The Princeton Review has named UMBC one of the nation’s top universities of 2016 in The Best 380 Colleges. At the forefront of UMBC’s profile is the university’s standout academic reputation as a place where “students take education seriously” and “it is cool to be smart.” As one student told The Princeton Review, “UMBC wants to see every student succeed—they provide you with the tools, people, and resources to make sure you get where you want to go in life.”
The Best 380 Colleges guide reviews colleges based on a survey of over 130,000 students in areas such as academics, administration, student body, financial aid and admissions selectivity. Robert Franek, Princeton Review’s Senior Vice President-Publisher, shares, “Every college in our book has outstanding academics. While our purpose is not to crown one college academically ‘best’ overall or to rank the schools one to 380 on any single topic, our lists provide direct student feedback on the schools’ campus culture, program offerings and cost. Our goal is to help applicants choose and get into their dream college — the college best for them.”
UMBC’s profile in The Best 380 Colleges recognizes a growing reputation in the arts that complements the university’s strong reputation in the sciences, highlighting the Performing Arts and Humanities Building. This stunning new building is now home to programs from music and theatre to English and ancient studies, as well as several performance spaces.
Also receiving high marks are UMBC’s dedicated and accessible faculty and a campus culture that values diverse perspectives and enthusiasm for learning. “[UMBC has] extremely intelligent professors that have a knack for inspiring the students,” a student told The Princeton Review. The publication notes, “[UMBC] has a strong reputation for diversity and students feel ‘it enriches our school.'” One student shared, “People fit in by being intellectually creative and finding a community with which to discuss important issues.”
