The Princeton Review Names Bradley One of the Nation’s Best Colleges for 2027

August 19, 2026

Bradley University has been named one of the nation’s best undergraduate institutions by The Princeton Review® in its 2027 edition of The Best 392 Colleges, released today, Aug. 18, by Penguin Random House.

Bradley is among just 392 colleges featured in the annual guide, which represents approximately 14% of the nation’s nearly 2,800 four-year colleges. Bradley also earned recognition on The Princeton Review’s Best Value Colleges and Best Midwest lists.

“Being recognized by The Princeton Review is a reflection of the many ways Bradley delivers an exceptional experience for our students,” said President James E. Shadid. “From the strength and accessibility of our faculty to the opportunities available beyond the classroom, we are focused every day on creating an environment where students can learn, grow and prepare for meaningful lives and careers. We are proud to see our students’ experiences reflected in this recognition.”

The Princeton Review’s selection is based on surveys of college administrators about their academic offerings as well as surveys of students about their campus experiences. For its 2027 guide, The Princeton Review collected feedback from approximately 172,000 students attending the featured colleges.

“We are delighted to name Bradley University one of our Best Colleges for 2027 and we recommend it to students searching for their ‘best-fit’ college,” said Rob Franek, The Princeton Review’s Editor-in-Chief and lead author of The Best 392 Colleges. “Bradley has outstanding academic programs. We also took into account the candid feedback we received about it from its very own customers—its enrolled students.”

In addition to its national recognition, Bradley earned strong ratings across several areas evaluated by The Princeton Review. Scores range from 60 to 99, with Bradley earning particularly high marks for Fire Safety (93) and Academic Professors Accessibility (91), highlighting the university’s commitment to a supportive and student-focused campus experience.
Bradley also earned ratings of 88 for Financial Aid, 85 for Quality of Life and 84 for Admissions.

The Princeton Review’s ratings are based primarily on institutional survey data, with some categories also incorporating student survey responses.

The Best 392 Colleges is The Princeton Review’s 35th annual edition of its flagship college guide, which debuted in 1992. The guide includes 50 ranking lists, each recognizing the top 25 schools in a particular category. The Princeton Review does not rank the colleges from 1 to 392 overall.

For more information about The Princeton Review’s 2027 college rankings, methodology and student survey, visit the Princeton Review website here.