Marist Ranked 8th in Princeton Review Study Abroad Category

Marist College garnered a Top 10 ranking in the latest edition of the Princeton Review. In addition to placing 20th in the “Most Beautiful Campus” category, the school’s crown jewel--its study abroad program--was deemed 8th most popular in the nation.  

“We have enjoyed working to grow our study abroad program, in terms of numbers of students abroad, the development of major-specific programs, and broadening our global reach. It is important to us that students have access to programs that help to foster their particular goals– academic, personal, and professional,” Marist International Programs wrote in an email.  

The ranking was derived from a survey conducted by the Princeton Review in which students at 384 colleges were asked for their opinions on specific aspects of their schools. For a  school that ranks highly in any of the Review’s 62 categories, its students indicated a very high consensus of opinion about that topic. For the study abroad category, colleges were ranked based on how strongly students agreed or disagreed with the statement: “Studying abroad is popular.”

Marist offers over 50 study abroad programs, ranging from year long, semester long, to shorter periods. The school also provides students with the opportunity to petition for a new location.

In this coming academic year, 36 students will spend their first year in Florence, Italy, studying at Lorenzo de Medici--Marist’s campus abroad. Marist representatives say this program, designed for freshmen, aims to push students in their coursework while working in an environment that allows for the exploration of culture.

In addition to the Freshman Florence experience, Marist is set to launch its new Freshman Dublin experience this academic year, with 29 students spending their first year in Ireland before returning to the Poughkeepsie campus to finish their undergraduate degree.

The Ireland experience is not the only major addition coming to Marist in the academic year of 2018-2019. Spring semester 2019 brings the ribbon cutting of Marist’s New York real estate, which was announced in June of 2018. The school purchased the 14th floor of 420 Fifth Avenue in midtown, Manhattan. The floor will have  corporate, graduate and undergraduate offerings.

The New York City space parallels the Marist in Manhattan program that the school already provides. Marist in Manhattan is an alternate study abroad program which allows for students to live in Manhattan while maintaining internships and continuing their coursework online.

“Looking to the future, we hope to open additional, Marist-signature programs that engage students in their intellectual passions, facilitate avenues and opportunities for personal growth, and challenge participants to develop new skills and perspectives of the world around them,” Marist International Program representatives said.

The Princeton Review, published by Random House, is a college admissions services company that has existed for over 35 years. According to its website, its goal is to assist students and their families prepare for university, encouraging them to strive for their dream schools. With available private tutoring, SAT and ACT prep, and information on different degrees and programs covering a range of universities, the Princeton Review has been highly regarded for years. Its aim is to “help students knock down barriers and achieve their academic goals. We are solely on the side of the students.”