For the sixth consecutive year, Stetson University has been recognized as one of the leading undergraduate institutions in the country by Princeton Review. This honor is given to only about 15% of four-year colleges in the United States, and appears in the 2021 edition of The Best 386 Colleges. 

“Creating challenging and meaningful opportunities for students both inside and outside the classroom is the key to Stetson’s growth and success,” said Stetson University President Christopher F. Roellke, PhD. “What sets Stetson apart is its focus on helping students grow intellectually, and honing their problem-solving and critical-thinking skills, while continuing to honor our liberal arts tradition. A Stetson degree is made more valuable by our deep commitment to experiential learning through internships and research, as well as the opportunities provided for international study. I am always pleased to see others recognize our curricular innovation and the hard work of our students, faculty, staff and community partners.” 

Published annually since 1992, The Best 386 Colleges 2021 edition contains detailed profiles of each college including excerpts from student surveys and rating scores in seven categories including Academics, Admissions Selectivity, Campus Life, and Tuition and Aid, among others. Stetson University also appears on the publication’s list of “2021 Best Colleges: Region by Region” for the Southeastern Region. 

In its profile on Stetson University, The Princeton Review praises Stetson for its “extra layer of focus” on student well-being through a low student-to-faculty ratio, which survey respondents note is “allowing me to work closely with my professors and developing a unique relationship with some of the best professionals in my field of study.” This level of individualized aid is built into university life, with the school offering “so much support to [its] students. Between one-on-one tutoring, career counseling, the Writing Center, and professors who want to know their students, Stetson does an amazing job making sure we are never alone.” 

Among student comments regarding academics: Stetson professors “inherently care about our paths and experiences and always want to enhance them in the best way possible,” which often means that they “encourage outdoor activity rather than remaining in one environment to learn.” As one student puts it, “They truly care about making sure that students understand the material, and are willing to go out of their way to make that happen.” 

Students describe Stetson as a diverse, engaged campus with mixers and social networking events designed for commuters, as well as “clubs and organizations to support all religions, faiths, races and orientations.” There is a lot of emphasis on the outdoors as well, whether that comes from the Hollis Center (the on-campus gym), which “has a program called SOAR where they organize outdoor activities” or just from students in general: “If it’s a nice day out, I and other students typically grab lunch and eat under the trees.” As for the weekend, nearby downtown DeLand is known for having a “surprisingly … nice nightlife that’s fun, even if low-key,” and of course, there’s always room to “take trips to the beach together.” 

The Princeton Review does not rank the colleges from 1 to 386 in any category. Instead it uses students’ ratings of their schools to compile lists of top 20 colleges in 62 different categories in the book. The lists in this edition are entirely based on The Princeton Review’s 85-question survey of students attending the colleges listed. 

-Janie Graziani