Colleges with the best student life in America
College isn't just about getting a degree. It's about making lifelong friends, going to house parties, and buying really lame posters to put on your dorm room walls. The ultimate lesson that any college student learns upon graduation is that the knowledge they picked up outside the classroom is just as important as anything they learned in class.
That's why it's vital to go to a school that's known for its student life. The location of the campus, the party scene, the football games: these are the elements that matter just as much as the academics a school can offer.
School ranking site Niche knows that many different factors influence the quality of student life at universities across America. That's why they created a ranking system based on weighted criteria like how well a school did in student surveys (30%), how diverse a campus is (7.5%), and the quality of the campus (10%)—which takes into account factors like cafeteria food and on-campus housing. Based on the Niche algorithm, we took the best schools that earned an A+ on student life and compiled a list of the top universities for 2018. Did your school make the list?
#50. Tulane University
Location: New Orleans, LA
Acceptance rate: 26%
Net price: $32,515
Student body size: 12,002 students
It’s hard to beat New Orleans as a college town. Tulane students take advantage of the city’s amazing party culture in the French Quarter and the world-class live music scene just a mile from campus in Carrollton. From their first time touching the Victory Bell at Convocation to their last Green Wave football game, Tulane students are always having a good time.
#49. Barnard College
Location: New York, NY
Acceptance rate: 15%
Net price: $22,815
Student body size: 2,562 students
Long thought of as the “women’s college” at Columbia University, Barnard is actually its own autonomous college situated on the Upper West Side of New York City—although there’s a long-running partnership between the schools that allows students to use the facilities of both institutions. Its proud tradition of serving women in search of an elite higher education is the main draw, but living in Manhattan scores major points among students, too.
#48. Columbia University
Location: New York, NY
Acceptance rate: 7%
Net price: $22,973
Student body size: 2,562 students
As the only Ivy League school in New York City, Columbia draws students from around the world seeking the finest education, while surrounded by the world’s most famous metropolis. Since 1894, Columbia students have been writing and performing in “The Varsity Show,” a satirical musical that has featured the work of such luminaries as Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein, and I.A.L. Diamond.
#47. University of Maryland - College Park
Location: College Park, MD
Acceptance rate: 48%
Net price: $15,757
Student body size: 9,811 students
Just four miles outside of D.C., the University of Maryland–College Park garnered an A+ on athletics, value, and the party scene from Niche’s rankings. The school recently changed athletic conferences from the ACC to the Big Ten, and student fans are still unfurling giant state flags during big games to cheer on their teams.
#46. Brown University
Location: Providence, RI
Acceptance rate: 9%
Net price: $25,264
Student body size: 9,283 students
Grades are basically optional at Brown, where students can take an unlimited number of classes pass/fail and the open curriculum allows Brownies to take pretty much any class they choose. Brown's location in Providence gives students the college town experience with the benefits of being in a small major city, as well.
#45. University of Miami
Location: Coral Gables, FL
Acceptance rate: 38%
Net price: $37,424
Student body size: 16,213 students
The sun shines nearly 365 days a year at this Miami institution (with a few hurricanes mixed in for the Hurricanes). Miami’s gorgeous Coral Gables campus is enough to make any student happy, but the presence of a legendary college football team helps, too.
#44. University of Alabama
Location: Tuscaloosa, AL
Acceptance rate: 53%
Net price: $20,133
Student body size: 65,510 students
The University of Alabama is all about football. With 17 National Championships to its name, including the most recent one in 2018, it’s hard to think of another word to associate with the Crimson Tide.
#43. Independence University
Location: Salt Lake City, UT
Acceptance rate: 100%
Net price: $26,240
Student body size: 6,047 students
With a 100% acceptance rate, it’s guaranteed that any student that wants to go to Independence University will get in. “In” is a tricky word here, however, because Independence operates entirely online. Campus life may be non-existent, but at least the commute from home to school takes no time at all.
#42. Clemson University
Location: Clemson, SC
Acceptance rate: 51%
Net price: $17,797
Student body size: 22,865 students
Clemson University has a long and storied history in South Carolina, thanks to years of athletic success and a near-monopoly on the color orange. Clemson itself is a small college town; the university sits on 17,000 acres, which is plenty of room for college students to enjoy themselves.
#41. Brigham Young University
Location: Provo, UT
Acceptance rate: 51%
Net price: $12,864
Student body size: 28,012 students
Surrounded by the mountains of Provo, BYU is perfect for outdoorsy students and anyone who loves nature. While it's far from being a party school (due mostly to an honor code that prohibits sex, alcohol, and drugs) the students who attend are well-aware of the code, and enjoy the wholesome atmosphere.
#40. University of California - Santa Barbara
Location: Santa Barbara, CA
Acceptance rate: 36%
Net price: $15,149
Student body size: 23,960 students
It’s hard to beat going to school next to the Pacific Ocean, and UCSB students take full advantage of their proximity with tons of parties on Del Playa in Isla Vista. At the end of every quarter, the Gauchos celebrate by stripping down to their skivvies for the Undie Run.
#39. Northwestern University
Location: Evanston, IL
Acceptance rate: 11%
Net price: $29,326
Student body size: 18,357 students
Although Northwestern is constantly ranked as one of the top academic universities in the world, don’t call it the Harvard of the Midwest. Famous alumni like Seth Meyers, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Charlton Heston all sport purple pride—and on any given night, you can watch student groups painting The Rock in honor of whatever the cause of the day may be.
#38. Reed College
Location: Portland, OR
Acceptance rate: 31%
Net price: $27,805
Student body size: 1,397 students
With a hippie vibe and "anything goes" atmosphere, Reed College students are known to be free-thinkers. The annual “Renn Fayre” festival started as an actual renaissance fair, but over time turned into a drug-taking free-for-all.
#37. Kansas State University
Location: Manhattan, KS
Acceptance rate: 94%
Net price: $16,431
Student body size: 20,898 students
When Kansas State Wildcats say they’re going to Manhattan, they don’t mean the big city in New York. They’re talking about the mid-sized town in Kansas that’s home to their beloved school, perennially good football teams, and an adorable shopping district called Aggieville.
#36. Princeton University
Location: Princeton, NJ
Acceptance rate: 7%
Net price: $17,732
Student body size: 8,069 students
Princeton students are known more for their academic rigor than party prowess, but history and reputation are likely the main draw for students to head to this New Jersey Ivy League school. Back in 1783, the campus actually served as the nation's capital when the Continental Congress held meetings there.
#35. Spelman College
Location: Atlanta, GA
Acceptance rate: 36%
Net price: $32,399
Student body size: 2,086 students
This historically black college has been teaching female students in the South since 1881. Located in Atlanta, Spelman students give low marks for the dorms and food, but everyone loves the tradition of wearing all-white on important campus occasions.
#34. Harvard University
Location: Cambridge, MA
Acceptance rate: 5%
Net price: $16,205
Student body size: 23,666 students
The Hasty Pudding show, the Harvard Lampoon, and the Primal Scream are just a few reasons why kids love going to Harvard. Its Boston location and history of producing some of the most influential people in America (Teddy Roosevelt, J.F.K., Conan O’Brien) may have something to do with it, too.
#33. Carleton College
Location: Northfield, MN
Acceptance rate: 23%
Net price: $28,587
Student body size: 2,045 students
Carleton’s relatively small size is a big draw for students looking for a liberal arts college with personal attention. The other enticement is the “Carleton Merit Scholars” program, which aims to enroll the nation’s largest contingent of National Merit Scholars—and awards them a $2,000 annual scholarship for choosing to attend Carleton.
#32. Full Sail University
Location: Winter Park, FL
Acceptance rate: 100%
Net price: $27,840
Student body size: 17,564 students
Full Sail operates both online and at their campus outside of Orlando. Students attend for the specific focus in the entertainment, media, arts, and technology industries—and while there may not be a football team, the faculty once included Oprah's longtime beau Stedman Graham as an adjunct professor.
#31. Pomona College
Location: Claremont, CA
Acceptance rate: 9%
Net price: $18,140
Student body size: 1,640 students
Part of the Claremont Colleges consortium, Pomona consistently ranks as one of the top liberal arts schools in the country. Niche also recently named it the 2018 most diverse college in America.
#30. Tufts University
Location: Medford, MA
Acceptance rate: 14%
Net price: $28,076
Student body size: 11,017 students
Tufts gets great scores from Niche on value and academics (both A+), but the Massachusetts school also had the pleasure of hosting Jumbo, a full-size stuffed elephant that was a gift from circus impresario P.T. Barnum (until a fire tragically destroyed him in 1975).
#29. Georgia Institute of Technology
Location: Atlanta, GA
Acceptance rate: 26%
Net price: $13,340
Student body size: 25,666 students
More commonly known as Georgia Tech, this scientific-minded university lies just north of downtown Atlanta and gives students plenty to talk about—like its robust engineering program and top-caliber athletics. And just for fun, Georgia Tech’s campus has a steam whistle that blows to end classes.
#28. Indiana University - Bloomington
Location: Bloomington, IN
Acceptance rate: 79%
Net price: $12,621
Student body size: 85,422 students
Indiana University is known as ground zero for college basketball fans, especially after former head coach Bobby Knight made his name here with some all-time great teams. Students look forward to participating in the biggest collegiate bike race in the country, the “Little 500,” which was featured in the hit 1979 movie “Breaking Away."
#27. Penn State
Location: University Park, PA
Acceptance rate: 56%
Net price: $25,055
Student body size: 87,980 students
With one of the largest student bodies in the country, Penn State became synonymous with college football when the late Joe Paterno was at the helm. Before every football home game, Penn State students camp out in “Nittanyville” for the chance to snag the best seats in Happy Valley.
#26. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Location: Champaign, IL
Acceptance rate: 60%
Net price: $16,683
Student body size: 81,499 students
The twin towns of Champaign and Urbana are entirely focused around the U of I, where a controversy about the Chief Illiniwek mascot has raged for years. Feelings on mascots notwithstanding, if you ever hear someone chant "I-L-L" in Champaign, you're obligated to respond with an "I-N-I."
#25. Bowdoin College
Location: Brunswick, ME
Acceptance rate: 15%
Net price: $24,888
Student body size: 1,806 students
Bowdoin represents the platonic ideal of the New England liberal arts college, with a beautiful tree-lined campus in Maine. Both the dorms and the campus food got the highest marks from Niche’s rankings, so students can be sure that they’ll be going to bed comfortably full.
#24. University of California - Berkeley
Location: Berkeley, CA
Acceptance rate: 17%
Net price: $17,160
Student body size: 40,173 students
Berkeley has long been known as a bastion for liberal thinking, and students love the school’s close proximity to San Francisco, public school pricing, perpetually high-rated academics, and deep-seated rivalry with Stanford.
#23. Florida State University
Location: Tallahassee, FL
Acceptance rate: 58%
Net price: $16,506
Student body size: 37,276 students
Florida State gets a lot of credit for its top-notch athletic programs (like the 2014 BCS College Football Champions featuring Jameis Winston). Outside of football, Tallahassee offers the ideal college town environment for students with plenty of restaurants, stores, and, of course, bars.
#22. The Ohio State University
Location: Columbus, OH
Acceptance rate: 54%
Net price: $17,971
Student body size: 60,237 students
One of the largest schools in the country, Ohio State offers something for everyone with its 200 different majors and 97 masters programs. Columbus is Buckeye central—top-rated football and basketball teams play in front of sell-out crowds—even for the intrasquad Spring Game scrimmage.
#21. Scripps College
Location: Claremont, CA
Acceptance rate: 30%
Net price: $37,860
Student body size: 1,028 students
Another member of the Claremont Colleges consortium, Scripps is a women's institution founded by newspaper publisher Ellen Browning Scripps. With nearly 100% of the students living on campus, Scripps was ranked #1 in college dorms according to the Princeton Review.
#20. Michigan State University
Location: East Lansing, MI
Acceptance rate: 66%
Net price: $14,970
Student body size: 45,911 students
The Spartans of MSU regularly find themselves in the top 25 rankings for both college football and basketball, but the East Lansing campus also attracts students with its 5,000+ acres of land and more than 900 registered student groups.
#19. Texas A&M University
Location: College Station, TX
Acceptance rate: 67%
Net price: $15,455
Student body size: 118,905 students
The A&M stands for “agriculture and mechanical,” although the university has grown far past its agrarian roots. Texas A&M has the distinction of having the second-largest student body in America.
#18. University of Florida
Location: Gainesville, FL
Acceptance rate: 46%
Net price: $14,761
Student body size: 50,321 students
For those desiring a classic state school experience, the University of Florida provides it in spades. With a thriving Greek system and a robust off-campus community in Gainesville, Gator students gave Florida an A+ for its party scene.
#17. University of Notre Dame
Location: Notre Dame, IN
Acceptance rate: 19%
Net price: $26,683
Student body size: 12,266 students
Mention Notre Dame to just about anyone and they’ll bring up the legendary football team—but this mid-sized Catholic school is also one of America’s best academic institutions.
#16. Vanderbilt University
Location: Nashville, TN
Acceptance rate: 11%
Net price: $23,150
Student body size: 12,090 students
The only private school in the SEC, Vanderbilt competes with the big boys in football and basketball and finds itself ranked at the top of the "Happiest Students" listings as well. Being in Nashville has its charms, too, from the amazing live music scene, to serving as the home of hot chicken.
#15. Yale University
Location: New Haven, CT
Acceptance rate: 6%
Net price: $18,319
Student body size: 12,402 students
Yale is internationally known as one of the finest academic institutions in the world, and a litany of famous alumni helps to bolster that claim. One of the most popular activities on campus is hating their closest Ivy League rival, Harvard.
#14. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Location: Chapel Hill, NC
Acceptance rate: 27%
Net price: $10,077
Student body size: 27,521 students
Michael Jordan. That’s the answer to the question “Who’s the most famous Tar Heel?” Outside of the top-flight ACC sports programs, UNC has a stunning historic Southern campus, and the thriving Chapel Hill area exists as a baby-blue haven for UNC students.
#13. University of Georgia
Location: Athens, GA
Acceptance rate: 54%
Net price: $14,956
Student body size: 36,574 students
Another school that defines the quintessential large state school experience, UGA offers a long legacy of traditions since its founding in 1785—including walking through The Arch and ringing the Chapel Bell.
#12. University of Pennsylvania
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Acceptance rate: 9%
Net price: $22,944
Student body size: 22,559 students
Philadelphia has been home to our nation’s finest scholars since before the days of the American Revolution, and UPenn has been around just as long—with 1740 credited as its founding year. UPenn students love the university’s urban setting, and juniors celebrate their upcoming senior year with “Hey Day,” a chance to walk around in red shirts with canes and straw hats.
#11. Virginia Tech
Location: Blacksburg, VA
Acceptance rate: 71%
Net price: $17,190
Student body size: 31,263 students
Virginia Tech began as a technical university, but now caters to students of 70 different majors across a variety of departments (although engineering is still its best-known program). The school earned an A+ for student life from Niche, and there's a large number of cadets on campus preparing for careers in the Armed Forces.
#10. University of Southern California
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Acceptance rate: 17%
Net price: $32,932
Student body size: 40,188 students
Year-round sunshine and decades of good football teams are big reasons students love USC, but they also come for the rigorous academics, strong Greek life, and proximity to the entertainment industry for budding filmmakers.
#9. University of Wisconsin
Location: Madison, WI
Acceptance rate: 53%
Net price: $15,874
Student body size: 43,336 students
Some students come to the University of Wisconsin just to celebrate Halloween and enjoy the atmosphere of State Street. Others like watching the football team rack up victories. For food-lovers, students in Madison have an entire world’s worth of food to choose from at the food carts on the Library Mall.
#8. University of Virginia
Location: Charlottesville, VA
Acceptance rate: 30%
Net price: $15,945
Student body size: 23,012 students
Student life, academics, party scene, and professors all got an A+ from Niche—and despite recent hiccups, Charlottesville is a great college town. Its brick-paved Downtown Mall welcomes students with restaurants, shopping, and entertainment.
#7. University of California - Los Angeles
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Acceptance rate: 18%
Net price: $14,236
Student body size: 23,012 students
Westwood is like its own little suburb on the Los Angeles’s Westside, and everything is catered to UCLA students: from the bars and restaurants of Westwood Village to the cute single-screen movies theaters. It’s a bit of a pain to get all the way to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena for football games, but it’s worth it to participate in the Eight Clap in person.
#6. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Location: Cambridge, MA
Acceptance rate: 8%
Net price: $21,576
Student body size: 11,376 students
Some of the greatest minds in the world come to Boston to study at MIT. The location is hard to beat—and despite a heavy emphasis on academic rigor, MIT students love the experience for hacking competitions and a chance to become a certified pirate.
#5. Washington University in St. Louis
Location: Saint Louis, MO
Acceptance rate: 17%
Net price: $28,824
Student body size: 13,968 students
Washington University in St. Louis (not to be confused with the University of Washington) hits the sweet spot between high-ranking academic powerhouse and fun place to go to school. Ranked the 14th best college in the U.S., Wash U is well-situated in St. Louis—right next to “The Loop,” a shopping and dining district named one of the top ten streets in America.
#4. University of Texas - Austin
Location: Austin, TX
Acceptance rate: 40%
Net price: $16,010
Student body size: 179,686 students
The citizens of Austin implore residents and visitors alike to “keep Austin weird,” and having the massive student body from one of the country’s largest schools helps with that. UT is football-crazy (“Hook ‘em, Horns!”), major festivals take place near campus every year (like SXSW and Austin City Limits), and nearby 6th Street and South Congress give students the chance to hear amazing live music on a regular basis.
#3. University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Location: Ann Arbor, MI
Acceptance rate: 29%
Net price: $16,107
Student body size: 55,497 students
Students in Ann Arbor swear by two things: football games at The Big House and sandwiches from Zingerman’s Deli. With a thriving Greek life and myriad student groups to get involved with, the University of Michigan is a haven for college kids.
#2. Stanford University
Location: Stanford, CA
Acceptance rate: 5%
Net price: $16,695
Student body size: 16,082 students
World-class academics, nationally respected athletics, a tradition of freshman kissing each other on a massive scale—at Stanford, there are a number of reasons to get students excited. Number one, though, is getting to attend college at “The Farm,” a beautiful 8,000-acre campus built in the Mission revival style where the weather is nice year-round.
#1. Rice University
Location: Houston, TX
Acceptance rate: 15%
Net price: $22,061
Student body size: 6,662 students
Rice functions as a tiny enclave inside of the massive shadow of Houston. Students have access to all that the big Texas city offers, but still get that intimate college experience. Instead of choosing dorms, students get sorted into residential colleges Harry Potter-style, and the college someone belongs to becomes a big part of their identity on campus.
