The Princeton Review narrative comments that "students eagerly sing the praises of their professors," and mentions their unusual accessibility. It also speaks about the motivation of students. Included in the COA description is this note: "For students in search of a school that will challenge them, [COA] is an excellent place."

"Princeton Review has it right," says COA President Darron Collins, PhD, a 1992 alumnus of the college. "COA does more than educate its students; faculty, staff and other students work together so that our students graduate knowing how to continue learning, and how to apply that education to become successful in a very difficult job market and stagnant economy."

According to Princeton Review editor Robert Franek, "We commend College of the Atlantic for its outstanding academics, which is the primary criteria for our selection of schools for the book. Our goal is not to crown one college 'best' overall, but to help applicants find and get in to the college best for them."

Reflecting upon the Forbes listing, President Collins continued, "We are especially proud of the fact that we stand among the top schools in the nation, even though the Forbes criteria is not well-suited to a young, small, and mission-driven college like COA."