Zach Bailey/Winonan

Students, faculty and Warriors alike are not the only ones honoring Winona State University for its academic and affordable qualities. The university recently made it onto the Princeton Review’s “Best Colleges: Region by Region” and “America’s 100 Best College Buys.”

This is the 12th consecutive year Winona State has made it into the review list and its 20th year on “America’s 100 Best College Buys.”

Along with these two awards, Winona State was also recently named the second best public college in Minnesota, ranking seventh overall in Minnesota.

Zoie Mester, a sophomore at Winona State, said the university deserved this title.

“Most of the professors here are good, it’s such a beautiful campus, and a lot of the people here are super cool,” Mester said.

According to Winona State, it was one of 1,187 colleges throughout the U.S. responded to a survey filled out to be qualified for the prize. Colleges are then ranked on both the value, the quality of the college and must follow certain requirements to even be considered for the title.

After meeting all of the criteria, Winona State proceeded in being named one of 100 colleges and universities on the “America’s 100 Best College Buys” list.

The Princeton Review list only represents approximately 25 percent of the United State’s 2,500 four-year universities, but Winona State was one of 12 four-year Minnesota universities to make the list, according to the university. It was also the only university within the Minnsota State Colleges and Universities system to make the list.

The university was selected due to academic excellence and student experience survey data.

Nick Soranno, sixth-year student, credited the laptop program for helping Winona State make it on these lists.

“The laptop program is what I believe makes Winona State one of the best,” Soranno said. “Not only the laptops themselves, but also all of the software that come with the laptops that you would otherwise have to pay for.”