Princeton Review Names Champlain College Among Nation’s Best Colleges for 2026_365体育官网

Danni Johnson
Wed, 20 Aug 2025 18:15:11 +0000
Admissions Insider, News, 365体育官网, Admissions, AI, Champlain College

Champlain College is honored to announce that The Princeton Review has once again ranked the college among its “Best Colleges” list, placing it among 391 other top institutions from around the country in 2026. These annual rankings are based on in-depth surveys and feedback from currently enrolled students who rate their own experiences and highlight the college’s academic excellence.

“It’s a privilege to be included in The Princeton Review’s ‘Best Colleges’ list year after year. We are humbled by the success of our students, who continue to place Champlain in such good company on this annual list,” says Champlain College President Alex Hernandez. “At Champlain, Experience is included in our education—students graduate Ready with real-world skills, professional connections, and a portfolio of meaningful work.”

What Makes Champlain Different?

Since 1878, Champlain has been reinventing higher education through an innovative approach that puts real-world learning at its center. From day one, students start developing the skills employers want through hands-on experiences that go far beyond traditional classroom learning. Our dedicated faculty and small class sizes create a close-knit community where students receive personalized guidance from student success advisors, career coaches, and industry experts every step of the way.

Champlain’s commitment to experiential education is a driving force behind a growing number of industry partnerships. In 2022, Champlain announced a formal partnership with Hula, a technology-driven campus housing over 80 unique startup businesses. Today, a dedicated coordinator works to connect businesses with classes for projects and with individual students for internships.

Additionally, our recent partnership with NuHarbor Security has expanded the physical footprint of the Leahy Center, as well as opportunities for students majoring in Digital Forensics, Computer Networking & Cybersecurity, and beyond.

Champlain’s academic offerings have long been structured around a “learning by doing” philosophy. In fact, last year the college celebrated its 20th anniversary of the Game Studio Experience, in which students from our seven Game Studio programs collaborate and create their own indie games for the annual senior show.

Our Students Are Getting Noticed

Two of our students were finalists for The Rookies contests: Caleb Spanier ’25 and Keegan Nilsson ’26.?

Success That Speaks For Itself

Champlain gets students Ready. Don’t believe us? Check out these recent campus and student success stories.

August 1, 2025

Forbes Features Champlain’s CyberStart Program

July 16, 2025

Inside Champlain College’s Real World Approach to Game Design

At Champlain, Experience is included in our education—students graduate Ready with real-world skills, professional connections, and a portfolio of meaningful work.

Alex Hernandez, Champlain President
More About Me

Alex Hernandez

President of Champlain College

Staff Member

Office of the President

Pronouns | He/Him/His

Areas of Expertise

Entrepreneurship

Education Innovation

Contact | Freeman Hall, Room 300

Biography

Alejandro (“Alex”) Hernandez was born to a family of public educators in Stockton, CA. His parents journeyed from Mexico and the Philippines, and, at each step of the way, education brought opportunity-through skilled trades, nursing certificates, education credentials and degrees. These experiences shaped Alex’s belief that career-focused education can change lives and help communities thrive.

Hernandez comes to Champlain College from the University of Virginia, where he served as the Dean of the School of Continuing and Professional Studies (SCPS) and Vice Provost of 365体育官网 Learning. At UVA, Hernandez championed access, affordability, and opportunity through its bachelor’s completion, professional certificate, and graduate programs. Alex helped SCPS enroll its largest undergraduate class in school history, launch its first master’s degree, and pursue a strategy that combined in-demand digital skills with the human skills needed for long-term career success. He also taught undergraduate courses in entrepreneurship (SCPS) and education innovation (School of Education and Human Development).

Before joining UVA, Hernandez worked for the Charter School Growth Fund, a national education foundation, where he built the nonprofit’s Innovative Schools practice, one of the largest efforts in the country focused on personalized learning and career readiness. Hernandez began his education career teaching high school mathematics in South Los Angeles. He later became an administrator for Portland Public Schools in Oregon and then an area superintendent for Aspire Public Schools in California. Prior to entering the field of education, he worked at Steamboat Ventures, Disney’s venture capital arm, and at J.P. Morgan. Hernandez has an MBA and MA in Education from Stanford University and a BA from Claremont McKenna College. He is a moderator for the Aspen Global Leadership Network and a Pahara Institute fellow.

Alex is married to Michelle Moore Hernandez and is the proud father of twin boys, Akari and Mekhi.

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What’s Next

Champlain continues to push toward the future, introducing new innovations and academic programs regularly. Not only have we launched two new programs, Sonic Arts (BS) and Graphic Design (BA), but we are also future-proofing education and preparing students for the careers of tomorrow by providing them with the most relevant, career-focused education possible, starting from their first day on campus with our newly designed applied General Education.

Beginning Fall 2026, gen eds will be anything but general at Champlain College. These classes will be specific to each major and build on the sought-after skills employers search for. Also coming in Fall 2026, each major will also have a full year’s worth of flexible elective credits built into the curriculum, giving students the opportunity to have unique experiences or build credentials, intern abroad, or complete a co-op. Our recently announced Undergraduate Co-op Program will help students earn while they learn, make industry connections, and test-drive their career before graduation, all the while staying on track to graduate on time.

Being recognized among The Princeton Review’s “Best 391 Colleges” for 2026 reflects what the Champlain community has always known: When you combine innovative education with real-world experience, extraordinary outcomes follow. This recognition validates our commitment to preparing students not just for their first job, but for careers that don’t even exist yet.

About The Princeton Review

The Princeton Review has been helping students and parents navigate the college admissions process for over 30 years. Their annual “Best Colleges” rankings are based on comprehensive surveys of currently enrolled students, making them one of the most student-centered college rating systems available.