Brenau named Best in Southeast by Princeton Review

For the 15th consecutive year, Brenau University was named to The Princeton Review’s “Best in the Southeast” section of the 2020 Best Colleges: Region by Region.

The feature placed Brenau in the top 22% of the nation’s 3,000 four-year colleges, and it considered colleges throughout the Southeast, Midwest, Northeast, West and international regions.

The methodology for the rankings includes building scores on a scale from 60-99. Brenau specifically excelled thanks to its high-quality academics — with a score of 87, esteemed and accessible professors — score of 83 — and student quality of life, which also scored 83. Factors in these ratings included how many hours students study outside of the classroom, the quality of students the school attracts, how happy students are with their lives outside of the classroom and more. The university also scored a perfect 99 in fire safety.

“We know that here at Brenau we offer an impressive array of academic offerings grounded in the liberal arts and taught within an intimate environment,” said Emily Zank, assistant vice president for academic affairs. “Through a delicate balance of challenging and supporting students, our dedicated faculty and staff have a long history of celebrating with students as they launch into fulfilling lives and careers. The Office of Academic Affairs is thrilled Brenau has been recognized for its academic excellence amongst its peers.”

Students’ quality of life is measured through surveys, polling and feedback from Brenau students. The Brenau profile on the Princeton Review site includes student comments, including one that said Brenau professors are “very supportive and understanding and are always available when you need them,” and another said “they care about their students and want to help them succeed.” One student mentioned the family-like atmosphere by saying, “We are really big on getting to know people, especially incoming freshmen.”

“I am extremely proud and pleased Brenau has ranked highly in students’ quality of life,” said Amanda Lammers, vice president for student services. “My staff and I make sure students feel cared for and care for each other. Over the past four years we have intensified the effort of caring and communication and that’s what makes a difference.”

Robert Franek, editor-in-chief of The Princeton Review, noted that the company considered data from its survey of administrators at several hundred colleges in each region, information from staff visits to schools over the years, and the opinions of college counselors and advisors whose perspectives the company solicits.

“We chose Brenau University and the other outstanding institutions on this list primarily for their academics,” Franek said. “We also consider what students enrolled at the schools reported to us on our student survey about their campus experiences.”