SU named nation's No. 1 party school

Syracuse University has earned a title as the nation's best, and it's not for basketball or academics.

The Princeton Review announced SU leads its annual rankings of top party schools Monday based on a survey of 130,000 students nationwide.  Students responded to questions about drug- and alcohol-use at their school; the amount of out-of-class study time; and the number of students who belong to fraternities and sororities, according to the organization’s website.

Roughly 25 percent of SU undergraduate students belong to the Greek community, which consists of 71 fraternities and sororities, reports the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs.  Students party in other communities around SU’s campus, including the apartments on South Campus; the neighborhoods near Euclid Avenue; and the bars along Marshall Street. 

SU Public Affairs senior vice president Kevin Quinn said in a statement that they “do not aspire to be a party school," pointing instead to the university's nationally recognized academic programs. 

"With new leadership, we are very focused on enhancing the student experience, both academically and socially," Quinn's statement said.

Other schools that ranked high on the Princeton Review’s top party school list include the University of Iowa, the University of California-Santa Barbara, West Virginia University and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Last year, the University of Iowa won first place for the nation’s top party school, while SU ranked No. 5 on the list.

SU appeared on other lists released by the Princeton Review.  The Daily Orange won second best college newspaper.  SU’s sports scene ranked third best, among 379 universities surveyed.

Following is a video produced about Mayfest 2014, the traditional end-of-school-year celebration.

Mayfest 2014 from The NewsHouse on Vimeo.