Outside Kinnick Stadium prior to an Iowa football game.
The University of Iowa has moved up a few spots in the Princeton Review’s list of “Top Party Schools.” The U-of-I is ranked 9th this year after being 12th for the last three years.
University spokesperson Tom Moore says the list is not something the school wants to be part of – and notes the U-of-I is also highly ranked by many publications for it’s academic programs.
“A University of Iowa degree is held in high esteem across the nation and around the world. That’s really the more significant ranking that we like to focus on,” Moore said. The University of Georgia tops the list of party schools, followed by Ohio University, Penn State, West Virginia and the University of Mississippi.
The University of Iowa is the only Iowa school on the list. Moore says school administrators are doing all they can to alter the U-of-I’s image as a party school. University of Iowa leaders supported an ordinance that was passed earlier this year banning people under 21 from being in Iowa City bars after 10 p.m. That ordinance is set to go before voters this November.
In 2007, voters in Iowa City — many of whom were University of Iowa students — overwhelmingly rejected the idea of requiring all bar patrons to be at least 21 years old. University of Iowa President Sally Mason has said the school will take steps to “change the drinking culture” surrounding Hawkeye football games this year. Moore says details on that effort will be released soon.
“We continue to work on those…obviously we’ll be telling people in advance of the football season what to expect,” Moore said. The University of Iowa’s first football game is on September 4th. It’s an 11 a.m. kickoff against Eastern Illinois in Iowa City.