Princeton vs. Playboy – Party School Showdown

Every year “The Princeton Review” releases their inevitable list of the Top 20 Party Schools, and every year I wonder how they came up with the list.  The first time that this question came to me was in 1998 when The State University of New York at Albany topped the list.  I grew up around Albany and I wondered how the hell this could be possible.  I’ve been to the bars in Albany… nothing special let me tell you.  I’ve been to the Campus as well, it kind of reminds you of the place where dreams go to die.  So what was it about this school that made it the top party school in the nation?!??!

Every year since, I’ve postulated as to what the top 20 party schools had to offer.  This year is no different.  Some are very obvious (Florida, Florida State, UC Santa Barbara.)  Some are quite surprising (Union College, Sewanee: The University of the South?!?!?!).

But Princeton doesn’t have the entire hold on this subject… each year Playboy weighs in on the topic too.  So this year, I figured let’s take their respective top 10’s and put them up, head to head.  Who got it right and who got it wrong?

PRINCETON 1 ) Penn State University 2 ) University of Florida 3 ) University of Mississippi 4 ) University of Georgia 5 ) Ohio University 6 ) West Virginia University 7 ) University of Texas 8 ) University of Wisconsin 9 ) Florida State University 10 ) University of California-Santa Barbara

PLAYBOY 1 ) University of Miami 2 ) University of Texas (Austin) 3 ) San Diego State University 4 ) University of Florida 5 ) University of Arizona 6 ) University of Wisconsin (Madison) 7 ) University of Georgia 8 ) Louisiana State University 9 ) University of Iowa 10 ) West Virginia University

RUNDOWN

FLORIDA LOVE – Looks like Florida gets some party love from the two lists.  Florida U. gets the most coming in at 2 (Princeton) and 4 (Playboy).  Miami U. tops Playboy’s list and didn’t even make the top 20 of Princeton’s.  The bottom line is simple; if the weather is nice, the co-eds are hot and the teams are big… there’s gonna be some party love.

SOUTHEAST – Outside of Florida, according to both lists, it’s still a party.  States close to Florida seem to know how to have a good time.  Georgia is on both lists, as is West Virginia and LSU shows up once too.  I guess it’s easy to see why Spring Break is where it is.

WHERE IT’S COLD – Ohio and Wisconsin don’t offer much in terms of weather, but apparently what they lack in barometer they make up for in beer.

In the end, I’d say this;  If I wanted  to know what schools I’d most like to go to for uninterrupted study time, I’d look at Princeton.  But if I wanted to know where to go to Party, I’d bet that Playboy has a better gauge on the subject.

Photograph protected by a creative commons license and is credited to the following:
Party Pic: http://www.flickr.com/photos/libertay