The words “stone-cold sober” and college are like beer and liquor ? they just don?t mix.
Unless, apparently, you attend the Naval Academy.
According to new rankings from The Princeton Review, the Naval Academy is the fifth most “stone-cold sober” college in the nation.
The rankings are based on a survey by The Princeton Review that asked 115,000 students at 361 colleges to rate their own schools.
It might seem strange that a school embroiled in two alleged sexual assault scandals, both involving the use of alcohol, could rank so high. But the stone-cold sober category is based on variables other than just whether people drink or don?t drink, said Michael Palumbo, senior editor of the 2007 edition of the Princeton Review book “Best 361 Colleges.”
These variables include the popularity of drugs and alcohol, the prevalence of fraternities and sororities on campus, and the number of hours spent studying outside of class, he said. “We certainly feel it is very accurate for a couple of reasons,” Palumbo said.
Eighty percent of the students polled this year said they thought their school?s current profile was “extremely accurate,” Palumbo said. He also said that schools tend to rank themselves consistently over the years, even as student bodies change.
The Naval Academy also ranked as the fifth most stone-cold sober school last year, said Jeanne Krier, a publicist for the Princeton Review Book. Brigham Young University was the most stone-cold sober school in the country this year. And it has been for the past nine, Palumbo said.
And even though there are about 10 bars within walking distance of the school, proprietors, such as Tom Frankowski, manager of popular midshipman hangout Riordan?s Saloon, said mids are generally on good behavior.
The Naval Academy had no comment on the ranking.
