University News
WIU: Princeton Review "Best Midwestern College" For 22 Years
October 7, 2026
MACOMB/MOLINE, IL - - Western Illinois University has been named a "Best Midwest: 2027 Best Colleges" by The Princeton Review for a 22nd year. WIU's outstanding academic programs and student success initiatives, along with its exceptional faculty and staff, have led WIU to be recognized.
The 150 colleges included in the "Best in the Midwest" list are located in 12 states: Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin. Collectively, the 630 colleges named "regional best(s)" comprise 23% of the nation's four-year colleges, according to The Princeton Review.
The Princeton Review editors make the selections based on data collected from surveys of administrators at several hundred colleges in each region, as they visit schools and the perspectives of college counselors and advisers, determinations are made.
"Western Illinois University has always been a place where opportunity is personal," said WIU President Kristi Mindrup. "Our faculty and staff know our students, believe in their potential and inspire them to build meaningful futures. This recognition reflects our outstanding academic programs, a culture of belonging, and our long standing commitment to partnering with students to support their success."
The selections also take into account what students at the schools report about their experiences via an in-depth survey. The Princeton Review asks students to rate their schools on several issues, from the accessibility of their professors to the quality of campus food, and to answer questions about themselves, their fellow students and their campus lives.
For more information on WIU, visit wiu.edu.
Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
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