“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”. The students at Pennsylvania State University really take this proverb to heart.

If you’re a prospective college student looking for a party, look no further than rural Pennsylvania. You might be wondering what there is to do in the small town of State College, PA? If you’re scratching your head thinking that cow tipping isn’t your idea of a good time, you might want to check out Penn State University football. Their infamous tailgate weekends and huge fraternity scene helped propel the university to the nation’s number one party school, according to the 2009 issue of the Princeton Review.

The Penn State Nittany Lions snatched the dubious title away from the last year’s reigning partiers at the University of Florida. While the Lions are undoubtedly celebrating their success, school officials are attempting to downplay the award.

“These rankings are not more than popularity contests,” said university spokeswoman Annemarie Mountz. “It’s a badge of honor at this point. Nationwide, kids want to pump their schools in these surveys,” she continued. “It’s not connected to reality.”

Reality or not, the Princeton Review* does take into account the level of partying when writing the annual “Best 371 Colleges” guide. Penn State typically makes the grade each year, but this is the only time that the university has finished first. The school also finished first the categories “lots of beer” and students who pack the stadiums. Beaver Stadium is one of the largest sports facilities in the country, seating more than 107,000 for Penn State’s infamous football games.

Robert Franek, author of the annual review, states that every school in the survey offered “great academics”, and Penn State is certainly no exception. The University is a huge research facility with an enormous variety of degree options. In fact, the school was one of the first in the country to offer distance courses. Intended to increase the opportunity of remote farmers back in 1892, the university has since modernized to accommodate students in the digital age. In 1998, Penn State launched Penn State World Campus, which offers 50 online educational programs, degrees, and certificates.

One important question about Penn State’s credentials remains—can you still party at an online school? Are there any Lions out there who want to weigh in on this important issue?

* The Princeton Review is a New York company known for its test preparation courses, educational services and books and is not affiliated with Princeton University.