Alex FriedrichJust four Minnesota liberal arts colleges made this year’s Princeton Review annual college rankings — Carleton, St. Olaf, Gustavus Adolphus and Macalester.
Most achievements were in the lifestyle department, with the exception of Carleton’s “Professors Get High Marks” and Mac’s “Most Popular Study Abroad Programs.”
Alas, the almighty U didn’t place.
| School | Rank | Category | |||
| Carleton College | 5 | School Runs Like Butter (administration gets high marks) | |||
| 10 | Best College Radio Station | ||||
| 12 | Most Liberal Students (lean left politically) | ||||
| 16 | Everyone Plays Intramural Sports | ||||
| 16 | Professors Get High Marks | ||||
| St. Olaf College | 6 | Best Campus Food | |||
| 6 | Town-Gown Relations are Great | ||||
| 15 | Best Quality of Life | . | |||
| Gustavus Adolphus College | 18 | Best Campus Food | |||
| Macalester College | 8 | Least Religious Students | |||
| 8 | Most Liberal Students (lean left politically) | . | |||
| 11 | LGBT-Friendly | ||||
| 14 | Most Popular Study Abroad Programs | ||||
| 15 | Birkenstock-Wearing, Tree-Hugging, Clove-Smoking Vegetarians | ||||
| 15 | Most Politically Active Students | ||||
All of the rankings and explanations are available on the Princeton Review’s Web site (registration may be required) as well as its book, “The Best 373 Colleges — 2011 Edition.”
The rankings have been criticized as being unscientific — they’re based on surveys given to 122,000 students at 373 colleges — but they’re still fun watercooler fodder.
