WMCX Earns the No. 23 Spot in Princeton Review’s 2026 Ranking of Best College Radio Stations

WMCX 88.9 FM, Monmouth University's student-run radio station, was recently recognized as the No. 23 Best College Radio Station in the 2026 edition of the Princeton Review's annual guide, "The Best 391 Colleges." The station first joined the roster of top stations in 2020.

According to Aaron Furgason, Ph.D., associate professor of communication and advisor to WMCX, this achievement was earned by the 2024-2025 WMCX executive board via their hosting of a pre-election political debate between the presidents of the College Democrats and College Republicans; co-hosting Blue Hawk Records record release/classroom concert; hosting a 14-hour live music show; as well as overseeing students hosting shows from every major and two Communications High School interns.

"This recognition, voted on by current students, indicates that WMCX has a major impact on students' experiences at Monmouth University," said Furgason. "Recognition for the work that the WMCX executive board does year in and year out is an excellent recruitment tool for new students, as well as retaining current students."

The Princeton Review ranks colleges and universities, based solely on student surveys, in 50 categories, from eight general areas: Academics/Administration, Quality of Life, Politics, Campus Life, Town Life, Extracurriculars, and Social Scene. Each ranking list reports the top 25 colleges (of the 390 in the book) in a specific category-but does not report ranks beyond the top 25 in any category (i.e., schools ranked 26 to 391).

WMCX began broadcasting from Monmouth University in 1974. At 10 watts, the station could initially be heard only within a 2-to-3-mile radius. Today, the station has a broadcast radius of approximately 25 miles reaching towns across Monmouth and Ocean counties in New Jersey. The station has more than 500,000 listeners both domestically and internationally thanks largely to the online "listen live" streaming radio feature.