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Lt. Col. Jeff Boleng looks over then-Cadets 3rd Class Bradford Smith and James Colvin III during a computer science course at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo. The Princeton Review ranks the Air Force Academy's faculty fifth in the nation in "most accessible professors” in the 2012 edition of “The Best 376 Colleges.” (U.S. Air Force photo/David Armer)
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Academy ranked among nation's best colleges

Posted 8/2/2011 Email story   Print story

    

8/2/2011 - U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. (AFNS) -- The Air Force Academy received top-10 rankings in most available professors, low drug and alcohol use, and best school administration, according to The Best 376 Colleges book, released today by Princeton Review.

The Princeton Review ranks the Air Force Academy's faculty fifth in the nation in "most accessible professors" and ranked the Academy's administration as No. 9 in the nation in "School Runs Like Butter."

At the U.S. Air Force Academy, the student-faculty ratio is 8:1, average class size is 20, 100 percent of the faculty are full-time and no classes are taught by teaching assistants. Several academic departments here also staff extra instruction laboratories throughout the academic day, with at least one professor available each class period to help cadets tackle questions arising from their latest lessons. The Princeton Review ranked the Air Force Academy number one in professor availability in its 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 Best Colleges editions, and number four in the same category for its 2010 Best Colleges edition.

The Academy also came out in several other top-20 rankings in the nation, including:

- Don't Inhale - 1st
- Got Milk? - 4th
- Scotch and Soda, Hold The Scotch - 5th
- School Runs Like Butter - 9th
- Stone-Cold Sober Schools - 13th

The Air Force Academy was also selected as one of the Best Western Colleges on the book's regional college list. The Princeton Review features the Air Force Academy and other local colleges in The Best 376 Colleges, the new 2012 edition of its annual best colleges guide. The guide utilizes online student surveys in 62 categories to assess the academic, administrative, social, extracurricular and quality-of-life aspects at American colleges.

"Each of our 376 best colleges offers outstanding academics," says Robert Franek, the book's author and Princeton Review senior vice president and publisher. "We don't rank them hierarchically, 1 to 376, because they differ widely -- and importantly -- in their program offerings and campus culture, and that is their strength. Instead, we tally lists of the top 20 schools in 62 categories based entirely on what students at these schools tell us about their campus experiences. Our goal is not to crown one college 'best' overall, but to help applicants find and get in to the college best for them."

The book's college profiles and ranking lists are posted on http://www.princetonreview.com/college-rankings.aspx.  

The Air Force Academy's fall semester begins Aug. 4.

(Courtesy of the U.S. Air Force Academy Public Affairs.)



tabComments
8/4/2011 1:24:47 PM ET
I guess my comment is good enough to put up. I see how things are ran. Feedom of speech is not a practice here.
SSgt TRS, Somewhere
 
8/4/2011 12:25:42 PM ET
I thought it was more like $400,000 per student. Most available professors, low drug and alcohol use, best school administration -- LOL. Of course, at an overpriced military school! How about military retention since the school's education is focused around producing officers. Where does this say anything about true Academic ratings happiness, mental health or out of Air Force, demand for graduates since most don't stay in longer than the average officer. I've seen a lot of burnt out 2d Lt's come from this place. Not to mention the lack of maturity, social networking skills and arrogance from the few who make themselves most noticeable. I've seen some good ones and some bad ones, but overall nothing special.
Over rated, hidding under my desk
 
8/4/2011 1:25:29 AM ET
I know this is really taboo to say but if we are looking for places to reshape the DOD and save some money here is a place. The service academies are no longer needed as the number of good undergraduate institutions has grown. We spend so much more money per Lt created through the academies than we do through ROTC or OTS and no matter what the alumni think they do not produce better officers or worse either. We could return the active duty manning slots back to the fight. Our military should not be paying for all the extra stuff that comes with running a university such as sports etc.Also when we talk about increasing diversity you get a broader range of diversity through ROTC and OTS than the service academies.They are great schools and should continue as private institutions similar to Virginia Military Academy. But Im sure this idea will be shut down because of tradition.
Paul, Afghanistan
 
8/3/2011 11:27:02 AM ET
For the $250,000 it costs to produce a 2nd Lt in Colorodo Springs it had better be a good school. A great investment in 2nd Lts.
They Should Be, Louisiana
 
8/2/2011 6:07:31 PM ET
Being ranked high in quantity of milk being consumed isn't a very good predictor of success...
JM, MCCHORD
 
8/2/2011 12:14:14 PM ET
Congratulations It's great to hear that our future officers will be receiving a great education. However there's a reason no other academies rate so high. The focus is more on leadership than striving to compete with ivy league schools.
Same , Here
 
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