Southwestern University Heralded as One of the Nation’s Top Universities for 2027 by The Princeton Review
Highlighted by nationally-ranked faculty, career services, Greek life, and campus recreation, Southwestern shines as one of the best universities in Texas in The Princeton Review’s annual college guide.
Southwestern University has once again been recognized as one of the nation’s top undergraduate institutions. The Princeton Review, a leading education services company, has named Southwestern to its annual college guide, The Best 392 Colleges. Southwestern was touted as one of the best institutions in Texas, providing students with a robust undergraduate experience, proven by national rankings for faculty, career services, Greek life, and campus recreation.
While The Princeton Review does not rank the schools in The Best 392 Colleges hierarchically from 1 to 392, the publication does include 50 categories of ranking lists, each naming the top 25 schools in a particular category.
Southwestern was ranked #1 in Texas and #6 in the nation in The Princeton Review’s “Professors Get High Marks” list, honoring how well the SU faculty bring their material to life in the classroom. SU also ranked #1 in the Lone Star State, as well as #18 in the country, for “Best Career Services,” a testament to the strength of the University’s award-winning Center for Career & Professional Development, as well as our support in helping students achieve strong post-graduate outcomes.
The Princeton Review tabbed Southwestern as #23 in the nation on their “Lots of Greek Life” list, highlighting the popularity of SU’s 10 fraternities and sororities. Finally, Southwestern checked at #25 in the nation on The Princeton Review’s “Everyone Plays Intramural Sports” list, showcasing the University’s wide offering of campus recreation programs.
“We are thrilled that the nation is discovering something that we have known for a long time: that Southwestern University provides one of the best undergraduate liberal arts experiences in the country,” Southwestern University President Laura Skandera Trombley said. “These recognitions from The Princeton Review reinforce the strength of the Southwestern Experience, from our excellent faculty and career services to the vibrant social atmosphere. Guided by the Pirate Plan, students at Southwestern thrive in the classroom, in their community, and beyond.”
Southwestern’s strengths are embodied in the University’s revolutionary Pirate Plan, a four-year framework designed to help students make the most of their time at SU by clearly outlining what to focus on each year. Students follow an intentional and personalized plan that integrates learning, involvement, and career preparation from the start, helping develop and articulate the competencies that employers value most.
The Best 392 Colleges guidebook features only about 15% of the nearly 2,400 four-year colleges in the United States. The publication surveyed 172,000 students across the nation to rate their own schools on dozens of topics and to report on their campus experiences.
In their profile on Southwestern, The Princeton Review lauded the University’s professors, describing the faculty as “one of Southwestern’s greatest strengths,” emphasizing that “faculty members often go beyond ‘the teaching norm to engage students, from having classes outside to creating activities and assignments enabling students to have a more hands-on and memorable experience.’”
Southwestern’s Center for Career & Professional Development (CCPD) earned high marks as well, with The Princeton Review noting that “nearly three-quarters of students engage in experiential learning or clinical placements” with the CCPD being “very helpful for student internships, networking, and jobs post-graduation.”
Further, The Princeton Review highlighted Southwestern students as “a dynamic and eclectic mix of individuals united by a shared passion for learning and personal growth.” The publication praises the University’s “interdisciplinary Paideia approach [that] emphasizes ‘finding all sorts of connections with everything you learn’ across the liberal arts, linking real-world experiences, research, and communities.”
Founded in 1981, The Princeton Review is an education services company known for its tutoring, test-prep, admission services, school rankings, books, and other resources. Headquartered in New York, NY, it is not affiliated with Princeton University. Information on the methodology for the rankings is on The Princeton Review’s website.
Southwestern University published this content on August 27, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on August 27, 2026 at 19:36 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]
