Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College is one of the best colleges and universities in the Midwest according to The Princeton Review. The education services company selected the school as one of 158 institutions it profiles in its “Best in the Midwest” section of its website feature 2010 Best Colleges: Region by Region that posted July 27, 2009.

“We chose Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College and the other terrific schools we recommend as our 'regional best' colleges primarily for their excellent academic programs,” said Robert Franek, Princeton Review's V.P., Publishing. “We also work to have our roster of 'regional best' colleges feature a range of institutions by size, selectivity, character and locale. We choose the schools based on institutional data we collect from several hundred schools in each region, our visits to schools over the years, and the opinions of independent and high school-based college advisors whose recommendations we invite. We also take into account what each school’s customers – their students – report to us about their campus experiences at them on our 80-question student survey.”

The profile on Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC) at www.PrincetonReview.com states that SMWC upholds “a great reputation for making students well-rounded in every subject with core classes,” and professors at The Woods are “passionate about the subject[s] that they teach, and it is clear that they have the excitement that is needed to ignite the passion for knowledge within each student.”

Students further benefit from lots of attention and one-on-one time with the professors due to small class sizes. Students warn, however, that while the atmosphere is inspiring, “The academics here are tough; they want you to be prepared for the real world.”

The SMWC profile also indicates that students feel that their peers are “diverse in lifestyle, aspirations, and background,” and they don’t feel that cliques or social exclusion are common on campus.

“The nice part about SMWC is the fact that the students here are really accepting of different types of people,” one freshman wrote. “A lot of intermingling goes on that you might not find at a large university where people might feel like they have to stick to their own.”

SMWC President David G. Behrs, Ph.D., said that he is pleased that the College continues to be recognized by The Princeton Review.

“We have such a wonderful community of dedicated faculty, staff and students here at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, so I always appreciate when their efforts are recognized in such a prominent way, but what I appreciate most about the Princeton Review is that they listen to what our students have to say about their experiences, and they share that information with those who want to learn more about SMWC,” Behrs said. “Academically, socially and spiritually, I believe that Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College has a lot to offer, and it’s gratifying to see that our students feel the same way.”

The 158 colleges The Princeton Review chose for this year’s “Best in the Midwest” designations are located in twelve states: Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. The Princeton Review also designated 218 colleges in the Northeast, 123 in the West, and 141 in the Southeast as best in their locales on the company’s 2010 Best Colleges: Region by Region section on its site.  The 640 colleges named “regional best(s)” represent only about 25% (one out of four) of the nation's 2,500 four-year colleges.

Founded in 1840 by Saint Mother Theodore Guerin and the Sisters of Providence, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College is the oldest Catholic liberal arts college for women in the United States. Today, SMWC thrives by offering a rich liberal arts education, scholarships and financial aid opportunities to make college affordable, individual attention, a value-centered education in a Catholic tradition, and a wide variety of student leadership activities. Both Princeton Review and U.S.News & World Report consistently rank SMWC as one of the Best Baccalaureate Colleges in the Midwest.

In these challenging economic times, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College remains committed to providing quality, private college education at an affordable price. Approximately 95% of campus-based undergraduate students at SMWC receive academic or need-based financial aid, and this year alone, the College will grant approximately $3.3 million in institutional aid to students in our campus-based, Woods External Degree (WED) and graduate programs. The College offers merit scholarships for freshmen, transfer and international students; athletic scholarships; visual and performing arts scholarships; Ivy Tech Community College Grants; Graduate Student need-based grants; and Vigo County Catholic Student Scholarships.

For more information about Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, call 1-800-926-SMWC or visit www.smwc.edu.

The Princeton Review (www.PrincetonReview.com) is known for its tutoring and classroom test preparation courses, books, and college and graduate school admission services.  Its corporate headquarters is in Framingham, MA, and editorial offices are in New York City. It is not affiliated with Princeton University and it is not a magazine.