FIVE MINUTES WITH THE PRESIDENT
Five Minutes
President Sidney A. McPhee touts the benefits of an affordable, quality education at MTSU— recently named a top college in the U.S. by the Princeton Review— to prospective students at a True Blue Tour stop.
A brief conversation on recent events with MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee MTSU was recently rated as a top university in the U.S. by the Princeton Review in the 2020 edition of its guide, The Best 385 Colleges, a designation only 13% of America’s four-year colleges have earned. MTSU also received honors again as a top college in the Southeast Region. Tell me more about this impressive ranking.
This is the best showing by MTSU in the annual review. We are among only six new institutions making the national Best 385 Colleges list. In previous years, we have only appeared on the Best of the Southeast Region list. The Princeton Review does not rank schools overall from 1 to 385. Instead, this list appears in alphabetical order. MTSU is the only Tennessee locally governed institution on the Best in the U.S. list and the only public institution other than the University of Tennessee–Knoxville noted in the state. This is significant, as there are more than 5,300 colleges and universities in the United States. We are now recognized as one of the best in the nation. 6 MTSU Magazine
The survey that serves as the basis for the list asks students about their school’s academics/ administration, campus life, student body, and themselves. Tell me about some of your favorite responses, starting with academics.
The listing described MTSU as a “go-to choice” for those wishing to receive a quality and affordable education close to home. It stressed that the school offers more than 180 degree programs for undergraduates—some that are not seen in other universities, such as Animation. One student said, “You can literally major in Fermentation [Science] and learn about the process of brewing beer.” And Princeton Review noted that students find these “highly specialized programs are closely tied to their industry, which means really good job placement.” As far as professors go, they “like to be on a first-name basis” with students and often “make it a point to get to know you.” Students call our faculty “very helpful and fair” and “thorough in every aspect of the subject matter.” One of our students shared:
