Newswise — Olin College has been named by The Princeton Review as one of the nation’s top colleges, and recognized among the top institutions in academic rigor and student satisfaction.

The results were published today in the 2019 edition of The Princeton Review’s popular college guide, The Best 384 Colleges.

In the guide’s ranking lists, which were based on surveys of students from across the country, Olin stood out for the quality of its faculty and classroom experience, and garnered top rankings in two areas often seen at odds: “Students Study the Most” and “Happiest Students.” Olin is the only technically oriented institution on both lists.

“This recognition illustrates Olin’s unique learning culture in which students work hard and enjoy what they are doing,” said Olin College President Richard K. Miller. “It shows that a rigorous academic program is not incompatible with a definition of the student experience that places a high priority on student well being and the joy of learning, even at a highly technical school such as Olin.”

In all, Olin placed in the top 20 rankings in 10 categories:

#3 Professors Get High Marks        

#6 Students Study the Most

#7 Best College Dorms        

#9 Best Classroom Experience       

#9 There’s a Game?  

#10 LGBTQ-Friendly 

#11 Happiest Students        

#15 Best Quality of Life       

#16 Their Students Love These Colleges   

#18 Lots of Race/Class Interaction

Drawing on the student surveys, the guide’s profile notes that upon graduation, Olin students  emerge  as  engineers  with  “fantastic and  practical  technical  skill sets”  that  they  are  “able  to  wield  in  a  variety  of  settings.” The profile calls Olin’s professors “extremely dedicated” and “interested  in  how  their  teaching  works,” even as they seek  “constant improvement in the curriculum and learning styles.”

The students also come in for recognition as  an  “incredibly  intelligent  and  very  motivated”  group  of  individuals  who are  “not  your  typical  engineer.”

Olin has also been named to several other Princeton Review lists this year, including one of the Best Northeastern Colleges, Colleges That Pay You Back and #5 in Best Schools for Internships. 

One of The Princeton Review’s most popular guides, The Best 384 Colleges rankings are based on surveys of 138,000 students at 384 top colleges that includes a wide representation by region, size, selectivity and character.