Princeton Review ‘Best Colleges 2023’ Includes 4 Rhode Island Schools

RHODE ISLAND — For such a small state, Rhode Island has plenty of colleges, some of which have prestigious reputations. With so many options, it can be hard to choose the best higher education institutions in the Ocean State.

But with the release this week of The Princeton Review’s “Best 388 Colleges: 2023 Edition," we have an idea which ones are the cream of the crop with four local schools included.

The 388 colleges on the list aren’t ranked; however, the top 25 colleges were ranked in 50 categories designed to help guide those making college choices to institutions that best fit their academic and personal needs.

For the first time, the categories include “green matters,” which names the colleges students give high marks for their commitment to the environment and conservation on their campuses.

The Rhode Island colleges that made the 31st annual list are:

• University of Rhode Island, Kingston
• Salve Regina University, Newport
• Brown University, Providence
• Providence College, Providence

A couple of schools ranked highly on individual metrics. Salve Regina University came in at No. 9 on the college city rankings and NO. 17 for most beautiful campus.

Providence college came in at No. 15 for best college radio station and No. 2 in students playing intramural sports. Brown was the fourth most LGBTQ -friendly school and also came in at No. 4 for best college theater.

The list is based on 160,000 student surveys that asked students to rate their professors, administrators, school services, and other aspects of life at their colleges and to report on their campus and community experiences. Read more about the methodology.

This year, The Princeton Review expanded the number of colleges ranked for excellence in the categories to 25 from 20, and also dropped the “schools by type” ranking titled Birkenstock-Wearing, Tree-Hugging, Clove-Smoking Vegetarians, and its inverse list, Future Rotarians and Daughters of the American Revolution.

The Princeton Review also dropped its Party Schools and Stone-Cold Sober Schools this year.