Needham’s Olin College Ranks Best for Financial Aid in Survey

Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering is number one in financial aid, according to an annual Princeton Review survey.

The 2011 book edition "Best 373 Colleges," which went on sale August 4th, also identified Olin as one of the best Northeastern colleges.

"We were very pleased," said Joe Hunter, Olin's director of communication. "We have always had a pretty strong showing on the Princeton Review ranking. This was the first time we've been number one in financial aid. It's important for us."

The Needham-based College, founded in 1997, has worked to establish equal focus in engineering and affordability by offering full-tuition scholarships for all students.

The school's funding has taken a hit by the recession and students are now offered half-tuition scholarships. But Hunter said the school incorporates need-based scholarships to ensure that interested students can attend.

"There shouldn't be any potential students who couldn't attend Olin," Hunter said.

The college, which currently has 340 students enrolled, doesn't just boast good financial aid packages. The school graces 14 of the 62 ranking lists, including Students Study the Most (#5), Dorms Like Palaces (#4), LGBT-Friendly (#4) and Happiest Students (#4)

"That's one of the rankings that reflects that close-knit community," Hunter said of the Happiest ranking. "The professors are very accessible to the students."

Olin was also featured on the Stone-Cold Sober Schools list (#19), but Hunter said the school isn't too worried about their non-party-school status.

"We're not incredibly disappointed," he said. "I think our students know how to have a good time, but they're curious."

"They know how to study and go to all their classes but still have a good quality of life here."

For the 2011 edition, the Princeton Review polled more than 122,000 students with an 80-question survey during the 2009-2010 academic year. The results are a compilation of top-20 colleges for 62 ranking lists on subjects ranging from academics (best college library, most accessible professors) to quality of life (best food and dorm rooms) and the social scene (Major Frat and Sorority Scene).

The results of the current survey can be viewed on the Princeton Review website, though a free registration and log in is required.