PROVO — Yep, for the third time in four years, BYU is the most “stone-cold sober” school in the United States, even though the Princeton Review changed the name of the list a few years ago.
It just doesn’t quite hit the same level to say BYU is the most “Cancel the Keg” school in the country.
BYU appears on 16 lists and the University of Utah appears on four lists in the 2026 edition of the Princeton Review’s “The 391 Best Colleges.” (Scroll down to see every ranking.)
Westminster University in Salt Lake City is the only other Utah school profiled in the book.
The company compiled its annual lists by surveying more than 107,000 students at the 391 schools.
The “Cancel the Keg” list is based on the question, “How widely is beer used at your school?”
BYU also finished fourth on the list called “Students Love Their Sports Teams.” The three ahead of it are Gonzaga, Wabash College and Butler, all of which allow alcohol use by students 21 and older.
Taken together, one might make the case BYU, which doesn’t sell alcohol at games, has the most soberly frenetic student sports fans in the nation.
BYU has now finished first for sobriety in 27 of the past 28 years.
These lists are meant to help high schoolers considering higher education see what college students say about their own school.
“Each (list) is designed to help you cut through the noise and help focus on what actually matters in your college search. There is no one-size-fits-all college out there, but there is one out there that you will thrive in,” said Princeton Review editor-in-chief Rob Franek.
Where BYU ranked on 16 lists
BYU students clearly hold their own university in high regard. Their survey responses led to the following rankings:
No. 1 for “Cancel the Keg.” On this list College of the Ozarks in Missouri ranked second. Other Big 12 schools on the list were Baylor (18th) and Houston (22nd).
Bucknell University in Pennsylvania and the University of Wisconsin-Madison finished first and second on the “Lots of Beer” list.
BYU is sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The church teaches its members to abstain from consuming alcohol. BYU students pledge not to drink alcohol or use drugs when they annually sign the university’s honor code.
No. 1 for Best Library. BYU consistently ranks highly in this category. Utah ranked 14th.
No. 1 for “Scotch and Soda, Hold the Scotch.” “How widely is hard liquor used at your school?” Second place again went to College of the Ozarks, with Baylor at 18 and Houston at 21.
Tulane and Bucknell finished one-two for “Lots of Hard Liquor.”
No. 4 for “Most Religious Students.” Based on how strongly students on campus respond to the question, “Students are very religious.” Utah ranked 12th.
Grove City College in Pennsylvania ranked first, followed by Hillsdale College in Michigan and Indiana’s Taylor University.
The students who reported their campus was the least religious were at two schools in Portland, Oregon — Reed College and Lewis & Clark College.
No. 4 for “Students Love Their School Teams.” The question was, “How popular are intercollegiate sports at your school?”
No. 4 for “Pot’s Not Hot.” This category was based on how widely students felt marijuana is used on campus. The only schools that ranked ahead of BYU for the least perceived marijuana use were — hmm, is there a pattern here? — the U.S. Naval Academy, Air Force Academy and the Army cadets at West Point.
Three other Big 12 schools made the list — Baylor (16) , Houston (22) and TCU (25).
The opposite list, “Reefer Madness,” was led by Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon, and the University of Vermont. at No. 9; Colorado was the only Big 12 school on the list.
No. 4 for “LGBTQ-Unfriendly.” Based on how strongly students agreed or disagreed with the statement, “Students treat all persons equally, regardless of their sexual orientation and gender identity/expression.” Baylor was No. 9.
No. 5 for “Best-Run Colleges.” Based on responses to the statement, “My school runs smoothly.”
No. 7 for “Best Quality of Life.”
No. 8 for “Town-Gown Relations are Great.” “Students get along with members of the local community.”
No. 12 for “Best Health Services.”
No. 18 for “Best Campus Food.”
No. 18 for “Most Engaged in Community Service.”
No. 20 for “Best College Dorms.”
No. 22 for “Great Financial Aid.”
No. 23 for “Most Politically Conservative Students.” The question: “Politically, are you far-left, Democrat, non-partisan, Republican, or far-right?” Utah finished 14th.
Where the University of Utah ranked on 16 lists
No. 10 for “Least Politically Active Students.”
No. 12 for “Most Religious Students.”
No. 14 for Best Library.
No. 14 for “Most Politically Conservative Students.”