NEW YORK, February 24, 2026 / — The Princeton Review®—the education services company known for its test prep services and college and graduate school rankings in dozens of categories—and Energage—the HR technology company behind the Top Workplaces employer recognition program—today reported the winners of the 2026 Top Workplaces for Higher Education Awards.
The award, which is in its debut year, honors colleges and universities that prioritize the employee experience. It is entirely based on confidential surveys of school employees including faculty, staff, and administrators. The survey requests their feedback on pay, benefits, appreciation, and other topics. (Further information about the awards program is below.)
Seven institutions were named Top Workplaces for Higher Education for 2026.
In alphabetical order, they are:
Bridgewater State University / Located in Bridgewater MA, BSU focuses on excellence in teaching. It was founded 1840 by Horace Mann, a 19th-century educator considered the father of American public education.
ECPI University / East Coast Polytechnic Institute University, founded in 1966, has locations in VA, FL, NC, SC and TX. It has a career-focused approach to education with programs in nursing, technology, business, health sciences, culinary arts and other fields.
Milwaukee School of Engineering / Based in Milwaukee, WI, MSOE offers bachelor's and master's degrees in engineering, business, computer science, and nursing. It has an exceptional placement rate: 96% of its 2024 grads were employed or accepted into graduate programs of their choice.
Nightingale College / Nightingale College is a nursing school with 18 locations across the U.S. Founded in Salt Lake City, UT in 2010, it is named after the 19th-century founder of modern nursing Florence Nightingale.
Post University / Located in Waterbury, CT, Post is the second-largest school in CT. It offers day, evening, and online courses in 25 undergraduate and graduate programs including nursing & health science, business & MBA, public service & education, arts & sciences, and continuing education.
University of Maryland, Baltimore County / Located in Catonsville, MD, UMBC offers 300 programs for undergrad and grad students in STEM fields, arts, humanities and social sciences. It is one of the most ethnically diverse colleges in the U.S. Nearly 60% of its students are from minority backgrounds.
Wabash College / Located in Crawfordsville, IN, Wabash is a private liberal arts undergraduate college offering 40 academic programs. Founded in 1832, it is one of the few remaining all-male colleges in the U.S. It has an enrollment of about 800 students.
“We congratulate these colleges and universities for their outstanding employee relations," said Rob Franek, Editor-in-Chief of The Princeton Review. "It is our pleasure to partner with Energage on this project to shine a light on schools that foster cultures where faculty, staff, and administrators are engaged, valued, and empowered to thrive."
"Earning a Top Workplaces for Higher Education award is a celebration of excellence," Energage CEO Eric Rubino said. "It serves as a reminder of the vital role a people-first workplace experience plays in achieving success."
About the Top Workplaces Awards
Top Workplaces awards, created and administered by Energage, are entirely based on confidential employee surveys. The program's 26-question Energage Workplace Survey asks employees their feedback on pay and benefits, direction, leadership, meaningfulness, and appreciation. Participating employers receive recognition when their aggregated employee feedback score equals national benchmarks. Energage established national benchmarks for this program based on feedback from surveys of 30 million employees across more than 80,000 organizations over the past 20 years. Information about nominating a school for a 2027 Top Workplaces for Higher Education Award is here.
About Energage
Making the world a better place to work together.™
Energage is an HR technology company on a mission to help organizations build and brand exceptional workplace cultures. We power the Top Workplaces employer recognition program and deliver actionable, research-backed employee survey insights that fuel professional growth and elevate employer brands. Our comprehensive talent experience platform combines cutting-edge tools, expert guidance, and built-in personalization to cultivate cultures that boost engagement, improve retention, attract top talent, and drive better business results. Learn more at energage.com and topworkplaces.com.
About The Princeton Review
The Princeton Review® is a leading tutoring, test prep, and college admissions services company. Every year, it helps millions of college-bound and graduate school–bound students as well as working professionals achieve their education and career goals through its many education services and products. These include online and in-person courses delivered by a network of more than 4,000 teachers and tutors, online resources, a line of more than 150 print and digital books published by Penguin Random House, and dozens of categories of school rankings. Founded in 1981, the company is now in its 45th year. The company's Tutor.com brand, now in its 25th year, is one of the largest online tutoring services in the U.S. It comprises a community of thousands of tutors who have delivered more than 29 million tutoring sessions. The Princeton Review, U.S.-owned and operated, is headquartered in New York, NY. The company is not affiliated with Princeton University. For more information, visit PrincetonReview.com. Follow the company on Instagram (@theprincetonreview), LinkedIn (the-princeton-review), YouTube (@ThePrincetonReview), and TikTok (@princeton.review).
WEBSITE: www.princetonreview.com
SOURCE: The Princeton Review
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CONTACTS
The Princeton Review: Jeanne Krier, Media Relations Director, pressoffice@review.com
Energage: Bob Helbig, Media Partnerships Director, bob.helbig@energage.com