Missouri State University was selected for inclusion in The Princeton Review’s 2012 online list of “Best Colleges: Region by Region.” Missouri State is one of 153 schools on the site receiving the “Best in the Midwest” designation and has been included on this list since its inception nine years ago.

“An important factor in their selection process is information they received through a survey of our students,” said Don Simpson, associate vice president for enrollment management. “That’s the best endorsement we can get.”

In addition to the student surveys, selection is based on a qualitative evaluation of academic excellence, as well as visits to schools and opinions from Princeton Review’s staff and college advisers. Information about each college included in the “Best in the Midwest” list is available online. The profile includes comments from students and general information about the school.

“We’re pleased to recommend Missouri State University to users of our site as one of the best schools to earn their undergraduate degree. We chose it, and the other terrific institutions we name as regional best colleges, mainly for their excellent academic programs,” said Robert Franek, Princeton Review’s senior vice president of publishing. “We also take into account the responses from our 80-question student survey. Only schools that permit us to independently survey their students are eligible to be considered for our regional best lists.” 

The 153 colleges The Princeton Review chose for this year’s “Best in the Midwest” designations are located in 12 states: Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin. The Princeton Review also designated 220 colleges in the Northeast, 121 in the West, and 135 in the Southeast as best in their locales on the company’s 2012 Best Colleges: Region by Region section on its website. According to The Princeton Review, the 629 colleges named “regional bests” represent about 25 percent of the nation’s 2,500 four-year colleges.

Missouri State University is a public, comprehensive university system with a mission in public affairs, whose purpose is to develop educated persons while exploring three areas: ethical leadership, cultural competence and community engagement.

The Missouri State System consists of Missouri State University-Springfield, a selective admissions, graduate-level teaching and research institution; Missouri State University-West Plains, an open admissions campus serving seven counties in south central Missouri; and Missouri State University-Mountain Grove.

Filed Under: awards · Best in the Midwest · simpson