Two Ohio Universities Named Top-20 Party Schools in America

As one famous Buckeye quarterback once said, "We ain't come to play school."

Well, getting a great education is a strong enough reason to choose a school. But the truth is, most universities give you a proper enough education to get students where they are trying to be in their future careers.

Of course, having a diploma from The Ohio State University is a bit more valuable than others. Still, most students simply aren't solely concerned with their education. After narrowing down which schools will be best for their career pursuits, external factors come into play, especially social opportunities.

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Being a big-time party school isn't a negative. In most instances, it just means there is plenty to do in the city and the Greek houses are active. Sure, the alcohol is flowing a bit, but it's all in clean fun for students who are able to balance school and an outgoing social life.

Niche recently released its top party schools for 2024 and two Ohio schools cracked the top 20. In fact, four cracked the top 25.

If you thought Ohio State would top all Ohio schools, though, you'd be wrong. While OSU is the biggest school in the state, if the academics in your field of study are on par, those looking for a better party scene may be better off wearing green over scarlet.

The best party school in Ohio is actually Ohio University. Niche gave the school an A+ grade for its party scene. BroBible even argued a few years ago that the home of the Bobcats is the best party school in America. Between everything Court Street offers, Halloween festivities and The #Fest itself, there's no denying that the party scene in Athens is top-tier for OU students.

The Buckeyes in Columbus weren't far behind though, though they did come in eighth among Big Ten schools (including USC). Ohio State landed at 20 on Niche's rankings, also earning an A+ party scene grade. Everything at Ohio State is bigger, but that might not be for everyone. Columbus gets crowded on gameday, which can be fun, but that also means prices and logistics get to be too much for some students.

This Reddit comment sums it up pretty well:

Ohio University is more of a "party school" than OSU. There are plenty of parties at OSU, but there's plenty of everything at OSU too. - /u/Someones-PC in /r/Columbus

But hey, if that felt too low for Ohio State, the Buckeyes were at least nine spots ahead of the University of Michigan.

Quick to follow at spots No. 22 and No. 23 respectively are the University of Dayton and the University of Cincinnati, both also earning party scene grades of A+. Dayton is known for huge parties on the weekends that spill into the streets until local law enforcement is called upon. Cincinnati students rely mostly on a solid bar scene near the campus and Greek parties.

Read on to see the top 13 party schools in Ohio.