Hudson Valley Schools Make Several Princeton Review Lists

Local colleges scored high marks for grades, getting stoned, financial aid, protesting, tree-hugging and abandoning religion in the just-released Princeton Review annual college rankings.

The rankings grade colleges and universities across the country on academics and other social categories ranging from the most stoned to the best financial aid. Marist, SUNY New Paltz, Vassar and Bard all made it to this year's review with some revealing results.

Vassar scored #1 in the categories of Great Financial Aid and Best Financial Aid. The school has a generous scholarship program. Last year the average amount of assistance that was awarded to an undergraduate student was a whopping $45,100. According to the Princeton Review, the Poughkeepsie school also has the 7th best library in the nation. Students at Vassar rank 3rd out of all schools for being politically active and are the 8th least-religious student body in the country, just being beat out Bard College which is ranked as #7.

When it comes to their ranking outside the walls of the campus, however, Vassar gets much lower marks. The college was #12 on the list of "strained town-grown relations." The list is based on how students answer the question  "How well do students at your college get along with members of the local community?"

Marist College made the prestigious list of the best 381 colleges in the country. The list, which is not ranked but only listed alphabetically, is based on surveys of 143 thousand students. The schools are rated on many factors from financial aid to on-campus food.

Marist also made the list for Best Northeastern Schools, 50 Colleges That Create Futures and came in at #28 in a list of the Top Undergraduate Schools for Video Game Design.

SUNY New Paltz was also included as one of the Best Northeastern Schools, another list that is not ranked, but alphabetically compiled among the best options from the region.

Bard College in Annandale-On-Hudson appeared on the most lists of any Hudson Valley institution. Some of the most interesting rankings include 4th in the country for Nobody Plays Intramural Sports, a #6 ranking for Tree-Hugging Vegetarians and being the 11th "highest" school in the country on the Reefer Madness list.

In addition to being the 7th least religious school in the country, Bard also made rankings for Best College Theater (11), LGBTQ-Friendly (14), Most Accessible Professors (14), Most Liberal Students (9) and Most Politically Active Students (9). The school was also ranked among the best 381 colleges in the country.