Weekends on campus: keg stands, vodka in plastic bottles and garbage bags filled to the brim with red cups…right? That’s the image perpetuated on the big screen, but many freshmen are disappointed when the debauchery they envisioned ends up being no more than a few people playing beer pong in the dorms every Saturday. While some colleges are synonymous with wild nights, others are a worry-wart parent's dream. Read on to find out how college parties at dozens of schools stack up.
Stock up on Tylenol at These Schools:
"Undercover" Party Schools (Who Knew?):
Franklin and Marshall College (Lancaster, PA) – Despite being a small, very studious campus, weekends can be a free-for-all:
Vassar College (Poughkeepsie, NY) – This prestigious liberal arts school might be in the middle of nowhere, but college parties get crazy Thursday-Sunday. There’s even a dance club on campus.
Best College Town:
The University of Miami (Coral Gables, FL) – Located in South Beach, one of the hottest vacation destinations in the world, it’s a mystery how students get any work done at this top party school:
University of California, Irvine (Irvine, CA) – Located near Newport Beach and Laguna Beach, these laid-back students are more than happy with the college party scene.
The Puff, Puff, Pass Award:
The University of California, Santa Cruz (Santa Cruz, CA) – UCSC is home to one of the wildest 420 celebrations on record.
Best Pub Crawl:
University of Arizona (Tucson, AZ) – Voted the third-hottest campus by Playboy, the clubs in town are packed every weekend.
McGill University (Montreal, Quebec) – More than Molson: a student takes us on a college town pub crawl through downtown Montreal.
University of Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh, PA) – This is a typical crazy Saturday at Pitt.
Best On-campus Parties:
Florida State University (Tallahasee, FL) – Don’t clean your room before the weekend in case this happens to you. Check out that toilet! "Every single night of the week has a designated place to go out, and if you're not in the mood for one of those places, there is always a house party going on!" says a sophomore at this top party school.
Michigan State University (East Lansing, MI) – Cedar Village usually gets crazy after a big game—arrests aren't uncommon.
University of Texas at Austin (Austin, TX) – This student attempts to dispel UT’s top party school stereotype.
University of California, Santa Barbara (Santa Barbara, CA) – Despite it’s reputation, a sophomore swears that it’s not “the most STD-ridden campus."
SUNY Purchase College (Purchase, NY) – Honorable mention. While not a top party school by any means, they made it onto our list for hosting events like this Zombie Prom:
Other top party schools, according to Unigo’s Student Rankings: Washington and Lee University, West Virginia University, Tulane University, Providence College, Claremont McKenna College, Vanderbilt University, Union College (NY), Penn State - University Park, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Trinity College (CT).
Leave Your Sequins and Beer Funnel at Mom’s House:
Lafayette College (Easton, PA) – One student says that weekends are so boring that he's actually transferring out.
Brigham Young University (Provo, UT) – This campus is often rated as the most "Stone Cold Sober" school in the nation.
University of Illinois at Springfield (Springfield, IL) – UIS students share the truth about less-than-exciting college parties on campus.
Baruch College (New York, NY) – No dorms = no college parties. Like most CUNY colleges, students treat it more like a job than school. No worries, there are a million places to go out in busy NYC.
Stony Brook University (Stony Brook, NY) – Half the students go home on weekends, and college parties are often limited to beer pong games in the dorms.
Ithaca College (Ithaca, NY) – With only a handful of bars and sparse college parties, IC’s biggest event is Prospect Day, at the very end of the academic year. Luckily, Cornell University frat parties are right next door.
Your college not on the list? Weigh in on social life at your school in our Unigo Forums.
