Fairfield Ranks No. 1 for Little Race/Class Interaction
The Princeton Review's 2027 college guide places Fairfield University first in its Little Race/Class Interaction category.
Updated on Nov. 11, 2026 in College Applications
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The Princeton Review ranked Fairfield University No. 1 for Little Race/Class Interaction in its 2027 college guide, "The Best 392 Colleges: 2027 Edition." The rankings are based on surveys of 172,000 students at 392 schools.
Why it matters
The ranking reflects how students rate interaction across racial and economic lines on campus, a factor prospective applicants may weigh when comparing schools. Student commentary on the ranking has focused on the demographics of the surrounding town and the university.
The ranking draws on student survey responses gathered during 2025 and 2026 from 172,000 students across 392 schools, averaging about 439 respondents per school. Fairfield's student body is 80% White, 10% Hispanic and 2% Black, while the individual survey question results behind the ranking have not been published.
The players
The Princeton Review
An education services company known for its annual college guides and student surveys that rank U.S. colleges across dozens of categories.
Fairfield University
A private Jesuit university in Fairfield, Connecticut, founded in 1942 and known for its liberal arts and business programs.
The details
Students chose between "Lots of Race/Class Interaction" and "Little Race/Class Interaction" by agreeing or disagreeing with the statement that different types of students interact frequently and easily. A Fairfield student video posted to Instagram presented the ranking, and commenters attributed the limited diversity to the town being very white and affluent.
Timeline
Surveys for the 2027 guide were conducted during 2025 and 2026.
The Fairfield Mirror published an article on the ranking on November 11, 2026.
Season Trajectory
The Princeton Review's annual Best Colleges guide has used student surveys to rank schools on campus life for many editions, and its Race/Class Interaction category is one of the recurring measures prospective applicants compare. Fairfield's first-place result in that category adds to a long-running dataset on how students perceive diversity and interaction on U.S. campuses.
Prospective applicants comparing schools can use the Race/Class Interaction category alongside other factors such as campus visits and student reviews. Because the ranking rests on survey responses rather than published question-level data, families may want to ask admissions offices directly about campus demographics and interaction.
The takeaway
A single ranking captures one dimension of campus life, so applicants should weigh it alongside direct observation and their own priorities. Asking admissions staff and current students about day-to-day interaction across backgrounds can add context that a survey category alone cannot provide.
Further reading
For more on how colleges are compared before applying, explore College Applications coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Fairfield Mirror.
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