Praised for “delivering on its promises” of affordability and quality programs, Indiana University of Pennsylvania has been selected for the Princeton Review’s Best College guidebook for the 22nd consecutive year.
Fewer than 15 percent of America’s 2,500 four-year colleges were chosen for the 2023 guidebook, Best 388 Colleges, which was released August 18.
In addition to being selected for inclusion in the publication, IUP’s Health Service was included in the “Best Health Services” ranking, one of only 25 college and university health services selected for the list.
Editors based their selection of universities on surveys and interviews with students. Schools in the guidebook are ranked in eight categories, including academics, admissions selectivity, and financial aid.
“Students tend to be very honest in their assessment of IUP,” IUP President Michael Driscoll said. “It’s extremely gratifying to see their comments and know that they are satisfied and happy here. Comments like ‘Beyond amazing facilities, undergrads at IUP have the privilege of learning from great, knowledgeable professors’ and recognition of ‘there are many opportunities to get involved on campus,’ help us to know that we are doing something very right in our ongoing commitment to being student-centered,” he said.
“Our IUP Health Service has always offered professional, high-quality care, but they have really been extraordinary during the last two years of the pandemic, under some very challenging circumstances. Clearly, our students agree that our services and program are excellent, and it is great to see IUP Health Service selected for the list,” he said.
Students interviewed for the publication had a number of comments about IUP’s outstanding faculty. For example, one student said, “My professors really care about their subjects and take the time to thoroughly explain concepts and ideas to students.” Another student commented, “Professors feel like family and express that they genuinely care about the students outside of just the classroom situation. They see (us) as more than just students and aim to help us get the most of out of IUP resources and time.”
Students also praise the amount of opportunities to get involved on campus, saying, “Indiana, Pa. is very much a college town,” noting that “It’s quite easy to lead a full (and busy!) life at IUP.”
Another student commented, “The variety of majors offered here attracts many different people with different interest and goals in life. Whatever you are looking for here, you will most likely find it.” Another student commented to guidebook editors: “There is a large mix of personalities on campus … Because of this, everyone can fit in with at least one type of group” and “the majority of undergrads are friendly and helpful and open to meeting new people.”
IUP offers more than 160 academic degree programs, including more than 50 graduate programs. In addition, students can complete more than 65 minors—including a unique teamwork minor—and scores of specialized tracks and certificate programs, including certificates in athletic coaching, gerontology, photography and digital imaging, popular music, and public history.
IUP continues to add state-of-the-art programs of study for its students. Its newest undergraduate majors are public health and environmental engineering, both in-demand careers in Pennsylvania and throughout the nation. With the addition of a PhD in business program, IUP offers 14 different doctoral degrees.
IUP has a longstanding commitment to research on all levels and in all disciplines. In 2021, IUP was selected as one of only two public universities in Pennsylvania and one of only 93 public universities in the United States selected for the “High Research Activity” designation by the American Council on Education. Going forward, the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the American Council on Education (ACE) will be collaborating on the next incarnation of the Carnegie Classifications, and for the first time, overall administration of the Universal and Elective Classifications have been brought together in a single organizational home at ACE.
IUP is routinely selected by national publications and websites for excellence, including College Magazine’s “top 10 colleges and universities in Pennsylvania; U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Colleges” list; Washington Monthly’s national ranking of universities based on contributions to society; in Forbes Magazine as one of “America’s Top Colleges;” and in a number of rankings for excellence and affordability of online programs.