Mercer University is once again one of the nation’s best institutions for undergraduates according to The Princeton Review®. For the 21st year, Mercer is featured in the education services’ annual Best Colleges guide.
The Best 389 Colleges: 2024 Edition only features about 15% of America’s 2,600 four-year colleges. The Princeton Review chose the colleges for the book based on data it collects from surveys of students attending the colleges in categories including academics, amenities, campus services and extracurriculars. The company also uses data it collects from surveys of 2,000 college administrators about their institutions’ academic offerings.
“We salute Mercer for its outstanding academics and its many other impressive offerings,” said Rob Franek, editor-in-chief of The Princeton Review and lead author of The Best 389 Colleges. “We’re delighted to recommend it as an ideal choice for students searching for their ‘best-fit’ college.”
The Princeton Review does not rank the institutions in the book from 1-389 but provides 50 separate ranking lists naming the top 25 schools in various categories as well as detailed profiles curated from the student and administrator surveys.
In this year’s profile on Mercer, Princeton Review editors and students surveyed praised the University, saying:
Academics:
- As soon as they step onto campus “the small community coupled with stellar professors and academic support opens opportunities for undergraduate students to experience through research.”
- This is a school “where professors, students and administrators get to know one another well” and “a great place to get individual attention and experience.”
- Faculty “enjoy the teaching process and want to see students do well” and “really care deeply about the students.”
- “The Mercer name carries weight around the state when looking for job opportunities.”
Resources:
- Resources are the best part of a Mercer education, via “the student-to-opportunity ratio. If students apply themselves, they can find opportunities.”
- Scholarships are awarded generously, and there are “many financial resources for study abroad and internships.”
Student Body:
- Students here “want to make change, to do well,” and most everyone “is involved in some sort of school activity, business, or community service.”
- “The school is big enough that you do not see the same faces every day, but small enough so that you do not feel lost in the crowd.”
- Mercer’s student body “is like its own community,” and “are all engulfed in the Mercer community and find ways to reach out and give back.”
Campus Life:
- “Almost every student at Mercer is involved in at least one organization on campus,” and intramural sports, group fitness, and outdoor activities (such as rock climbing) are extremely popular.
- Traditions are valued, and there are “great homecoming activities in the fall.”
In the guide’s detailed ranking lists, Mercer was ranked 6th on the Most Engaged in Community Service list, and students reported that service learning is integrated into the curriculum, and classes involve a “large degree of group-based projects and assignments to encourage teamwork and leadership skills.”
To read the full Mercer profile and review, visit princetonreview.com/college-rankings/best-colleges.
