New list of top party schools in the US for 2026, according to Niche data
Student accepted into 115 colleges and universities
A senior in New Orleans has been accepted into 115 colleges and universities and offered nearly $3.8 million in scholarships.
If you’re looking to attend a college for its fun and entertainment, you may want to consider one of these schools.
The company Niche ranked the top party schools in the U.S. for 2026 by conducting a survey and analyzing other factors. In the survey, respondents were asked to rank the quality of the party scene at each school. Other factors that were analyzed included the school’s access to bars and restaurants, along with its athletics and Greek life.
University of California, Santa Barbara ranked No. 1 party school
By the numbers:
According to the findings, the University of California, Santa Barbara, was ranked the top party school in the nation. Last year, the school also ranked first.
Walkway and students on the campus of the University of California at Santa Barbara. (Credit: Marli Miller/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
This was followed by Florida State University and Tulane University.
Top party schools in the US: Data
- University of California, Santa Barbara
- Florida State University
- Tulane University
- University of Southern California
- University of Wisconsin-Madison
- University of Alabama
- Syracuse University
- University of Georgia
- Howard University
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
See the full report here
Best colleges in 2025
Dig deeper:
Last year, WalletHub recently released its 2025 rankings of the best US colleges and universities. The study analyzed over 800 higher education institutions across 30 different metrics, including student selectivity, cost, faculty resources and career outcomes.
RELATED: Here are the best colleges in the US for 2025
Top universities like Princeton, Yale, and Harvard continued to dominate, while smaller colleges like Swarthmore and Hamilton also made their mark.
The Source: The information for this story was provided by Niche’s new 2026 report, along with previous FOX Local reporting. This story was reported from Los Angeles.