Hollins University is one of the best colleges in the Southeast and one of the country’s best institutions for undergraduate education according to the nationally-known education services company, The Princeton Review.

Hollins is one of 135 colleges and universities The Princeton Review recommends in the "Best in the Southeast" section of its Web site feature, "2012 Best Colleges: Region by Region." The 12-state Southeast Region includes colleges in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.

"We’re pleased to recommend Hollins as one of the best schools from which to earn an undergraduate degree,” said The Princeton Review’s Robert Franek. "We chose it and the other terrific institutions we name as 'regional best' colleges mainly for their excellent academic programs. From several hundred schools in each region, we winnowed our list based on institutional data we collected directly from the schools, our visits to schools over the years, and the opinions of our staff, plus college counselors and advisors whose recommendations we invite."

Hollins is also featured in the 2012 edition of The Princeton Review’s annual college guide, The Best 376 Colleges. Only about 15% of the country’s 2,500 four-year colleges are in the book, which includes profiles based on surveys completed by students.

In their responses, Hollins students stated the university offers "an intimate atmosphere” that "feels like a community or family, not an institution." They added that “a Hollins education is inspiring and nothing short of life-changing."

The Best 376 Colleges is the 20th edition of The Princeton Review’s annual "best colleges" book.