Rose Bialk/The Mossy Log
If Lewis & Clark had a dating profile, it would look something like this: beautiful, sustainable, liberal and politically active. However, what the school would not advertise in its bio suggests a much deeper problem within our community — one that the student body has self-reported as an issue: very little race/class interaction.
On Oct. 21, the Princeton Review published its “2026 College Rankings Lists,” featuring LC in eight lists: No. 9 in “Most Beautiful Campus,” No. 13 in “Most Politically Active Students,” No. 5 in “Most Politically Liberal Students,” No. 17 in “Top 50 Green Colleges,” No. 19 in “Best College Newspaper,” No. 2 in “Least Religious Students,” No. 1 in “Reefer Madness,” and notably, “No. 3 in Little Race/Class Interaction.”
Though the rankings may seem superficial, they are not a reflection of The Princeton Review’s opinions or views of the 391 colleges included in the book, but rather, are based on data collected from surveys of 170,000 students nationwide during the 2024-25 school year. Each college is given a score based on students’ answers to questions on a five-point scale, allowing The Princeton Review to compile and compare the data.
While LC received many positive rankings, the fact that we were ranked alarmingly high at No. 3 for “Little Race/Class Interaction” out of so many other colleges should draw attention. This ranking does not come from a random journal editor’s desk — it comes from us. The list is a public representation of our school and the opinions expressed by the student body and should be critically evaluated and spark conversation about what our school is succeeding at and where we need to improve.
LC loves to talk about our image — on social media, community spaces and the website. The school received high marks in multiple categories, elevating the college’s reputation and fostering pride among students. It is hard to argue that LC’s campus is anything short of idyllic, ranked No. 9 in beauty. Abundant nature, gorgeous architecture, sprawling estate gardens — LC has it all. LC students hold a deep appreciation for the school’s landscape — they note the winding forest ravine, the serene reflecting pool and the hiking trails laced throughout the campus. Historical buildings such as the ivy-covered Frank Manor House and the picturesque chapel are among the most admired structures across the grounds. It is easy to flaunt the beauty of our school, but uncovering what is beneath it is where it gets messy. The drastic divide among the student body is not something you will find in a brochure.
Unsurprisingly, LC also ranked among the nation’s top “50 Green Colleges,” landing at No. 17. LC has long been dedicated to sustainability, with initiatives like the Climate Action Plan, the Farm to Fork Initiative and strong academic environmental programs. There are many opportunities for students to engage with sustainability on campus, including organizations like Students Engaged in Eco-Defense, the Environmental Action Living-Learning Community and a variety of student-led events, workshops and projects. Being among the top Green Colleges in the U.S. could be considered one of LC’s proudest accomplishments. However, if our mission does not include community well-being — by fostering inclusion, support and diversity — then can we truly call ourselves sustainable?
Despite our cultural-interaction deficit, the college was still ranked No. 13 for “Most Politically Active Students” and No. 5 for “Most Politically Liberal Students.” The rankings show that, unlike our campus, LC students do not just sit and look pretty. Activism across campus has surged during an increasingly tense and disheartening time in our country’s history. Organizations like Students for Justice in Palestine of Palatine Hill have hosted protests, fundraisers and events in support of Palestine. Recently, the college divested its endowment funds from all weapons manufacturers, finally aligning its investments with the values of the student body and ending the nearly two-year-long struggle between students and administration. LC students care, and they show it. However, while we excel at speaking out about global and societal issues, we struggle to look inwards and address the problems within our own community. The Princeton Review ratings should serve as a wake-up call for students and faculty — if we really care about fighting for social justice, then we should start here.
The rankings uncover what the student body truly thinks about our community, and it does not align with how the college wants to be perceived. According to Fall 2025 undergraduate demographic data, 60% of the student body is white. While LC advertises an exceptional education in an inclusive environment, promising on their website that, “we are guided by a commitment to diversity, equity, sustainability, global-mindedness, and the pursuit of a more just society,” considering that only 40% of students are people of color, and just 6.4% are international, the statement falls flat.
Socioeconomic diversity tells a similar story: LC reports that 27% of students are Pell-eligible and only 19% are first-generation. As a private liberal arts college, LC is far from affordable for many, even with financial aid and scholarships. While the vast majority of undergraduate students receive some form of financial assistance, the gap among students is palpable. Students express that it often manifests subtly, bleeding into their everyday lives, from passing comments to the struggle of balancing work and school, while classmates receive generous weekly allowances from their parents.
Students feel this divide, and the survey results reflect that. LC cannot continue to use diversity as simply a statistic to point to. On their website, the college boasts of our top four most “notable” rankings — the No. 9 on “Most Beautiful Campus,” No. 13 on “Most Politically Active Students,” No. 17 on “Top 50 Green Colleges” and No. 19 on “Best College Newspaper” — with no acknowledgement of the less favorable rankings we have received.
Our negative rankings directly contradict LC’s mission statement and call out an institutional problem. If LC takes our praiseworthy rankings seriously, then they must give the negative ones the same attention. We should absolutely be striving to improve our negative placements, and the college must recognize the survey results as a true reflection of students’ experiences on campus.
To their credit, LC does have a few programs that address inclusivity and belonging. The college states its mission regarding diversity:
“To create an institutional culture of belonging, where all community members can fully participate such that they can teach, lead, grow, and critically engage in a dynamic global world.”
The Office of Inclusion and Multicultural Engagement is a campus resource that supports students of color, first-generation students and students within the LGBTQ+ community. Meanwhile, LC’s Financial Aid Office offers need‑based grants, scholarships and federal work‑study options to support lower-income students in financing their education.
These are necessary features of the school, but they do not eliminate the lack of interaction between students of different races and economic backgrounds. Whether you agree with all of the rankings or not, they are composed of student voices and should be treated as such. Silence will not make these issues disappear — it will only make them fester. The Princeton Review’s “2026 College Rankings List” serves as a glimpse into what our school should be proud of and where we are sorely lacking, and it is up to both students and administrators to take the insights it gives us and use them to improve students’ experiences and LC’s reputation.
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