Rankings are based on data points including a survey of 170,000 students responding to 98 prompts and questions; among them, how strongly students agree or disagree with the statements “Students are committed to community service” and “How do you rate your school’s science lab facilities?”
University students quoted by the Princeton Review said Scranton emphasizes “well-rounded education” with “discussions, hands-on learning with simulation laboratories and outdoor classes.”
“There are also a number of service-oriented clubs and ‘activities like volunteering at food pantries or helping with educational programs for underserved communities (are) especially meaningful,’” it said.
The most recent Community and Economic Impact Report, produced by the University’s Office of Community Relations, found that University students provided tens of thousands of hours of community service during the 2023-24 academic year. The Center of Service and Social Justice works regularly with 120-plus local nonprofit organizations on projects including food, clothing, gift and blood drives, mentoring and summer camp programs for area youth and other special events.
The University’s Loyola Science Center (LSC), a four-story, state-of-the-art facility with 34 laboratories, is home to the University’s biology, chemistry, physics/electrical engineering, mathematics and computer science departments. Leahy Hall, home to the University’s physical therapy, occupational therapy, kinesiology and other health science programs, includes more than 30 laboratories and traditional and active-learning classrooms, including an Orthopedic and Therapeutic Modalities laboratory, a Rehabilitation and Neurological laboratory and a hospital simulation room. Scranton also has new laboratory spaces for mechanical engineering research, design, development, building and testing.
“We don’t rank colleges based on our opinion of them nor would we crown a school ‘best’ overall,” Franek said. “It is what the students attending the colleges in this book tell us about their experiences at their schools that determines on which lists the schools appear in our book.”