The SEC: Party On

Tailgating at "The Grove," at Ole Miss. The University of Mississippi ranked third in the nation for top party schools. Go Rebels! Party on, SEC!

According to the Princeton Review’s 2009 survey of 122,000 college students, the nation’s top 20 party schools are:

1. Penn State University, State College, Pa.
2. University of Florida, Gainesville, Fla.
3. University of Mississippi, University, Miss.
4. University of Georgia, Athens, Ga.
5. Ohio University, Athens, Ohio
6. West Virginia University, Morgantown, W.Va.
7. University of Texas, Austin, Texas
8. University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wis.
9. Florida State University, Tallahassee, Fla.
10. University of California-Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, Calif.
11. University of Colorado, Boulder, Colo.
12. University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa
13. Union College, Schenectady, N.Y.
14. Indiana University, Bloomington, Ind.
15. DePauw University, Greencastle, Ind.
16. University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tenn.
17. Sewanee: The University of the South, Sewanee, Tenn.
18. University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, N.D.
19. Tulane University, New Orleans, La.
20. Arizona State University, Tempe, Ariz.

Hmmm, four of these colleges are in the Southeastern Conference. In fact, three SEC schools are in the top five. Whoa. While my alma mater – the University of Kentucky – didn’t make it, I’m sure it wasn’t for lack of trying. :)

Now that I’m a parent, I can see why college administrators hate lists like this. It's certainly not the picture you want to paint for prospective students' moms and dads. But, at the same time, as an alum, you kind of chuckle at the thought and think to yourself, "Oh, yeah. Good times."
Photo courtesy of ESPN U.