The 2012 Princeton Review measures student satisfaction in a variety of areas, and shows that Penn State, Virginia Tech, and Clemson do extremely well when it comes to making students happy. Please note that our list of satisfaction does not include the famous Princeton Reivew categories of best party schools, “reefer madness,” “don’t inhale,” and “got milk?”
Other public universities that made the top 20 lists in one or more categories are Kansas State, Mississippi, Auburn, Georgia, UT Austin, Florida, UC Santa Barbara, Virginia, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Washington, Binghamton, Indiana, Miami of Ohio, Ohio University, Purdue, Vermont, Washington State, NC State, Pitt, Michigan, and UMass Amherst.
The rankings listed in parentheses are national rankings of all colleges, public and private.
Virginia Tech: Career Services (18); Students Love These Colleges (3); Town-Gown Relations Are Great (4); Quality of Life (6); Food (2).
Penn State: Career Services (2); Students Love These Colleges (7); Best Quality of Life (18); Happiest Students (13).
Clemson: Career Services (5); Students Love These Colleges (8); Town-Gown Relations Are Great (1); Happiest Students (4).
Kansas State: Town-Gown Relations Are Great (2); Quality of Life (4); Happiest Students (8).
Mississippi: Town-Gown Relations Are Great (11); Happiest Students (12); Most Beautiful Campus (4).
Auburn: Town-Gown Relations Are Great (13); Quality of Life (19).
Georgia: Best Value (8); Food (15).
UT Austin: Best Value (10); Career Services (20); College City Gets High Marks (20).
Florida: Best Value (7); Career Services (6).
UC Santa Barbara: Students Love These Colleges (11); Happiest Students (3).
Virginia: Best Value (2); Financial Aid (2).
Wisconsin: Best Value (5); College City Gets High Marks (19).
North Carolina: Best Value (1).
Washington: Best Value (9).
Binghamton: Best Value (4).
Indiana: Study Abroad (12).
Miami of Ohio: Food (18).
Ohio University: Most Beautiful Campus (15).
Purdue: Food (14).
Vermont: College City Gets High Marks (15).
Washington State: Town-Gown Relations Are Great (9).
NC State: Town-Gown Relations Are Great (16).
Pitt: Career Services (19).
Michigan: College City Gets High Marks (10).
UMass Amherst: Food (3).
