Longwood University was recently named to yet another prestigious list. The Princeton Review named the institution one of the country's "Best Value" colleges and universities, along with 75 other schools, in the book "The Best Value Colleges: 2012 Edition."
Longwood was praised for its "diversity, tradition, sustainability and leadership" by the editors of The Princeton Review.
"Being named to this list is just phenomenal," said Associate Director of Admissions Johnice Brown. Brown said the listing is just "one more thing that serves to validate what we've been saying."
The review also lists comments from students who attend Longwood. According to a university press release, a student surveyed by The Princeton Review commented on how they can "be well-known and feel like [they] can make an impact" on Longwood's campus.
Brown said, "Students are the best voice at [a] college because they are going through the experience."
The Princeton Review chose the colleges and universities on the list based on a collection of institutional data and student opinion surveys taken from 650 colleges and universities. More than two-dozen data points were considered when selecting institutions to place on the popular listing.
The value data comes from fall 2011 surveys while the academic reports are gathered from the fall 2010 through fall 2011 years. Student comments are obtained over those years and the editors look at professor assessments as well as financial aid satisfaction among students.
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill was the top-rated public college. The University of Virginia came in second, and the College of William and Mary made sixth on the list. Williams College in Massachusetts earned the top spot for private institutions.
The Princeton Review added, "Longwood has a small private college feel for a public school price," a phrase the Admissions Department has echoed the past few years.
According to the listing, $6,157 was the average need-based grant awarded via financial aid, and $5,704 was the average need-based loan for Longwood students. A total of 64 percent was borrowed. The average student debt was estimated at $22,665.
In the admissions data, 4,402 students applied while 67.8 percent were admitted to Longwood. A total of 32 percent of students who were admitted enrolled. The average GPA was 3.34, and the ACT range was from 20 to 23. SAT scores average 470-510 for math and 480-560 for reading. The student-teacher ratio was pinned at 18:1.
Brown said the news is definitely positive for prospective students even if they don't read reviews or look at listings of this type. Brown said most of the students applying hear about Longwood through friends, family members or teachers.
She added that the news is a good example of an outsiders approach to what Longwood really is. "It's a validation from an outside entity looking in," she said.
Featuring a profile of 150 schools — 75 public and 75 private — The Princeton Review includes information about the campus culture, facilities and financial aid offerings.
On the list, the top 10 schools are listed in their ranking order, and the remaining 65 are listed alphabetically. You can find the profile at http://www.princetonreview.com/best-value-colleges.aspx
