The List is Out: Top 10 Party Schools of 2013

Love it or hate it, all eyes are on the Princeton Review’s College Rankings right now. The long awaited top party schools list is out, and while some students may be clamoring to submit their applications, others are turned off at the mention of a top party scene. Whatever your stance, there is more than meets the eye – or the party rankings – at each of these schools. So as we count down Princeton Review’s Top Party Schools, we’ll take an in depth look at what these schools have to offer besides a good time on Friday night. 10. Syracuse University – Syracuse, NY In addition to claiming the #10 spot on the top party schools list, Syracuse University is also named a Best Northeastern College by the Princeton Review. And that’s not just because of the partying on campus. Additionally, Syracuse ranks #17 on their Jock Schools list, #13 for Best College Newspaper, and most importantly, #4 for Top Undergraduate Entrepreneurial Programs. The student body at Syracuse University is comprised of close to 20,000 students and has a 91% retention rate. 9. Miami University – Oxford, OH The smallest school on the top 10 list, Miami University is also named a Best Midwestern College by the Princeton Review. Miami claims the #18 spot on the Best Campus Food list as well as #15 on Top Undergraduate Entrepreneurial Programs. Conversely, though, Miami did make it onto a few negative lists, like the “Financial Aid Not So Great” and “Little Race/Class Interaction” lists. The student body at Miami University is comprised of just over 16,000 students and has an 89% retention rate. 8. Florida State University – Tallahassee, FL Florida State University is no stranger to this list. In fact, it also claimed the #8 spot last year. This year, it was named a Best Southeastern College by the Princeton Review as well. FSU found footing on a few other lists as well. They landed the #20 spot on “Everyone Plays an Intramural Sport,” #7 on the Jock Schools and #4 on the “Students Pack the Stadiums” lists. It’s safe to say that FSU is a very athletic-friendly campus, but according to the Princeton Review, the same cannot be said for academics as they ranked #7 on the list for “Students Study the Least.” Close to 40,000 students attend Florida State University, and the school has a 92% retention rate. 7. University of California - Santa Barbara – Santa Barbara, CA Another repeat on the top 10 party school list is University of California - Santa Barbara. Like many of the schools on the top 10 list, it’s also considered a Best College by Princeton Review. If you want a picture of the average UC Santa Barbara student, look to the “Birkenstock-Wearing, Tree-Hugging, Clove Smoking Vegetarian” list, on which they ranked #20. They also appear at #11 on “Their Students Love These Colleges,” #9 on Best School Newspaper and #3 on Happiest Students lists. University of California - Santa Barbara is home to close to 23,000 students and has a 91% retention rate. 6. University of Florida – Gainesville, FL The University of Florida jumped a few spots up from its #9 standing last year on the top Party Schools list. It was also named a Best Southeastern College by the Princeton Review again this year. Like a lot of Florida schools, University of Florida takes pride in its athletics, coming in at #16 on the "Everyone Plays Intramural Sports," #3 on the “Students Pack the Stadium” and #2 on the Jock Schools lists. But those aren’t the only lists that Florida finds itself on. They also rank #8 on Best College Newspaper and #6 on Best Career Services. The University of Florida boasts over 50,000 in its student body and has a retention rate of 96%. 5. University of Georgia – Athens, GA University of Georgia typically holds one of the top two spots, but this year, it fell to #5. The Princeton Review also named Georgia as one of the Best Southeastern Colleges. Like some of the other bigger schools on the list, Georgia can be spotted elsewhere on Princeton Review’s College Rankings. They fall on the Best Campus Food, "Students Pack the Stadiums," Best College Newspaper and Jock Schools lists. Additionally, they claim the #5 spot for Best Health Services. Nearly 35,000 students attend University of Georgia, which has a 94% retention rate. 4. University of Illinois at Urbana – Champaign, IL New to the list this year is the University of Illinois at Urbana, which is also named a Best Midwestern College by the Princeton Review. In addition to being a top party school, Illinois claims the #9 spot for Best Athletic Facilities, but as far as Princeton Review rankings go, the love stops there. The school made the #17 spot on the "Least Accessible Professors" list as well as the #2 slot on the "Professors Get Low Marks list." Roughly 45,000 students attend the University of Illinois, which has a 94% retention rate. 3. Ohio University – Athens, OH Last year’s #1 party school fell a few notches this year, which is almost certainly a relief for the administration and parents of current students. Ohio is also named a Best Midwestern College by the Princeton Review. Additionally, the school made it into the top 20 for Best College Newspaper, Most Beautiful Campus and Best Athletic Facilities. However, it also claimed the #18 spot for “Students Study the Least.” Over 22,000 students call Ohio University home, and it has an 81% retention rate. 2. University of Iowa – Iowa City, IA University of Iowa also made the list last year, but it has moved up from #4 this year, just barely missing the #1 spot (so who could it possibly be?). Iowa is also a Best Midwestern College, according to the Princeton Review. In addition to being a top 10 party school, the University of Iowa holds the #6 spot on the “Students Pack the Stadiums” list but also ranks #8 for “Students Study the Least.” Nearly 30,000 students attend the University of Iowa, and the school has a 86% retention rate. 1. West Virginia University – Morgantown, WV Drumroll, please! The #1 party school this year is West Virginia University, which actually held the #6 spot on last year’s list. In addition to holding the top party school title, WVU is also considered a Best Southeastern College by the Princeton Review. WVU made a number of other lists as well. It stands at #15 for Best College Library, #8 on “Students Pack the Stadiums” and #3 for Best Athletic Facilities. But to go along with its top party school title, the school also claimed the #3 spot on Princeon Review’s “Students Study the Least” ranking. Roughly 29,000 students call West Virginia University home, which has an 80% retention rate. NOTE: Princeton Review Rankings should be reviewed with a grain of salt. The Princeton Review surveys students and their answers determine how the school ranks. According to the Princeton Review, “each college is given a score (similar to a GPA) for its students’ answers to each multiple-choice question. These scores enable us to compare student opinion from college to college. They are the sole factors that determine which schools make it onto our 62 ranking lists.” There is no input from collegiate administrators or professors so these assessments only reflect the student body perspective of each school. With that, they also don’t reflect the opinions of the entire student body. Only around 122,000 students at 377 top colleges were surveyed this year. Does the top party schools list make any difference to you? Which schools aren't on here that you think should be?