BLOOMINGTON - The Princeton Review has picked perennial favorite Illinois Wesleyan University as one of its top 368 undergraduate schools.

Only 15 percent of the 2,500 four-year colleges in the United States have been selected for inclusion in the book, along with two colleges in Canada.

"One of the reasons people tend to like the Princeton Review is that it doesn't attempt to rank the (top) schools in a numerical way," said Matt Kurz, IWU communications vice president.

He said IWU leaders were happy to learn of the school's inclusion in the guide.

"Anytime you get an objective third party to help validate your value to your students, to attest to the quality of your institution, you're pleased," he said.

The book features a two-page profile of Bloomington's 159-year-old private liberal arts university.

IWU was credited as offering personalized attention, quality faculty and staff, and a comfortable environment where students can be themselves. The students also praised IWU's multidisciplinary approach to education.

According to the Princeton Review staff, school selection is based on academic data, institutional data, current students' responses and other factors.

The company surveyed 120,000 students, including about 325 at Illinois Wesleyan. Students completed an 80-question survey, which asked them to rate the university on several topics.