Westmont Among Best Colleges in the West

Westmont ranks among the best colleges in the west in Princeton Review’s “2014 Best Colleges: Region by Region.” The educational services company named 124 colleges in 15 western states, including 41 in California, in this list. Nationwide, Princeton Review included 643 institutions—25 percent of U.S. four-year colleges—in four regions.

Two major factors influenced the rankings: excellent academic programs and reports by students about their campus experiences.

“Once again, Westmont ranks among the best colleges nationwide,” says President Gayle D. Beebe. “We strive to offer a rigorous academic program while encouraging students to develop a deep love of God because we believe in educating the whole person.”

Westmont received ratings of 91 out of 99 in both academics and quality of life. Students described Westmont as a “Christ-centered” bastion of the liberal arts that “provides a phenomenal education” and “a spiritually nurturing environment.” They noted that “very personable” faculty members “take a genuine interest not only in the academic well-being of their students, but also their personal, relational, and spiritual lives.”

Princeton Review recommends these schools as the best institutions to attend. “From several hundred schools in each region, we winnowed our list based on institutional data we collected directly from the schools, our visits to schools over the years, and the opinions of our staff, plus college counselors and advisors whose recommendations we invite,” says Robert Franek, senior vice president and publisher of Princeton Review.

For more information, see www.princetonreview.com/best-regional-colleges.aspx.