University is something many people aspire to. Some desire the prestige,
others the pursuit of knowledge, and others still the reputable party
life. The best universities aren’t necessarily the most prestigious, or
the most intelligent, nor would anyone argue that those with the best
parties are the best. Ultimately, those universities who can balance academics and fun are the ones that most benefit its students.
University of California, Santa Barbara
Students at the University of California rank #3 in the happiest
students in USA, and understandably, the uni has a 91% retention rate.
This university also ranks #2 on the Top Party Schools of 2013-2014 released by the Princeton Review. UCSB also features on the Times Higher Education world University rankings at #33 – how’s that for qualified?
As one of the most politically active schools in the US, UCSB was the
university with the most registered voters in the 2008 presidential
election. It’s also famous for its free music festival Extravaganza which is held annually and attracts people from all around the country.
McGill University
The Canadian university comes in at #35 in the Times rankings and is featured on Playboy’s
top party schools list (yes, apparently that is a ‘thing’). Apart from
parties and studying, students attending this university are treated to
an array of extra-curricular activities. This uni is home to the three
oldest a cappella groups in the world, making a great place for music
lovers. Student organisations and unions are numerous and very active,
striving to improve student welfare and participation in uni life.
Stanford University
Achieving fourth place in the Times ranking, this university is
prestigious and famous for its academics. It’s not particularly well
known for parties however (damn), but parties aren’t everything.
Stanford reigns supreme at the moment in athletics, coming first in the Top Athletic Universities
reported in the Huffington Post. Their athletics team, the Stanford
Cardinal, has amassed 75 different championships in the last 25 years.
They have won national titles in 16 different sports including tennis,
volleyball, swimming and diving.
California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
The number one university in the world in 2013-14, beating Harvard
University for the third time in a row, this university makes this list
not only for its academics and certainly not for its party life (or lack
thereof), but because of the wide range of student-run activities it
offers.
Listed as one of the top 20 sober schools by the Princeton Review, it
certainly isn’t a party school – but it’s a good all-rounder. It’s well
known for its elaborate pranks, the most famous being the Great Rose
Bowl Hoax that was viewed by over 30 million people nationwide. In this
prank, during a football match, students managed to alter the card stunt
shown during the halftime break, culminating in the display of the word
"CALTECH”.
Harvard University
How could it not make the list? Apart from being prestigious, academic
and world famous, it’s actually very liberal. Students at Harvard have
pushed to improve its social sphere and encourage a more robust uni
life.
As an Ivy League school, Harvard has prestige – but its athletics sphere
is good as well. All in all, this school knows how to work hard and
play harder... or maybe the reverse is correct, it’s still a good
balance.
