SDSU on Princeton Reviews List of Best Colleges
SDSU was featured in the publications annual listing of top colleges.
“The Best 382 Colleges” listings, which are published in the 2018 edition of the Princeton Review’s college guide, are based on surveys of 137,000 students attending 2,500 four-year colleges across the nation and two colleges outside the United States. Only about 15 percent of America’s four-year higher education institutions made the cut.
"This recognition speaks to the quality of the educational programs offered at SDSU,” said SDSU President Sally Roush. “The dedicated efforts of our faculty and staff create the foundation that students need to achieve academic, personal and professional success.”
Based on student feedback
The Princeton Review’s flagship college guide does not rank colleges 1 to 382, but rather highlights the top schools in alphabetical order. Published annually since 1992, the guide includes detailed profiles of the universities with ratings in eight categories, including academics, financial aid and education programs.SDSU’s two-page profile within the college guide notes the university’s impressive continuation rates and increasing graduation rates. Ninety percent of SDSU's freshmen students continue on to their sophomore year. Approximately 74 percent of first-time freshmen graduate in six years or less.
The Princeton Review’s college guide also features top 20 rankings in 62 categories. The lists are based on an 80-question survey that asked students to rate their schools on several topics, ranging from classroom experience and extracurricular activities to quality of life and social scene.
"We chose San Diego State University for this book because it offers outstanding academics,” said Robert Franek, Princeton Review's editor-in-chief and author of ‘The Best 382 Colleges.’ "Our selections are primarily based on our surveys of administrators at several hundred four-year colleges. Most importantly, we look at valuable feedback we get from students at each school."
The Princeton Review’s detailed methodology can be accessed here.
Outstanding programming
SDSU has been receiving increased recognition for its outstanding programs. In the past year, the university was recognized as a top school for study abroad, military-affiliated students and LGBT programming. Since 2011, the university has also climbed 37 spots to No. 146 among national universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report ranking of America’s Best Colleges.SDSU’s incoming freshman class is the most diverse and highest-achieving cohort in university history. The average high school GPA is 3.74 and the university is awarding a record number of SDSU Merit Scholarships to local students.
The university also just completed its first comprehensive fundraising campaign, which exceeded its $750 million goal by raising a total of $815.2 million, ensuring future support for scholarships, programs, and faculty and staff.
