Eight Central Mass. colleges make new Princeton rankings

Photo | Grant Welker Worcester Polytechnic Institute

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Central Massachusetts colleges have made it into the Princeton Review's annual rankings, including for best education and more niche categories — like where students study the least, get involved in Greek life or smoke the most cannabis.

The publication's annual rankings, released Tuesday, include what it calls the 386 best colleges. Among those are Assumption University, Clark University, Becker College, College of the Holy Cross and Worcester Polytechnic Institute, all in Worcester.

Others made a list of the best in the Northeast, including those five, plus Nichols College in Dudley and Worcester State University.

WPI has taken home the most accolades in Princeton Review's most recent lists, some of which are updated at other times of the year.

WPI has been ranked on Princeton Review's list of colleges that best help their graduates find jobs, and green colleges, or those that have environmentally friendly practices. It is also sixth best for career placement, 12th for both best alumni network and undergraduate game design, 16th for both Greek life involvement and best value before aid is factored, 20th for internships and 32nd for best value.

Becker was ranked as having the second-best undergraduate game design program, behind only the University of Southern California.

Other schools were celebrated for being green, too, a list that includes Clark, Holy Cross, Worcester State and Framingham State University.

Some rankings are less likely to make it into colleges' marketing materials. Becker ranked second, behind only Emerson College in Boston, for students who study the least. Clark ranked 17th for students who like to get high, and WPI was 18th for students who are least politically active.