A California university that is home to a number of Nobel Prize winners has also earned the distinction of being the best party school in the United States, according to a recent ranking.
UC Santa Barbara took the top spot on a list of the best party schools in the United States for 2025, published by Niche, an education research and ranking site.
To calculate the rankings, Niche — which uses a database of nearly 500,000 student reviews of colleges — took into account student surveys on party atmosphere, access to bars, sports scores, Greek life scores and access to restaurants.
Comments from current and former students describe the university as “combining academic rigor with a laid-back coastal lifestyle” and praise the “vibrant student community.” More than a half-dozen Nobel laureates in economics, physics and chemistry, including David Card, Alan J. Heeger, Herbert Kroemer and Shuji Nakamura, have taught at UC Santa Barbara over the years.
“I used to be a die-hard party animal, but living in Santa Barbara/Isla Vista has helped me develop new healthy outdoor habits while learning to be more responsible,” one student wrote. “There are so many activities to participate in around town and on campus that aren’t parties… It’s literally heaven on earth for an 18-21 year old, as long as you don’t overdo it.”
But one person, who identified himself as the parent of a former student, gave the university just two stars, complaining that students “party all day.”
“Students are partying, but UCSB is out of control,” the person wrote.
One of the most well-known parties is “Deltopia,” an unsanctioned spring party that takes place in April. The party, made popular among UC Santa Barbara students who live in Isla Vista near campus, was shut down during the COVID-19 pandemic but resumed in 2022, resulting in multiple arrests and citations during the weekend-long event.
In 2014, more than 20,000 people reportedly attended Deltopia, which escalated into riots, leaving dozens injured and more than 100 arrested. The UC Santa Barbara Student Union issued a statement saying, “The stereotype and image of the ‘wild party’ exists because we, as students, allow it to exist.”
This year and last year, Santa Barbara County officials closed Isla Vista beaches in anticipation of Deltopia. Last year, more than 150 people were ticketed and 23 people were arrested.
According to The Daily Nexus, a campus newspaper, the most recent Deltopia recorded the highest number of citations issued in the history of the event, at 256.
