California colleges secured several high placements in The Princeton Review’s latest Best Classroom Experience ranking, giving the state a strong showing in a category that measures how students rate teaching, discussion, facilities and attendance.
California schools make the top 15
Thomas Aquinas College was the highest-ranked California institution on the list. The private Catholic liberal arts college sits in Santa Paula, about 70 miles northwest of Los Angeles, and is known for a small-campus academic model built around reading, discussion and close faculty engagement.
Harvey Mudd College gave California another top-10 placement. The school is widely known for science, engineering, and mathematics, but its curriculum also includes requirements in the humanities and social sciences.
Student ratings drive the list.
The Best Classroom Experience ranking is not a general ranking of all colleges. It focuses on how students describe their academic experience inside classrooms and labs. The ranking is based on student surveys, including student ratings of professors, classroom and lab facilities, time spent in class discussion, and the percentage of classes students attend.
Thomas Aquinas leads state results.
Thomas Aquinas College’s No. 5 ranking reflects a classroom model that differs from the lecture-heavy approach used at many large institutions. The college describes its teaching style as discussion-based rather than lecture-based, with students expected to complete readings, develop arguments, and participate actively in class.
Claremont schools strengthen California, showing.
Harvey Mudd and Claremont McKenna gave the Claremont Colleges consortium two top-15 schools in the same ranking. Both campuses are part of a group of neighboring institutions that maintain separate identities while sharing academic opportunities. That model can give students access to more courses than a single small college would normally provide. Harvey Mudd says students can take classes across the consortium, and cross-registration costs nothing extra for eligible students.
Small colleges dominate the upper ranks.
The top of the Best Classroom Experience list is dominated by private colleges and liberal arts institutions. Washington and Lee, Wellesley, Reed, Denison, and Thomas Aquinas filled the first five positions. That pattern points to the advantage smaller schools may have in this category. They often compete on close faculty contact, discussion-based courses, undergraduate teaching and campus communities where students are expected to participate.
Families weigh teaching quality.
The ranking arrives as families continue to question the cost of higher education. Tuition, housing, fees, and student debt have made the value of the classroom a bigger part of the college search. A college’s name can still carry weight. But applicants increasingly want to know what they will experience after they enroll.
Students are asking whether professors teach undergraduates directly. Parents are asking whether classes are worth the cost. Families are comparing financial aid, academic support, career services, and graduation outcomes before making decisions.
Ranking gives applicants sharper questions.
The list can help applicants ask better questions during the admissions process. Instead of focusing only on selectivity, students can ask how classes are taught. They can ask how much time is spent in discussion. They can ask whether professors are accessible outside class. They can ask whether labs are modern and whether students attend class because the experience is useful.
They can also ask how the school supports students who struggle. A strong classroom experience should include academic challenge and meaningful support. Those questions matter because college is a long-term financial decision. For many families, the classroom is where the value of that decision becomes clear.
The Princeton Review’s 2026 Best Classroom Experience ranking now places Thomas Aquinas, Harvey Mudd and Claremont McKenna among the highest-rated schools in the country for classroom experience. California’s showing does not mean every applicant should choose a Golden State school. It does show that several California colleges are drawing strong student marks for teaching, discussion, and academic engagement.
The next update will come with the next annual rankings cycle. For now, the 2026 list gives students and parents a clearer look at California campuses where the classroom remains the main selling point.
