The University of Louisiana at Lafayette is one of the best universities in the country for undergraduate education, The Princeton Review announced Monday.
The University is included in the publication’s 2014 edition of the “Best 378 Universities” college guide. Only about 15 percent of the nation’s 2,500 four-year colleges are profiled in the latest edition.
School profiles are based on surveys of about 126,000 students who attend the 378 colleges represented in the latest edition.
A specific numerical rank is not assigned to the universities. “Our purpose is not to crown one college 'best' overall, but to give applicants the resources and campus feedback they need to choose, get into, pay for, and graduate with a job from the college that's best for them," said Robert Franek, the guide's author and The Princeton Review senior vice president/publisher.
The two-page profile for UL Lafayette includes the Admissions Office’s observation that relatively low tuition, generous financial aid and scholarships make UL Lafayette one of the most affordable universities in the nation.
That claim is supported by the U.S. Department of Education’s College Affordability and Transparency List, which ranks UL Lafayette as among the top 10 percent of most affordable four-year public universities in the United States. That list also shows that UL Lafayette is the most affordable university in Louisiana.
Student surveys rated the University’s programs in education, computer science and engineering as “some of the best in the nation.”
The college guide includes quotes by students who responded to The Princeton Review’s survey. Among UL Lafayette students’ comments about their campus experience: “Our campus includes a very diverse group of students from various religious and racial backgrounds.” Another student observed that “everyone blends in.”
The Princeton Review is a privately held education services company known for its test-prep course, tutoring, books and other student resources. It is not affiliated with Princeton University.