U of A named a 'Best College' by The Princeton Review

University Marketing and Communications
Aug. 19, 2026
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University of Arizona campus with students in front of Old Main

The University of Arizona is once again featured in The Princeton Review's list of America's best universities.

The U of A appears in the education service company's "The Best 392 Colleges: 2027 Edition," published Tuesday. The U of A earned its best ratings in fire safety (99), sustainability/green campus (94) and quality of life (84). All ratings are based on a scale of 60 to 99, with 99 being the best possible score.

The university's perfect score in fire safety earned it a spot on the publication's Fire Safety Honor Roll – one of 62 colleges and universities to attain this distinction.

The U of A also received strong scores in professor accessibility (88), financial aid (86), admissions (84) and academics (77).

In addition to the ratings, The Princeton Review also publishes several numerically ranked lists for various categories relating to academics and campus life. The U of A ranked No. 6 in  Everyone Plays Intramural Sports, No. 12 in Best Health Services (the 13th consecutive year Campus Health has appeared in this list), and No. 30 in entrepreneurship (No. 5 in the Southwest).

The Princeton Review chooses school for its Best Colleges list based on data it collects annually from surveys of college administrators about their institutions' academic offerings. Only about 15% of America's four-year colleges make the list. The specific ratings are based on data from The Princeton Review's survey of 172,000 students at the 392 listed schools.

The Princeton Review has previously recognized the U of A in its rankings of Best Value CollegesGreen Colleges and Best Southwestern Colleges, as well as a No. 18 ranking in the publication's Top 20 Best Schools for Financial Aid among public universities.

Students surveyed by The Princeton Review said that "amazing weather and a beautiful campus" help make the U of A "full of life and fun." They added that the U of A emphasizes "communicating with its students and keeping up to date with student life" and has a "supportive and large alumni network."

Survey respondents also said that "classrooms are often set up in a manner in which group discussion is encouraged" and that professors seek to create an "active learning environment."