The College of Wooster earned the distinction of being named one of the top-recommended schools in the country by The Princeton Review in the 2027 edition of The Best 392 Colleges guidebook, published by Penguin Random House. Only about 14% of America’s nearly 2,800 four-year colleges received this honor. Wooster is also among those named for the “Best Value Colleges” as one of 209 “high-quality schools with reasonable tuition and great financial aid,” as well as the “Best Midwest” and “Green Colleges” lists.
The Princeton Review does not rank the schools overall, 1 to 392, but does report the top 25 schools (of the 392 recommended schools in the book) in 50 different ranking categories. These rankings are entirely based on what students attending the schools report about their college experience via a student survey. For the 2027 edition, 172,000 students completed a 98-question survey asking them to rate their college on dozens of topics. The College profile for Woosterincludes top 25 rankings in the following categories:
Best Science Lab Facilities – No. 15
Top 20 Best for Internships (Private Schools) – No. 17
Best College Library – No. 18
The recognition of Wooster’s science labs and College libraries highlights the value of the opportunities that students receive to perform research and study with high-quality equipment and materials, under the support of faculty and staff who guide them in applying what they learn in the classroom in professional ways. Experiences outside the classroom, as recognized by placement on the top 20 list for internships, shows the value of Wooster’s Center for Advising, Planning, and Experiential Learning. Through APEX, students are encouraged to reflect on internships, research assistantships, volunteer work in the community, site-visits to local organizations, and other experiential learning opportunities as they explore their career interests and path after Wooster.
In The Best 392 Colleges student survey responses are summarized in the categories of academics, campus life and the student body. The editors highlight Wooster’s Independent Study, senior capstone program — where students choose a project based on their interests, explore it in-depth, and present what they learn as new knowledge in their field — noting one student said, “I.S. gives students the perfect balance of independence and guidance.” Another student appreciated “how intentional [professors] are about connecting course material to real-world applications, which makes even the more challenging concepts feel relevant and meaningful.” The editors also list numerous ways Wooster students find community on campus, citing involvement in athletics and musical clubs, as well as school sponsored events like “craft nights, movie screenings, cultural celebrations and weekend programs.” One student noted, “what stands out the most is how willing students are to show up for each other.”
The College is also featured in The Princeton Review’s Guide to Green Colleges and Green Colleges ranking, one of 388 recommended environmentally responsible schools. The schools were chosen primarily based on information gathered from a survey of college administrators about each institution’s sustainability-related policies, practices, and programs. The company also surveyed students about their experiences at their schools, which included administrator and student support for environmental awareness and conservation efforts on the campus.
One of Wooster’s most recent green initiatives established the Abbey Arboretum at Wooster, made possible by a seven-figure gift from Wooster alumnus Paul Abbey ’73 and his wife, Constance Norweb Abbey. The College was awarded level I accreditation by ArbNet, a global arboreta accreditation program, recognizing Wooster’s longstanding commitment to the approximately 2,800 trees on campus, and the research, educational programming, and conservation efforts happening on its 240-acre campus and golf course.
The Princeton Review is an education services company known for its tutoring, test-prep and admission services, as well as its books, website, rankings and other student resources. The Best 392 Colleges is one of more than 150 books developed by The Princeton Review and published by Penguin Random House. This is the 35th edition of the guide, which debuted in 1992.