Top Sober Schools, Top 20 US Party Schools 2014 List Released By Princeton Review

Just weeks before freshman students venture into their first semester of college, the Princeton Review has released their annual 2014 “The Best 378 Colleges” book Monday. While the list contains information on all U.S.-based higher-education institutions, the facilities gaining the most attention are those labeled the top 20 sober and party schools in the country.

The review, which surveyed 126,000 students, categorizes schools based on everything from best libraries, to class interaction and happiest students, deemed Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah the number one “stone-cold-sober school.” The west coast-based institution, which also placed first in the review’s 2013 list, was joined by second runner-up, Wheaton College in Wheaton, Ill.

Both top two sober schools have a common thread: religion. While Brigham Young classifies themselves as a “Mormon school that’s all about putting religion and education together,” Wheaton College has similar values, stating their goal is to prepare students to “enter the world as strong and capable individuals who serve Christ and His Kingdom.”

While a majority of the sober schools on the list include women’s colleges, liberal arts schools and religious institutions, the Princeton Review’s choices for top party schools are of a different variety. Moving up one spot from last year, the University of Iowa won the title for being the most party-centric. While not addressing their reputation, the Iowa City-based institution boasts their affordable rates by saying “requirements are minimal” and advertising that their students can “make [their] education [their] own.”

The University of California, Santa Barbara, who placed seventh on last year’s list, sealed the second spot by boasting that their students love the schools “laid back atmosphere” and “maximum freedom.”

Click here to view the Princeton Review's full list of the top 20 sober and party schools in the U.S.