Fueled by dedicated faculty, nationally-ranked career services, and buzzing campus life, Southwestern University has been named one of the nation’s best academic undergraduate institutions for 2026. The Princeton Review, a leading education services company, has once again featured Southwestern in their annual college guide, The Best 391 Colleges.

The Princeton Review does not rank the schools in The Best 391 Colleges hierarchically from 1 to 391, however, the publication does include 50 categories of ranking lists, each naming the top 25 schools in a particular category.

Southwestern’s award-winning Center for Career and Professional Development (CCPD) once again earned national recognition, ranking #19 on The Princeton Review’s “Best Career Services” list — the only university in Texas to be included. SU also earned distinction as #12 nationally on the “Professors Get High Marks” list. In addition, Southwestern ranked #24 on the “Everyone Plays Intramural Sports” list and secured a place among the nation’s Top 50 Green Colleges, the only institution in Texas to earn that distinction. The University is also highlighted in the unranked categories of Best Value Colleges and Best Colleges in the Southwest, and is included in the Guide to Green Colleges.

“Southwestern University has outstanding academic programs and the feedback we received from its students we surveyed was very impressive,” The Princeton Review’s Editor-in-Chief and lead author of The Best 391 Colleges Rob Franek said. “We are delighted to name Southwestern as one of our best colleges for 2026 and to recommend it to students searching for their ‘best-fit’ college.”

In their profile on Southwestern, The Princeton Review praises the University’s interdisciplinary Paideia approach to higher education, which “emphasizes finding connections across the liberal arts, linking real-world experiences, research, and communities.” The publication spotlights SU’s faculty, stating “one of Southwestern’s greatest strengths is its professors. Their commitment to fostering curiosity and critical thinking is evident in how they challenge students to engage with complex ideas and push the boundaries of their understanding.”

Students surveyed highlighted “the abundance of amenities and events” available on campus, including outdoor activities, intramural sports, and student organizations, as well as the University’s close proximity to Austin and all that the capital city has to offer. The publication describes the student body as “a dynamic and eclectic mix of individuals united by a shared passion for learning and personal growth.”

Only about 15% of the nearly 2,400 four-year colleges across the country are included in the guidebook. The Princeton Review chose colleges based on its surveys of 2,000 college administrators regarding their institutions’ academic offerings. The company also surveyed students to rate their own schools on dozens of topics and to report on their campus experiences. Information on the methodology for the rankings and the student survey is on The Princeton Review’s website.

Founded in 1981, The Princeton Review is an education services company known for its tutoring, test-prep, admission services, school rankings, books, and other resources. Headquartered in New York, NY, it is not affiliated with Princeton University.