The list ranks the top 123 public and private institutions from the western United States, placing Texas State in elite company.

This year’s edition features 654 schools in the Best Colleges: Region by Region section of PrincetonReview.com.  The regions include the Northeast, Midwest, Southeast and West.  The list is based on data The Princeton Review obtained from a survey that asked 120,000 students at 366 top colleges to rate their schools in dozens of categories and report on their campus experiences.

Ranking lists reporting the top 20 colleges in more than 50 categories are in new 2008 edition of The Princeton Review's annual college guide "Best 366 Colleges." List categories report on campus political leanings, race/class relations, social scene, gay community acceptance and town-gown relations.

"In our opinion, each school in this book is a 'best' when it comes to academics" says Robert Franek, the book's author at The Princeton Review. "But as anyone visiting colleges can attest, their campus cultures and offerings differ greatly. We compile rankings in multiple categories to give college applicants and their parents--particularly those who can't visit these schools--a wide range of information to decide which of these academically outstanding colleges will be best for them. It's all about the fit."