The Top Party School Ranking

Posted by Naomi Rockler-Gladen Aug 6, 2008

The Princeton Review's coveted annual list of top party schools is out, and the University of Florida is on top. But how much does this list matter? Should worried parents automatically cross these schools off their list? Should students who want to party flock to these places? Like all of The Princeton Review's helpful rankings, students and parents need to understand that these are just a tool. They can help you gather information about what a school is like, but they shouldn't be your only source of information.

A few years back, I spent a year teaching at Indiana University. Lo and behold, that was the year IU was voted Top Party School. I wondered if my classes were going to be filled with students who could care less about academics.

Here's the thing: they weren't. Sure, I had some slackers, and more than one student who slept through my 1:30 p.m. class. But overall, my IU students were more interested in learning and thinking critically about issues than any students I've ever had. No lie.

IU is a big place--as are most of the schools on the top party list. Many students party--and many are involved with all the other things that campus has to offer, like sports, political activism, music, and yes, great classes. Even though I've not much of a partier, I would have loved going to IU.

So, don't rule out party schools--or rule them in without thought. Yes, there are campuses where partying really does dominate. But on others, partying is just one of many things students do.

Read more about the significance of the party school list.