Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC) in Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Ind., is one of the best colleges and universities in the Midwest according to The Princeton Review. The New York City-based education services company selected the school as one of 159 institutions it recommends in its “Best in the Midwest” section on its website feature 2009 Best Colleges: Region by Region. This is the fifth year in a row that The Princeton Review has recognized SMWC with this distinction.

“We commend all of the schools we name this year as our 'regional best' colleges primarily for their excellent academic programs,” said Robert Franek, Princeton Review's V.P., Publishing.

The 159 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. Schools are selected for this distinction based on institutional data collected from the schools in each region, visits to schools over the years, and the opinions of independent and high school-based college advisors. The Princeton Review also considers what students report about their campus experiences at their schools on an 80-question student survey.

The profile on Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College at www.PrincetonReview.com states that many SMWC students chose the school for its unique major programs in fields such as music therapy and equine studies, and the women's college atmosphere promotes leadership and confidence. The site quotes one student who said, “I am encouraged to attempt the new, expected to do my best, and . . . free to express myself and voice my opinions.”

The site quotes other students who say that pursuing a degree at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College is a “positive experience that will take you far in this world emotionally, academically, and socially,” and that the College has “a great reputation for making students well-rounded in every subject with core classes.”

The SMWC profile also indicates that students feel the small classes and one-on-one interactions with professors are an advantage, and one student said SMWC professors 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.”

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

“This ranking is a symbol of the dedication that the entire SMWC community has to our mission of providing students with quality academic programs and fulfilling College experiences in a beautiful campus setting,” Behrs said. “Our success is the direct result of the excellence of our faculty and staff, along with the quality of our students and alums, and I thank every one of them for the work that they do to help us consistently achieve this distinction.”

In addition to the 159 “Best in the Midwest” colleges, The Princeton Review also designated 212 colleges in the Northeast, 120 in the West, and 139 in the Southeast as best in their locales on the company's 2009 Best Colleges: Region by Region section on its site. The 630 colleges named “regional best(s)” represent only about 25% (one out of four) of the nation's 2,500 four-year colleges. The Princeton Review does not rank the colleges in its Best Colleges: Region by Region website section.

The Princeton Review (www.PrincetonReview.com) is a New York-based company known for its test preparation courses, books, and college admission and other education services. It is not affiliated with Princeton University, and it is not a magazine.

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.

SMWC is located on a beautiful 67-acre campus near Terre Haute, Ind., and the College offers campus-based undergraduate degree programs for women and distance undergraduate and graduate programs for women and men. By participating in this community, students develop their abilities to think critically, to communicate responsibly, to engage in lifelong learning and leadership, and to effect positive change in a global society. For more information about Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, call 1-800-926-SMWC or visit www.smwc.edu.