Obviously, college is more than just football games and dorm parties — it’s also a lot of work. But some students are working harder than others.
Niche, a company that researches and compiles information on schools, analyzed its data to find the colleges where students work the hardest.
To come up with this ranking, Niche looked at the academic rigor and student workload at traditional four-year schools in the US.
It took the academic grade for each school based on the quality of the professors, academic achievements of incoming students, graduation rates, and student reviews of their academic experience. Niche also calculated a composite score of users’ responses to questions pertaining to study habits, class attendance, homework, office hours and study sessions, and overall workload. Each factor was given equal weight and combined into Niche’s final score out of 100.
Visit Niche for more college rankings, and read on to see the top 50 schools where students hit the books the hardest.
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50. University of Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia
Niche score: 90
From day one, UVA students put in tremendous effort.
“You’ll be working your [butt] off, but you should be learning, too,” one freshman said.
A sophomore agreed: “The professors for the most part are extremely approachable, libraries are a great and beautiful option for studying, and classes are extremely difficult but worthwhile if you put the necessary time into them.”
Visit Niche for more information on the University of Virginia.
49. Emory University
Atlanta, Georgia
Niche score: 90.1
“The workload is difficult, but there are exceptional professors who make it worthwhile,” one sophomore reported.
Students also point out that time-management skills are key to handling the workload.
“Emory is definitely not an easy school in terms of academics, but what you get out of your education is very rewarding,” one freshman said. “As long as you manage your time well, you should be able to manage your workload while keeping up with your social life.”
Visit Niche for more information on Emory University.
48. Colgate University
Hamilton, New York
Niche score: 90.3
“My classes are heavy in reading and writing and I have a rather large workload,” one freshman noted.
But there are upsides.
“Teachers are great and always there to help you, and my biggest class is 30 people,” they added.
Visit Niche for more information on Colgate University.
