Move over, University of Georgia! The list of Top Party Schools is in from the Princeton Review for the 2011-2012 school year. And while last year's rankings had the University of Georgia in the top position, this year the infamous title goes to Ohio University.
Here's the Princeton Review's complete list of Top Party Schools for the 2011-2012 academic school year:
- Ohio University, Athens, OH
- University of Georgia, Athens, GA
- Univeristy of Mississippi, Oxford, MI
- University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
- University of California, Santa Barbara, CA
- West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV
- Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA
- Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL
- University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
- University of Texas, Austin, TX
- Univeristy of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL
- Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
- Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA
- University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI
- DePauw University, Greencastle, IN
- Indiana University, Bloomington, IN
- Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
- University of Maryland, College Park, MD
- University of Vermont, Burlington, VT
- University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC
Top Party Schools: Ohio vs. Georgia
As you can see, the University of Georgia hasn't exactly gone cold sober, as it's still in second place. Oddly, the top school party schools are both in towns called Athens--which is perhaps appropriate, considering that the popularity of the Greek system is one of the factors considered in determining the top party school.
So is this a good things or a bad thing for Ohio University? Depends on how you look at it, of course. If you're a prospective student in search of a party school, Ohio University looks pretty appealing. If you're an administrator, a parent, or a more serious student who doesn't want to attend the nation's top party school, this doesn't portray Ohio University in such a good light.
Top Party School: What Does that Mean?
Every year, the Princeton Review creates a ranking system of colleges and universities throughout the United States. The "Top Party School" rank is the best known rank, but the Princeton Review actually ranks schols based on all kinds of categories -- everthing from academics to the quality of food and dorms to the amount of political activity and sports on campus. In fact, for students who are looking for the opposite of a party school, there's a Stone Cold Sober ranking (topped by Brigham Young University, Wheaton College, Wesleyan College, and the United States Coast Guard Academy).
The Princeton Review rankings are all determined by surveys sent out to college students across the U.S. The party school rankings are determined by a combination of reported alcohol and drug use, reported hours spent (or not spent) studying, and the popularity of the Greek system.
Here's more on what it means to be a party school.
So the Top Party School ranking is far from scientific (sorry, Ohio. There's no real proof that you party the hardest). But for students and parents looking for a school, the Princeton Review rankings can provide some solid supplementary insight into campus life at schools across the country.
Naomi Rockler-Gladen - Instructional designer and freelance writer, Naomi Rockler-Gladen writes some of Suite101's most read work.
