The University of Louisiana at Lafayette is one of the best institutions for undergraduate education in the U.S., The Princeton Review announced Monday.
UL Lafayette is featured in the 2015 edition of the annual college guide, “The Best 379 Colleges.”
Only about 15% of America’s 2,500 four-year colleges and only four colleges outside the U.S. are profiled in the college guide.
“The University of Louisiana at Lafayette offers outstanding academics, which is the chief reason we selected it for the book,” said Robert Franek, the guide's author and The Princeton Review senior vice president/publisher.
The Princeton Review does not rank universities. It surveys 130,000 students at hundreds of universities to rate their schools on several topics and report on their campus experiences at them.
In its profile, The Princeton Review noted that “tremendously generous grant and scholarship programs and outstanding out-of-state fee waivers make UL Lafayette one of the best bargains in the country” and a student commented that the university offers “serious bang for your buck.”
Those claims are supported by the U.S. Department of Education’s most recent College Affordability and Transparency List, which ranked UL Lafayette among the top 10 percent of most affordable four-year public universities in the United States for the fourth consecutive year. 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” and noted that the student body is friendly, diverse and loves the local community.
“Of course, our students love Lafayette,” said Aaron Martin, director of Communications and Marketing at UL Lafayette. “Last month, it was noted as the happiest town in the nation by a Wall Street Journal report.
“Our students are getting a great education at one of the most affordable American universities in the best place to live.”
The Princeton Review’s “Best” list included other universities from the state: Centenary College, Louisiana State University, Loyola University New Orleans, Tulane University, University of New Orleans and Xavier University of Louisiana. More information about the college guide is available at www.princetonreview.com/college/college-rankings.aspx.
The Princeton Review is an education services company known for its test-prep courses, tutoring, books, and other student resources. It is not affiliated with Princeton University.