University of Wisconsin-Madison is top party school in U.S.

MADISON, Wis.—University of Wisconsin-Madison leaders are chafing under a state-imposed tuition freeze and the football team didn’t crack the Top 25 preseason rankings. But no school in the country throws a better party, according to the Princeton Review’s 2017 edition of “The Best 381 Colleges.”

Here’s a look at how it decides who’s No. 1, as well as other notable “best of” rankings:

WHAT’S THE PRINCETON REVIEW AND HOW DID IT PUT TOGETHER THESE RANKINGS?

The Princeton Review is a New Yorkbased tutoring, test prep and college admission services company that publishes a book every year ranking colleges in 62 categories. This year’s edition is based on an online survey of 143,000 students at colleges selected by an editorial board.

HOW DID UW-MADISON EARN THE TOP PARTY SCHOOL RANKING?

The survey asked students about alcohol and drug use on campus, the popularity of Greek life and the number of hours they study each day outside of class.

UW-Madison is famous for its parties, especially Halloween and an end-ofyear block party. Every home football game is preceded by hours of off-site drinking.

It was last named No. 1 party school in the 2005 survey. Princeton Review senior vice president and publisher Rob Franek noted that the school has ranked among the Top 20 party schools in 22 surveys over the last 25 years.

“You won’t find a more friendly place to be as attendees share brats, offer up beers, and join in singing some of our most memorable chants—all before the game even begins,” one unnamed student said in the survey.

UW officials greeted the news coolly, issuing a statement that called heavy alcohol use on campus a “pressing public health concern” that hurts academic achievement and makes schools less safe. They said incoming students go through mandatory programs to be educated on alcohol use, and that many students drink moderately or not at all.