MACON — The Princeton Review has again named Mercer University one of America’s best colleges in the 2012 edition of the book, “The Best 376 Colleges.” Only about 15 percent of the 2,500 four-year colleges in America and three colleges outside the U.S.A. were chosen for the book. This marks the ninth consecutive year that Mercer has been featured.
“We commend Mercer for its outstanding academics, which is the primary criteria for our choice of schools for the book,” said Robert Franek, The Princeton Review’s senior vice president/publisher and author of the book. “Our choices are based on institutional data we collect about schools, our visits to schools over the years, feedback we gather from students attending the schools and the opinions of our staff and our 28-member National College Counselor Advisory Board. We also work to keep a wide representation of colleges in the book by region, size, selectivity and character.”
In its two-page profile on Mercer, The Princeton Review reports that Mercer is a “school on the rise” and its administration “is moving toward a nationally recognized name, taking some critical steps in that direction, by building a reputation for several standout programs, imposing academic rigor throughout the curriculum and inspiring the sort of student loyalty that translates into alumni donations down the line. Solid offerings in business, pre-pharmacy, engineering and music lead the way here. All are supported by a solid liberal arts curriculum grounded in the classics.”
The profile goes on to quote extensively from Mercer students that The Princeton Review surveyed for the book. Among their comments on the University are: “The professors and staff offer exceptional outreach to students, and the relationship between professors and students is unparalleled,” and Mercer creates “the perfect college experience complete with friendly professors, helpful staff, easy accessibility and student activities to maintain interest.”
Among the specialized 62 ranking lists of “top 20” colleges in various categories that the book compiles, Mercer was ranked in two categories. The University was ranked 13th in “Everybody Plays Intramural Sports” and 20th in “Future Rotarians,” which, among other items, took into account political persuasion, prevalence of religion, and popularity of student government.
In a “Survey Says…” sidebar in the book’s profile on Mercer, The Princeton Review lists topics that Mercer students surveyed for the book were most in agreement about. The list includes: “low cost of living,” “(almost) no one smokes,” “very little drug use” and “athletic facilities are great.”
About Mercer University
Founded in 1833, Mercer University is a dynamic and comprehensive center of undergraduate, graduate and professional education. The University enrolls more than 8,200 students in 11 schools and colleges – liberal arts, law, pharmacy, medicine, business, engineering, education, theology, music, nursing and continuing and professional studies – on major campuses in Macon, Atlanta and Savannah and at four regional academic centers across the state. Mercer is affiliated with two teaching hospitals — Memorial University Medical Center in Savannah and the Medical Center of Central Georgia in Macon, and has educational partnerships with Warner Robins Air Logistics Center in Warner Robins and Piedmont Healthcare in Atlanta. The University operates an academic press and a performing arts center in Macon and an engineering research center in Warner Robins. Mercer is the only private university in Georgia to field an NCAA Division I athletic program. For more information, visit www.mercer.edu.
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