CHESTERTOWN, MD—Washington College students are among the happiest in the nation, according to the 2016 edition of The Princeton Review’s influential Best Colleges guide, which was published online today. The College was ranked 16th in a top-20 list based on a simple question on the student survey: “Overall, how happy are you?” 

“I’m happy to hear that,” said Xavier Cole, Vice President of Student Affairs. “Our staff and faculty work very hard to keep our students engaged with the life of the college and to provide opportunities for curricular and co-curricular activities toward that end. It’s good to know that the results are showing up in quantifiable ways.” 

New College president Sheila C. Bair, who assumed office August 3, the day before the survey results were announced, said she is pleased but not surprised by the happiness ranking. “It’s part of what drew me here, that warmth and sense of community the campus projects and how much the students appreciate their school and their professors.  I’ve been met with a lot of smiles, and we’ll be doing all we can to make our new students feel welcome when they arrive later this month,” said Bair, former chair of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).  

The Princeton Review guide, titled Best 380 Colleges, is based on surveys of 136,000 students at the top 380 colleges and universities across the country. Student responses to 80 questions, as well as institutional data, were then used to create 62 ranking lists on  everything from the quality of campus food to how liberal or conservative the students tend to be. 

In summing up the student survey results for Washington College, the guide reports: “Students are happy. Lab facilities are great. Internships are widely available.”