It's often said that college is the best four years of one's life. It's a time to learn, to explore, and to sign up for an 8 a.m. class, thinking, "that's not too early," only to miss every last lecture because, yes, that is too early. College is the padded barrier between childhood and adult life, full of adventures and ice cream for dinner, but devoid of grown-up problems like mortgages and cholesterol. College gives you a chance to figure out who you ultimately want to be.
An added bonus to all that meaningful self-discovery? Parties. Most colleges, in addition to offering anthropology courses and mediocre dining hall food, also provide their own unique social scene. While some reporting indicates that your typical college freshman is partying less and using social media more, Gen Z hasn't killed off the college party yet. A 2025 survey found that legal-age drinkers of this current college-age generation have actually increased their alcohol consumption, with 73% reporting they've had a drink at least once in the last six months.
Whether students are binge drinking or sipping a glass of water while they spend time with their friends, parties offer the opportunity to socialize and connect with classmates. As a growing number of today's college students report struggling with depression, anxiety, and feelings of isolation, these moments of human connection outside the classroom have become even more important.
However, not all college parties are created equal. Certain schools truly excel in hosting parties, and it's those schools that are honored with a place on this list.
To create this party school ranking, Stacker used 2026 rankings from Niche. Niche's party calculations account for access to bars and restaurants, athletics culture, Greek life, and student polling data. Every school on this list received an A+ party grade, so grab a red plastic cup, drink responsibly, and enjoy Stacker's list of the top 50 party schools in America.
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1 / 50- Location: Lawrence, KS
- Party scene grade: A+
- Overall Niche grade: A
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 18,262
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 7:1
- Acceptance rate: 88%
- Typical SAT range: 1050-1290
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2 / 50- Location: Nashville, TN
- Party scene grade: A+
- Overall Niche grade: C
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 5,888
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 14:1
- Acceptance rate: 93%
- Typical SAT range: 850-1070
Popova Valeriya // Shutterstock
3 / 50- Location: Greenville, NC
- Party scene grade: A+
- Overall Niche grade: B+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 17,255
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 12:1
- Acceptance rate: 90%
- Typical SAT range: 1050-1200
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4 / 50- Location: Philadelphia, PA
- Party scene grade: A+
- Overall Niche grade: A-
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 19,944
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 8:1
- Acceptance rate: 83%
- Typical SAT range: 1010-1230
JHVEPhoto // Shutterstock
5 / 50- Location: Prairie View, TX
- Party scene grade: A+
- Overall Niche grade: B
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 7,862
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 17:1
- Acceptance rate: 75%
- Typical SAT range: 850-1030
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6 / 50- Location: Vestal, NY
- Party scene grade: A+
- Overall Niche grade: A
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 14,408
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 15:1
- Acceptance rate: 38%
- Typical SAT range: 1320-1490
Ian Dewar Photography // Shutterstock
7 / 50- Location: Pullman, WA
- Party scene grade: A+
- Overall Niche grade: A-
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 19,321
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 13:1
- Acceptance rate: 85%
- Typical SAT range: 1020-1210
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8 / 50- Location: Gainesville, FL
- Party scene grade: A+
- Overall Niche grade: A+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 31,571
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 10:1
- Acceptance rate: 24%
- Typical SAT range: 1300-1480
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9 / 50- Location: Tampa, FL
- Party scene grade: A+
- Overall Niche grade: B
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 9,925
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 17:1
- Acceptance rate: 41%
- Typical SAT range: 1070-1240
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10 / 50- Location: Philadelphia, PA
- Party scene grade: A+
- Overall Niche grade: A+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 10,610
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 5:1
- Acceptance rate: 6%
- Typical SAT range: 1500-1570
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11 / 50- Location: Newark, DE
- Party scene grade: A+
- Overall Niche grade: A
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 18,084
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 15:1
- Acceptance rate: 65%
- Typical SAT range: 1200-1360
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12 / 50- Location: Tucson, AZ
- Party scene grade: A+
- Overall Niche grade: A-
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 34,237
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 15:1
- Acceptance rate: 86%
- Typical SAT range: 1160-1420
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13 / 50- Location: Charlottesville, VA
- Party scene grade: A+
- Overall Niche grade: A+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 16,829
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 7:1
- Acceptance rate: 17%
- Typical SAT range: 1410-1530
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14 / 50- Location: Albany, NY
- Party scene grade: A+
- Overall Niche grade: B
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 12,017
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 15:1
- Acceptance rate: 70%
- Typical SAT range: 1120-1320
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15 / 50- Location: Greensboro, NC
- Party scene grade: A+
- Overall Niche grade: B+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 11,061
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 19:1
- Acceptance rate: 46%
- Typical SAT range: 960-1190
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16 / 50- Location: Norman, OK
- Party scene grade: A+
- Overall Niche grade: A
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 19,262
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 13:1
- Acceptance rate: 77%
- Typical SAT range: 1140-1330
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17 / 50- Location: Harrisonburg, VA
- Party scene grade: A+
- Overall Niche grade: A-
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 19,808
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 17:1
- Acceptance rate: 76%
- Typical SAT range: 1170-1320
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18 / 50- Location: Austin, TX
- Party scene grade: A+
- Overall Niche grade: A+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 39,787
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 14:1
- Acceptance rate: 29%
- Typical SAT range: 1230-1490
Chad Robertson Media // Shutterstock
19 / 50- Location: Dallas, TX
- Party scene grade: A+
- Overall Niche grade: A
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 6,948
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 8:1
- Acceptance rate: 61%
- Typical SAT range: 1320-1480
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20 / 50- Location: Nashville, TN
- Party scene grade: A+
- Overall Niche grade: A+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 7,146
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 5:1
- Acceptance rate: 6%
- Typical SAT range: 1510-1560
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21 / 50- Location: Baltimore, MD
- Party scene grade: A+
- Overall Niche grade: B-
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 7,675
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 14:1
- Acceptance rate: 83%
- Typical SAT range: 860-1080
Cucumber Key Photography // Shutterstock
22 / 50- Location: Oxford, OH
- Party scene grade: A+
- Overall Niche grade: B+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 16,306
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 17:1
- Acceptance rate: 82%
- Typical SAT range: 1210-1380
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23 / 50- Location: Columbia, SC
- Party scene grade: A+
- Overall Niche grade: A
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 28,980
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 15:1
- Acceptance rate: 61%
- Typical SAT range: 1180-1380
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24 / 50- Location: Cincinnati, OH
- Party scene grade: A+
- Overall Niche grade: A-
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 31,941
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 13:1
- Acceptance rate: 88%
- Typical SAT range: 1150-1360
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25 / 50- Location: Iowa City, IA
- Party scene grade: A+
- Overall Niche grade: A
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 20,622
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 8:1
- Acceptance rate: 85%
- Typical SAT range: 1130-1320
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26 / 50- Location: Houston, TX
- Party scene grade: A+
- Overall Niche grade: C+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 5,729
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 13:1
- Acceptance rate: 93%
- Typical SAT range: 800-1000
Laiotz // Shutterstock
27 / 50- Location: Ann Arbor, MI
- Party scene grade: A+
- Overall Niche grade: A+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 32,345
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 4:1
- Acceptance rate: 18%
- Typical SAT range: 1350-1530
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28 / 50- Location: East Lansing, MI
- Party scene grade: A+
- Overall Niche grade: A
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 37,492
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 12:1
- Acceptance rate: 84%
- Typical SAT range: 1150-1350
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29 / 50- Location: San Diego, CA
- Party scene grade: A+
- Overall Niche grade: A-
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 30,228
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 23:1
- Acceptance rate: 34%
- Typical SAT range: 1090-1300
JHVEPhoto // Shutterstock
30 / 50- Location: Tallahassee, FL
- Party scene grade: A+
- Overall Niche grade: A-
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 6,784
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 11:1
- Acceptance rate: 21%
- Typical SAT range: 1030-1150
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31 / 50- Location: Columbus, OH
- Party scene grade: A+
- Overall Niche grade: A+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 41,983
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 7:1
- Acceptance rate: 51%
- Typical SAT range: 1330-1480
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32 / 50- Location: Bloomington, IN
- Party scene grade: A+
- Overall Niche grade: A
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 35,871
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 16:1
- Acceptance rate: 80%
- Typical SAT range: 1170-1400
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33 / 50- Location: Coral Gables, FL
- Party scene grade: A+
- Overall Niche grade: A+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 13,250
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 8:1
- Acceptance rate: 19%
- Typical SAT range: 1330-1470
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34 / 50- Location: Athens, OH
- Party scene grade: A+
- Overall Niche grade: B+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 15,818
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 15:1
- Acceptance rate: 85%
- Typical SAT range: 1100-1290
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35 / 50- Location: Dayton, OH
- Party scene grade: A+
- Overall Niche grade: A
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 7,470
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 10:1
- Acceptance rate: 62%
- Typical SAT range: 1200-1370
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36 / 50- Location: Atlanta, GA
- Party scene grade: A+
- Overall Niche grade: C+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 3,393
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 14:1
- Acceptance rate: 65%
- Typical SAT range: 880-1120
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37 / 50- Location: Boulder, CO
- Party scene grade: A+
- Overall Niche grade: A-
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 30,497
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 16:1
- Acceptance rate: 83%
- Typical SAT range: 1230-1420
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38 / 50- Location: University , MS
- Party scene grade: A+
- Overall Niche grade: A
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 18,032
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 9:1
- Acceptance rate: 98%
- Typical SAT range: 1020-1210
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39 / 50- Location: University Park, PA
- Party scene grade: A+
- Overall Niche grade: A+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 41,011
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 9:1
- Acceptance rate: 54%
- Typical SAT range: 1220-1400
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40 / 50- Location: Morgantown, WV
- Party scene grade: A+
- Overall Niche grade: A-
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 17,126
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 12:1
- Acceptance rate: 86%
- Typical SAT range: 1010-1240
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41 / 50- Location: Champaign, IL
- Party scene grade: A+
- Overall Niche grade: A+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 34,468
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 13:1
- Acceptance rate: 44%
- Typical SAT range: 1270-1510
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42 / 50- Location: Washington, DC
- Party scene grade: A+
- Overall Niche grade: B+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 9,361
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 8:1
- Acceptance rate: 35%
- Typical SAT range: 1100-1300
Bryan Pollard // Shutterstock
43 / 50- Location: Athens, GA
- Party scene grade: A+
- Overall Niche grade: A+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 29,799
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 13:1
- Acceptance rate: 37%
- Typical SAT range: 1160-1390
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44 / 50- Location: Syracuse, NY
- Party scene grade: A+
- Overall Niche grade: A-
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 15,081
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 11:1
- Acceptance rate: 42%
- Typical SAT range: 1260-1430
Jamie Lamor Thompson // Shutterstock
45 / 50- Location: Tuscaloosa, AL
- Party scene grade: A+
- Overall Niche grade: A
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 30,984
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 18:1
- Acceptance rate: 76%
- Typical SAT range: 1170-1400
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46 / 50- Location: Madison, WI
- Party scene grade: A+
- Overall Niche grade: A+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 34,278
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 8:1
- Acceptance rate: 43%
- Typical SAT range: 1360-1510
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47 / 50- Location: Los Angeles, CA
- Party scene grade: A+
- Overall Niche grade: A+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 20,502
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 7:1
- Acceptance rate: 10%
- Typical SAT range: 1440-1550
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48 / 50- Location: New Orleans, LA
- Party scene grade: A+
- Overall Niche grade: A+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 8,160
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 5:1
- Acceptance rate: 15%
- Typical SAT range: 1390-1510
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49 / 50- Location: Tallahassee, FL
- Party scene grade: A+
- Overall Niche grade: A+
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 29,011
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 16:1
- Acceptance rate: 25%
- Typical SAT range: 1240-1390
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50 / 50- Location: Santa Barbara, CA
- Party scene grade: A+
- Overall Niche grade: A
- Full-time undergraduate enrollment: 22,659
- Student-to-faculty ratio: 20:1
- Acceptance rate: 28%
- Typical SAT range: 1230-1460
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