One of 155 Best in the Midwest

The University of Missouri-Kansas City is one of 155 colleges that made the list of the Midwest’s best in The Princeton Review’s “2014 Best Colleges:  Region by Region”.

While the schools are not ranked in a particular order on Princeton’s website feature, UMKC was included due to its excellent academic programs, as well as data collected by Princeton Review, and what students attending the school reported about their experiences in the Princeton survey.

Princeton cited UMKC’s outstanding business programs, including the Regnier Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, which has helped students launch numerous money-making ventures. It also highlighted the School of Medicine’s unique six-year B.A./M.D. program due to its fast track to a medical degree for students with stellar credentials. Also recognized in the listing was the fine arts program, particularly the Conservatory of Music and Dance.

The 155 colleges chosen for Princeton’s “Best in the Midwest” list are located in Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin. A total of 643 colleges nationwide were named, including 226 colleges in the Northeast; 124 in the West; and 138 in the Southeast as best in their locales.

“We’re pleased to recommend these colleges to users of our site as the best schools to earn their undergrad degrees,” said Robert Franek, Princeton Review’s senior vice president/publisher. “We chose these as our ‘regional best’ colleges mainly for their excellent academic programs.

“From several hundred schools in each region, we winnowed our list based on institutional data we collected directly from the schools, our visits to schools over the years, and the opinions of our staff, plus college counselors and advisors whose recommendations we invite. We also take into account what students at the schools reported to us. Only schools that permit us to independently survey their students are eligible to be considered for our regional ‘best’ lists.”

Students were asked to rate their schools on issues including accessibility of their professors to the quality of their science lab facilities. They also were asked to respond to questions about themselves, their fellow students and their campus life.

“We are pleased to be included on The Princeton Review’s list of “2014 Best Colleges: Region by Region,” said Gail Hackett, UMKC’s executive vice chancellor and provost. “We appreciate the honest input of our students and strive to improve areas of concern to them. The Princeton Review list provides an opportunity for UMKC to be seen by thousands of students who may not otherwise know that we are a viable choice for their undergraduate degrees.”

The Princeton Review is an education services company widely known for its test prep programs and college and graduate school guides.