Based on student surveys, Pitzer tops the list of best private colleges and universities for making an impact
Claremont, Calif. (April 26, 2022)—The Princeton Review has ranked Pitzer College #1 among the Top 20 Best Schools for Making an Impact (Private Schools) on the Best Value Colleges 2022 rankings. The Making an Impact rankings were based on student survey responses to questions about community service opportunities, student government, sustainability efforts, and on-campus student engagement.
According to The Princeton Review survey responses, everyone at Pitzer “is passionate about something. You won’t find a single student who isn’t somehow involved on campus outside of the classroom.” Additionally, “multiple student-run eateries [and] strong student organizations” create a “collaborative atmosphere.” According to one respondent, Pitzer students “grow as individuals through liberal arts studies and through relationships that they build.”
At Pitzer, students have a plethora of opportunities to connect with the world and “make an impact.” All students take a social justice theory and social responsibility praxis course sequence to gain an understanding of community engagement through service, research, community-based education, and more.
Pitzer provides several hubs for students to deepen their involvement. Last year alone, students completed more than 14,000 hours of community engagement work through Pitzer’s Community Engagement Center, which connects with local organizations to create community-based research, service learning, and experiential education opportunities. The Robert Redford Conservancy for Southern California Sustainability prepares students to create solutions to the most challenging environmental and sustainability issues facing the planet, and the Institute for Global/Local Action & Study helps Pitzer students become “engaged, socially responsible citizens of the world.” The College’s Racial Justice Initiative supports productive discussion, analysis, and activism, and the Justice Education Initiative at The Claremont Colleges is based on Pitzer’s campus. In 2021, Pitzer students’ high voter turnout earned Pitzer a platinum seal award from the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge.
The Princeton Review ranked Pitzer College among the nation’s top higher education institutions in its Best 387 Colleges: 2022 Edition, which was released in August 2021. The College was also named a 2022 Best Western College in the rankings. The Princeton Review is a leading tutoring, test prep, and college admission services company that provides online and in-person courses, online resources, and more than 150 print and digital books published by Penguin Random House.
