Seton Hill University is one of the best colleges in the Northeast according to The Princeton Review. The only Westmoreland County, Pa. university to achieve this designation, Seton Hill University is recommended by The Princeton Review in its recent publication, “The Best Northeastern Colleges: 2011 edition.”

“We’re pleased to recommend Seton Hill University. We chose it…as ‘regional best’ mainly for its excellent academic programs,” said Robert Franek, Princeton Review senior vice president, publishing. “From several hundred schools in each region, we winnowed our list based on institutional data we collected from the schools, our visits to schools over the years and the opinions of our staff, plus college counselors and advisors whose recommendations we invite. We also take into account what the students at the schools reported to us about their campus experience…”

For this project, The Princeton Review asks current students to rate their own school on several issues, from accessibility of their professors to the quality of campus life. Colleges and universities were rated on a scale of 60-99. The ratings categories and scores Seton Hill received include: Academics-75, Admissions Selectivity-82, Financial Aid-74 and Quality of Life-79.

Regarding the Academics category, student comments to The Princeton Review included, “Students come to Seton Hill University for a quality liberal arts education delivered in the context of a small and supportive environment,” “Faculty and staff genuinely care about the well-being and success of each and every student,” “Faculty members take the time to know their students and become involved in their learning,” “A typical Seton Hill student is active and social and very focused on school work” and “This school empowers students with a liberal arts education and a foundation in Catholic Social Teaching to make meaningful contributions as productive members of society.”

“Seton Hill is unique because it is rooted in tradition but very progressive in its approach to education,” commented Katie Fritsch, president, Seton Hill Government Association. “I love that Seton Hill was the first school in the nation to create a program that will deliver an iPad to every full-time student this fall. It will be amazing to see how the teaching and learning environment is enhanced on our campus. Seton Hill is serious about preparing us for the future and even better, helping us create it.”

The 218 colleges The Princeton Review chose for its “Best Northeastern Colleges” book and website list are located in 11 states, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont and the District of Columbia. The Princeton Review also designated 152 colleges in the Midwest, 120 in the West and 130 in the Southeast as the best in their locales on the company’s “2011 Best Colleges: Region by Region” lists. Collectively, the 623 colleges named “regional bests” constitute 25 percent of the nation’s 2,500 four-year colleges.

The Princeton Review, headquartered in Framingham, Mass., with editorial offices in New York, N.Y., has been a pioneer and leader in helping students achieve their higher education goals for more than 28 years through college and graduate school test preparation and tutoring. With more than 165 print and digital publications and a free website, the company provides students and their parents with the resources to research, apply to, prepare for, and learn how to pay for higher education. The Princeton Review also partners with schools and guidance counselors throughout the U.S. to assist in college readiness, test preparation and career planning services, helping more students pursue postsecondary education. The company also owns and operates Penn Foster Education Group, a global leader in online education. Penn Foster provides career-focused degree and vocational programs in the fields of allied health, business, technology, education, and select trades through the Penn Foster High School and Penn Foster Career School, which are headquartered in Scranton, Pa.