W.Va. University Tops Party School List

Hundreds of people wait outside the Illusion Nightclub in downtown Morgantown, W.Va., Saturday, Aug. 18, 2007. The club is a popular spot for West Virginia University students. West Virginia University was ranked as the nation's No. 1 party school in the annual survey by The Princeton Review. (AP Photo/Dale Sparks) (Dale Sparks - AP)

Guide author Robert Franek said each of the 366 schools "is a 'best' when it comes to academics.

"But as anyone visiting colleges can attest, their campus cultures and offerings differ greatly," he said. "It's all about the fit."

At the other end of the partying spectrum is Brigham Young University, claiming the top spot in the "Stone Cold Sober" category for the 10th straight year.

The book has 62 categories in all, including: Best Campus Food, Virginia Tech; Most Beautiful Campus, Sweet Briar (Va.); Dorms Like Palaces, Smith College (Mass.); and Birkenstock-Wearing, Tree-Hugging, Clove-Smoking Vegetarians, Hampshire College (Mass).

This year, WVU finishes among the Top 10 in several other categories: No. 4 in Students Pack the Stadiums; No. 5 for Best College Library; No. 6 for Lots of Beer; No. 7 for Lots of Hard Liquor; and No. 8 for Best College Newspaper.

The Princeton Review, which is not affiliated with Princeton University, is a New York company known for test preparation courses, educational services and books. It published its first survey findings in August 1992.

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On the Net:

The Princeton Review: http://www.princetonreview.com

West Virginia University: http://www.wvu.edu/