Rice University is ranked No. 1 for “happiest students” in the new Princeton Review annual college guide for the second year in a row. The guide also ranks Rice No. 2 for “best quality of life,” “best-run college” and “students’ love of their school.”
These rankings are based on survey responses of 122,000 students from 377 colleges in the United States that ranks colleges and universities in 62 categories, including quality of food, diversity and student happiness, according to the Princeton Review website.
“We attract the finest students in the world for Rice, the most academically talented, the highest achievers,” said John Hutchinson, Dean of Undergraduates at Rice University. “We think that our goal is to set high expectations, for what they can achieve when they come to Rice and then to provide them the resources, the environment, and the curriculum to achieve those goals. This is going to lead to happy and satisfied students who are on their way to achieve great things in life.”
Senior Laurie McNamara, a Sport Management major, agrees with the Princeton Review’s rankings. “Rice offers its students a great life balance and an outstanding support from professors and faculty members. The college system also creates a great environment that fosters friendships and satisfaction,” McNamara said.
Rice University’s President David Leebron thinks that the opportunities that are offered to students to take responsibility for their own environment, through college and student government and organizations, are some of the reasons why Rice students are the happiest.
Leebron added that the university’s administration is motivated by the results because it affirms the work of all faculty members. But he also assured that Rice will work on maintaining its student happiness ranking by continuing to communicate with students.
Michael Nuesslein, a senior from Bad Waldsee, Germany, in a Sport Management major.