WORK HARD, PLAY HARD: The 30 most intense colleges in America

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First and foremost, college is about getting an education. But it's also about having fun, going out, and making new friends.

Business Insider created a list of schools that best embody this dual principle — the "work hard, play hard" mentality that many students look for.

To find the most intense colleges in the country, we combined four rankings from college information site Niche: colleges with the best academics, smartest students, best Greek life colleges, and top party schools. We eliminated any schools that ranked only for academics or only for social life.

The list runs the gamut from big state schools, such as the University of Texas and the University of Michigan, to Ivies like Dartmouth and Yale.

Take a look at the most intense colleges in America, where students go all out, whether they're studying or partying.

Additional reporting by Andy Kiersz.

30. Wake Forest University

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Location: Winston Salem, North Carolina

Academics: A+

Party Scene: A

"Academics at Wake are impeccable," one student said. "You will get a great education, albeit with a large workload. The workload is manageable, and if you want to actually learn something in college, go here."

Greek life takes over campus on the weekends.

"Greek life dominates the party scene, so usually there is either a frat lounge party or off-campus house party every Friday and Saturday night," one freshman noted.

 

29. University of Florida

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Location: Gainesville, Florida

Academics: A

Party Scene: A+

"A lot of people party — almost every day of the week there's going to be people at the club," one senior said.

There's still plenty of time to study, however.

"I have never been challenged as much in my academics than I have at UF, but being challenged like this is only going to help me in life after college," a junior noted.

 

28. Tulane University

Tulane Public Relations/Flickr

Location: New Orleans, Louisiana

Academics: A+

Party Scene: A+

"Tulane seamlessly combines social life and academic rigor to provide a great college experience and ensure success after graduation," one sophomore commented.

Other students agree — Tulane students study as hard as they party.

"Most students follow the 'work hard, play hard' model religiously," one freshman reported. "Most students study all day and go out after. People do go out a decent amount during the week, as many of the bars have deals during weeknights." 

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