Though many associate Penn State with football and ice cream, another Happy Valley staple may be added to this list.
According to the Princeton Review's most recent edition of The Best 345 Colleges, Penn State University Park ranked fourth overall for the nation's top party schools, trailing behind Indiana University at Bloomington, Clemson University and the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa.
While this ranking might not be news to some, others find the rankings foolish.
"The general sense is that these are frivolous rankings to begin with that should not be paid any attention," said Penn State spokesman Steve MacCarthy.
Because Penn State did not rank for party schools last year, some question how the Princeton Review collects its data.
"The rankings are bogus, and of all the different groups, they [the Princeton Review] have the least scientific way of doing it,"a said Bill Mahon, university spokesman.
Mahon said the group only visits the school once every couple of years and relies on a small group of students' opinions.
"They go to one spot and do a random sampling of students walking by," Mahon said. "They claim they do not need to visit the schools frequently because the student attitudes do not shift from year to year."
Others find the rankings well deserved.
"It's about time," Bill O'Connell (junior-chemistry) said.
Some students do not share the same enthusiasm.
"That is not something that I wanted to see," Megan Sowa (sophomore-marketing) said. "I was looking for something related to academics."
The ranking might be a hasty generalization based on too few opinions, some said.
"They [The interviewed students] don't necessarily speak for the whole school," Lyn Weinberg (sophomore-nutrition) said.
Despite the controversy over the university's party status, many agree that Penn State will not change.
"Penn State has accomplished so much that even though it ranked high in party schools, it will still produce the same amazing people it has for years," Dave Keiper (freshman-division of undergraduate studies) said.
Others are also confident the public will continue to view the university in the same manner.
"People hear of Penn State and know that it stands for quality," Mahon said.
Princeton Review's rankings for Penn State-University Park
#10 Their students (almost) never study
# 8 Class discussions rare
#15 Alternative lifestyles not an alternative
#13 Students pack the stadiums
#11 Everyone plays intramural sports
#8 Great college newspaper
#15 Lots of Beer
#14 Lots of hard liquor
#5 Reefer madness
#10 Major frat and sorority scene
# 11 Least happy students
#4 Party schools
# 3 Jock schools
#18 Town-gown relations are strained
Princeton Review's Top 10 Party Schools
# 1 Indiana University at Bloomington
# 2 Clemson University
# 3 University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa
# 4 Penn State University Park
# 5 University of Florida
# 6 University at Buffalo
# 7 University of New Hampshire
# 8 University of Colorado, Boulder
# 9 Florida State University
# 10 University of Wisconsin-Madison
