the Midwest

For the fourth straight year, the Princeton Review has recognized Indiana State University as one of the best colleges and universities in the Midwest.

The education services company says Indiana State offers a “good education at a reasonable cost” and students can expect a “really special” experience.

A total of 161 institutions were designated by the Princeton Review for its 2008 list of the "Best Midwestern Colleges." The list covers a 10-state region that includes Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Assessments were based on academic excellence and student surveys.

The typical ISU student “works hard academically while maintaining a healthy social life,” and students like the university’s “small class size and amount of individual attention,” according to student surveys.

“Students and professors are closer to each other and interact more than they would at a larger school,” according to one student. Most agree that the “exceptional, down-to-earth, and approachable” professors “seem to really know what they are doing.”

Making the list for the fourth year in a row shows Indiana State has made substantial progress in its effort to become the best university of its kind in the Midwest, said C. Jack Maynard, ISU’s provost and vice president for academic affairs.

“What is especially gratifying about the Princeton Review rankings is that they are based largely on student surveys. Our students recognize that they are learning from some very knowledgeable faculty who care about them as individuals and want to help them succeed,” Maynard said.

The Princeton Review notes that more than half (56 percent) of all undergraduate students at Indiana State receive some form of financial assistance in order to make college more affordable.

Known for its test-prep courses, books, and college and graduate school admissions services, New York-based Princeton Review has been publishing its lists of top colleges and universities in various categories since 1992. It is not affiliated with Princeton University.

Contact: C. Jack Maynard, provost and vice president for academic affairs, Indiana State University, (812) 237-3709 or cmaynard@isugw.indstate.edu

Writer: Dave Taylor, media relations director, Indiana State University, (812) 237-3743 or dave.taylor@indstate.edu