Princeton Review Names Olin One of Nation’s “Best 386 Colleges”

August 19, 2020

Olin College of Engineering is one of the nation's best institutions for undergraduates to earn their college degree, according to The Princeton Review.

The education services company profiles and recommends Olin in the 2021 edition of its annual college guide, The Best 386 Colleges, published this week.

In addition to the overall listing, Princeton Review ranked Olin as #1 Students Study the Most, #3 Best Classroom Experience, #4 Professors Get High Marks and #20 Great Financial Aid.

“It is remarkable that Olin, in just 20 years, earns this kind of acclaim for its educational program. To garner national top marks in classroom experience, students who love their college, and on several faculty rankings is incredibly satisfying,” said Olin College President Gilda A. Barabino. “This is a testament to the hard work our students, staff and faculty engage in every day to make an Olin education a truly life changing experience.”

A dark haired student with a navy "Olin College" sweatshirt smiles candidly for the camera while on Olin's campus.

A student smiles candidly for the camera while on campus for Orientation in 2019.

Olin is also included on the following ranking lists for 2021: #3 Best College Dorms; #3 LGBTQ-Friendly; #8 Least Religious Students; #10 Most Accessible Professors; #10 There's a Game?; #11 Their Students Love These Colleges; #12 Best Career Services; #13 Happiest Students; #16 Best Counseling Services; #17 Best College Library; #18 Best Quality of Life.

Only about 14% of America’s 2,800 four-year colleges are profiled in the book, which is one of The Princeton Review’s most popular publications. The company chooses the colleges for the book based on data it annually collects from administrators at hundreds of colleges about their institutions’ academic offerings. The Princeton Review also considers data it gathers from its surveys of college students who rate and report on various aspects of their campus and community experiences for this project.

"We salute Olin College for its outstanding academics, and we are truly pleased to recommend it to prospective applicants searching for their personal ‘best-fit’ college,” said Robert Franek, The Princeton Review's Editor-in-Chief and lead author of The Best 386 Colleges

The Princeton Review does not rank the colleges in the book from 1 to 386. Instead, it reports 62 ranking lists of top 20 schools in the book in various categories important to prospective applicants and their parents. Categories of ranking lists range from “Best Career Services” and “Great Financial Aid” to “Professors Get High Marks.” The rankings in this edition are based on the company’s surveys of 143,000 students at the 386 schools in the book.

In February, Olin was recognized as a Best Value Colleges for 2020. Princeton Review stated that: “Olin’s forward-thinking initiatives, close student-faculty relationships and emphasis on real-world problems and solutions prepare students to enter the job market not just as valuable employees, but as potential innovators and entrepreneurs.

Founded in 1997, Olin instills passion and ignites innovation in its students and prepares them to envision, create and deliver products, services, and systems that transform and improve people’s lives around the world. Olin teaches students to be explorers and creators who design their own path forward. By challenging norms and sharing its unique approach to education, Olin is revolutionizing the way engineers, and all undergraduates, learn and create knowledge. Located in Needham Massachusetts, Olin is ranked among the top-three undergraduate engineering programs in the country by U.S. News & World Report.