Those OTHER college rankings...
 

Okay, I'm not here to start a debate about the veracity of the US News and World Report college rankings, but they did publish a list of the schools with the highest percentage of fraternity and sorority members. Here goes:

Fraternities
Washington and Lee University (VA) 80%
DePauw University (IN) 77%
Wabash College (IN) 65%
Westminster College (MO) 61%
Centre College (KY) 55%
Transylvania University (KY) 55%
Wofford College (SC) 54%
Birmingham-Southern College (AL) 53%
Rhodes College (TN) 51%
Millsaps College (MS) 50%
Ripon College (WI) 49%
Baker University (KS) 48%
Harding University (AR) 48%
Presbyterian College (SC) 48%
Rose-Hulman Inst. of Tech. (IN) 47%
Kettering University (MI) 45%
Randolph-Macon College (VA) 45%
University of the South (TN) 45%
Washington and Jefferson Col. (PA) 45%


Sororities
Culver-Stockton College (MO) 75%
Birmingham-Southern College (AL) 74%
York College (NE) 73%
Washington and Lee University (VA) 72%
Virginia Intermont College 71%
DePauw University (IN) 69%
Wofford College (SC) 61%
Centre College (KY) 59%
College of New Jersey * 59%
Rhodes College (TN) 58%
Westminster College (MO) 56%
Transylvania University (KY) 55%
Baker University (KS) 52%
University of Redlands (CA) 51%
Millsaps College (MS) 50%
Vanderbilt University (TN) 50%
Wake Forest University (NC) 50%
University of Richmond (VA) 49%
North Carolina Central Univ. * 48%
Washington and Jefferson Col. (PA) 48%
Hanover College (IN) 47%
Harding University (AR) 46%
Hillsdale College (MI) 46%
Presbyterian College (SC) 46%
Rose-Hulman Inst. of Tech. (IN) 46%
Bucknell University (PA) 45%
Kettering University (MI) 45%
Lafayette College (PA) 45%
Livingstone College (NC) 45%
Randolph-Macon College (VA) 45%

Is it any suprize that the vast majority of those schools are private -- that is to say, not the huge state supported schools?

Also, I'm much more inclined to believe US News than the Princeton Review.

I can understand why the percentages would differ between men and women, but why are there some not even on one and huge on the other? (Virginia Intermont for example....I've never heard of this school - is it all female?) Is that the male/female ratio that out of whack, or are the schools so small that half a dozen people makes a big difference?

According to the Virginia Intermont website, there are two social sororities Sigma Upsilon Theta founded in 1999 and Zeta Alpha Rho founded in 2000. There are 1015 students. It was founded as a woman's college, and men were admitted in 1972. I don't see any mention of fraternities.

Goooooo W&L! :)

Culver-Stockton
 

I never heard of them so I went to their website. It said 40% of the student body was greek. Unless there are very few women at this school, given the size of the pledge class (looks about 12) for the two sororities, I can't see how we get to 75%.

I think that what is interesting is the region of the schools-most are East of the Mississippi, with a few exceptions. I have always been aware that Greek Life on the West Coast, or even Rocky Mountain region is not the same as say, being in the heart of Dixie, but it makes me wonder why there is such a difference. I have friends from the south that have gone to colleges out west, and they have either LOVED being here, and have stayed...or they have transferred after the first year because it was nothing like home...what are the thoughts of others????

I had no idea Ripon was so Greek . . . most of the Wisconsin schools aren't.

A real eye opener! W&L, 80%!!!! I wonder what their school paper is like. I wonder what it's like to be a GDI on a campus so pro Greek.

Who cares?

Is there a link to the US news and world report?

As a W&L student, I can tell you that of our two school papers, one is ultra-conservative, consists mostly of editorials, and is boring. The other prints trashy articles about hooking up. :rolleyes: With our journalism school you'd think we'd actually have decent student papers. Of course there are many articles relating to Greek life.

Being a GDI can really, really really really suck at W&L. You basically have nowhere to live but the dorms after freshman year (which are OK, but not great--most Greeks live in the sorority/fraternity houses sophomore year and then move off campus), nowhere to eat (except for crappy student dining, all upperclass Greeks eat at their houses), nothing to do (if you don't like GLO parties--all parties are open, however), and it can get really dull if you're not creative/party-oriented.

We just got a new Commons (basically a student union) which wasn't built for so many years because Greek life basically provided ALL student life. I think the new Commons is going to change a lot--there are going to be more dining options, a movie theatre, a game room, etc. We'll see what happens. I don't think the Greek life is going to decline any time soon.

I'm from Danville which is where Centre College is. I can definitely understand why their percentage is so high. Centre is a private school of like 1500 students. Being Greek is about the best thing to do. The community is a good size but the campus is really tiny. Fraternity Row makes up a good portion of campus housing. What's wild is that I knew there were fraternity houses there while I was in high school but never heard anything else of the Greeks there. I guess they do stuff outside of the campus but I've never seen them. Hmmm....

Transylvania is also a private school, but I don't know much else about them.

It was wild to come to Morehead and become Greek (being completely Greek-stupid at the time), then realizing what Greeks are all about. Greeks at Morehead pretty much run the place. Our percentage isn't very high I don't think (we're a big commuter university) but our involvement is huge.

You'd be surprised. Fraternity life at Ripon is like the way to go. It is a smaller school too, so that might have something to do with it.