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.
The 2026 list, released as part of the organization’s annual college rankings, placed Thomas Aquinas College in Santa Paula at No. 5, Harvey Mudd College in Claremont at No. 10 and Claremont McKenna College, also in Claremont, at No. 15. Washington and Lee University in Virginia took the top spot, while Thomas Aquinas ranked No. 5 nationally among schools recognized for classroom experience.
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.
Claremont McKenna College added a third California entry in the top 15. The school is known for programs tied to government, economics, public affairs, and leadership. The three placements show California’s strength outside its large public university systems. The state’s results came from smaller private colleges where undergraduate teaching is central to campus identity.
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.
That method gives the list a different focus than rankings based on admission rates, research budgets, alumni earnings, or graduation data. It reflects how current students describe the daily learning environment. The broader 2026 college rankings draw from surveys of more than 170,000 students at 391 colleges. The organization publishes category lists instead of ranking all schools from first to last overall.
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.
That approach aligns closely with the ranking’s emphasis on discussion and professor engagement. A school built around conversation may score well when students value participation, preparation, and direct academic exchange. The placement also shows how smaller liberal arts colleges can compete nationally when the measure is classroom quality. Name recognition alone does not determine this category.
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.
Harvey Mudd’s presence on the list highlights the strength of its classroom instruction at a highly demanding STEM college. Its students face rigorous expectations in science and engineering while also completing a broader core curriculum. Claremont McKenna’s ranking reflects a different academic identity. Its strength lies in political science, economics, public policy, leadership studies, and undergraduate research.
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.
Large universities can offer extensive research programs, major athletic brands, and broad course catalogs. Smaller colleges may offer more direct classroom access and stronger relationships between students and professors. The latest ranking rewards the second model. It favors schools where students report that professors are effective, classrooms are active, and attendance is strong.
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.
A classroom ranking cannot answer every question. It does not show whether a school is affordable for a specific family. It does not measure every major equally. It does not replace campus visits, financial aid comparisons, or conversations with current students. But it gives families a useful signal. Students already on campus are describing where learning feels serious, engaging, and consistent.
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…