Back, to back, to back, to back, to back. It’s a fivepeat.

For the fifth year in a row, California State University, Stanislaus has been named among the best 373 colleges for undergraduate education by The Princeton Review.

"We commend CSU Stanislaus for its outstanding academics, which is the primary criteria for our selection of schools for the book,” said Robert Franek, Princeton Review's senior VP / Publishing and author of “The Best 373 Colleges.”  “Our choices are based on institutional data we collect about schools, our visits to schools over the years, feedback we gather from students attending the schools, and the opinions of our staff and our 28-member National College Counselor Advisory Board.  We also work to keep a wide representation of colleges in the book by region, size, selectivity and character." 

Just 15 percent of America’s 2,500 four year colleges – along with two Canadian institutions – were selected for “The Best 373 Colleges” this year. The book doesn’t rank the colleges from one  to 373.

CSU Stanislaus earned a further nod, though, being named one of 120 “Best in the West” colleges.

“Being named among the top universities in the country for five years in a row is a testament to the student dedication, academic excellence, and passionate faculty and staff at CSU Stanislaus,” said University President Hamid Shirvani.  “We are all committed to serving our students by supporting their creativity and challenging them intellectually.”

 The Princeton Review singled out CSU Stanislaus’ programs in nursing, criminal justice, and psychology as top-notch, as well as indicating the teacher credential program is one of the best in California. The academic excellence is made possible by friendly, accessible faculty, who are well educated, well written, experienced, and go out of their way to help students, according to students surveyed by The Princeton Review.

In addition to academics, CSU Stanislaus was recognized for high student retention and graduation rates. The university was one of just 12 public universities nationwide to be recognized by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities for “demonstrating exceptional performance in retention and graduation rates.” More than 50 percent of CSU Stanislaus students graduate in six years or less.

“Student success is facilitated by a dense network of resources including consistent advising, a strong first-year program, frequent and meaningful contact with professors, and supportive staff and administrators,” according to The Princeton Review.

CSU Stanislaus was also commended for its academic services, environmental policies, and “beautiful and friendly” campus. The student survey found a diverse student body, interaction between different types of students, a low cost of living, and very little drug use.

Despite the high ranking, the report wasn’t all roses.

State budget cuts have had in impact on the university, according to students surveyed by the Review, leading to course cancellations. According to the student quoted, many students are forced to spend an extra year at CSU Stanislaus to find a seat in required classes.