Feb 07, 2012 - Claremont, Calif. -

Harvey Mudd College is one of the nation’s “Best Value Colleges” according to The Princeton Review list released today.

The list identifies top undergraduate schools that offer excellent academics, generous financial aid, and/or relatively low cost of attendance. It also takes into account student feedback regarding the quality of campus life and interaction with professors.

Princeton Review also featured HMC in the list’s companion book, “The Best Value Colleges: 2012 Edition,” which profiles 75 public and 75 private colleges, with detailed information about their campus culture, facilities and financial aid.

In the book’s profile of HMC, the editors describe the College as a place where “everyone is literate in every branch of science,” “the honor code really means something,” and “research opportunities are limitless.” They also commend the school for having a collaborative atmosphere, with friendly, accessible professors and none of the “cutthroat competition of other similar schools.”

Student feedback featured in the profile details how HMC students are “a really diverse group of personalities,” who are “friendly, smart and talented…and brimming with passion for science.” Students described campus life as a welcoming community where, “upperclassmen look out for underclassmen, and students tend to bond together easily over difficult homework.”

The Princeton Review selected its "best value" choices for 2012 based on surveys of administrators and students at 650 colleges and universities. The selection criteria covered more than 30 factors in three areas: academics, cost of attendance and financial aid. Most of the data analyzed came from surveys conducted from fall 2010 through fall 2011. All cost and financial aid data came from fall 2011 surveys.

Rankings—using a scale of 60-99—covered items such as academics, professors and financial aid. HMC scored 96 for its academics, 98 for its professors and 97 for its financial aid.

Read more:

The Princeton Review's 2012 Best Value Colleges

“Best Value” Colleges (USAToday.com) 

The Princeton Review's College Ratings