The Princeton Review has released its 2027 Best 392 Colleges and, for the 35th straight year, Alfred University appears on the list. Alfred University has been honored by the Princeton Review each year since the publication released its first Best Colleges list in 1992.
The Princeton Review publishes the Best Colleges list each year, using data gleaned from surveys of students at more than 2,000 colleges and universities nationwide. School selected for the list represent just 14 percent of all four-year colleges and universities in the country. In addition to being selected for the Best 392 Colleges list, Alfred University also appears in the regional list for best colleges in the Northeast. The publication does not rank the schools in the book overall, 1 to 392, hierarchically or in a single list category.
Princeton Review 2027 Best 392 Colleges
The publication selects honored institutions based on student survey responses to 98 questions in four categories: their school’s academics/administration; quality of life; their fellow students; and themselves. The rankings reflect institutions’ academics, admissions, tuition and financial aid, campus life, and job placement/careers.
In addition to using hard data to formulate its list, the Princeton Review considers testimonials from students. In the report’s profile on Alfred one student noted that, “Flexibility is paramount to an Alfred University education.”
While known for its “excellent art program”—especially ceramics and glass—students surveyed confirm that it’s “easy to take subjects outside your major,” and they value the number of “other majors versus a traditional art [school] setting” that are available. As one art student attests, “If I had decided to change majors, Alfred has almost every opportunity.”
With fewer than 2,000 undergraduates, students find “the classroom size is perfect for a more personalized education.” As one student says, “It is the closest to one-on-one teaching you can get.” Students have access to built-in funding for real-world experiences via the university’s Applied and Experiential Learning Program (APEX). For those who do conduct their own research or experiments, professors are “always willing to put time into student independent projects.”
Classes at Alfred are headed by “outstanding, talented, dedicated” professors who “are always pushing you to reach your full potential” and they “bring a level of vibrancy and academic encouragement through enthusiasm to the classroom.”
With regard to campus life, surveyed students cited the many clubs and activities available to them, as well as long-standing traditions like the annual Hot Dog Day celebration. School spirit is strong, with students donning purple and gold for Saxon Fridays, and “every sports team is supported, and superfans are at every event.” Part of the reason for this strong “sense of community” is the school’s “somewhat rural location” in the southern tier of New York, where the “beautiful” campus hums with activities.
Students say “there are so many clubs and options that you can find something to do” regardless of the day of week. This includes the “strong equestrian program,” as well as “student club productions...and fundraisers and an excellent selection of movies shown on campus.” As far as infrastructure goes, “the facilities are amazing.”
