Year in and year out, the Princeton Review releases its own rankings of the top schools around the country. In addition to an overall ranking of universities, the college admissions service surveys specific categories such as “Best Business Schools” and “Best Law Schools.” One particularly noteworthy niche surveyed by the review team this year was a comprehensive list of the most weed-friendly colleges in the country.
Reefer Madness: The Higher-Education Edition
The list, ironically titled “Reefer Madness,” after the now-hilarious 1938 anti-weed propaganda film, listed the top 20 schools where weed is the most acceptable. The Princeton Review surveyed over 135,000 college students and interestingly enough, the East Coast dominated the list despite recreational weed becoming increasingly legal in West Coast states, such as Colorado, Oregon and Nevada.
In fact, of the eight states that have legalized recreational weed (Alaska, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Oregon, Nevada and Washington), only four had schools make the cut.
Here are the top 10 weed-friendly schools, per the Princeton Review.
10. University of Wisconsin-Madison
The University of Wisconsin-Madison came in 10th on the list. The school is known for its lax rules when it comes to cannabis on campus, so its appearance on the list is not surprising.
9. Skidmore College
Skidmore College, in Saratoga Springs, New York, has long been known as a stoner-friendly school. So much so, in fact, that it actually was the number one ranked weed-smoking school by the Princeton Review back in 2013. Although it’s taken a little bit of a tumble on the list in recent years, it’s still a top-notch cannabis-friendly university.
8. University of California, Santa Cruz
The University of California, Santa Cruz is one of the first West Coast schools to appear on the list and is known for its laissez-faire policy on tokin’ up. It’s also a pretty big party school, so don’t be surprised to see a little bit of everything if you decide to visit, or better yet, enroll.
7.University of Rhode Island
The Univerity of Rhode Island checked in at number seven on the list. Rhode Island lawmakers have been pushing for the legalization of recreational weed for years now, but so far to no avail. The state reportedly hopes to legalize it by 2018.
6. University of Maine
With recreational weed now legal in the state of Maine, it’s no surprise the University of Maine made the cut. While it still remains illegal to smoke in public, the school—located in Orono, Maine—seems to be pretty chill when it comes to bending the rules a teeny bit.
5. University of Colorado, Boulder
The University of Colorado, Boulder is another school that once topped the Princeton Review‘s stoner-friendly campus list, but has fallen to fifth in 2017. Since it is, well, a university in which students can legally show up to class high, there should be no shock value upon seeing its name on the list. If anything, it’s surprising that it’s not higher.
4. Eckerd College
Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida is another school known for appealing to stoners. Although Florida isn’t necessarily a state you would call weed-friendly, Eckerd College remains an iconic pot-smoking school.
3. Bard College
This isn’t the first time Bard College has made it into the Princeton Review‘s top-echelon of weed-friendly schools, and chances are, it’s not the last. The New York-based school located in Annandale-on-Hudson is known to appeal to the stoner crowd, despite recreational weed not being legal in New York just yet. However, it’s only a matter of time before that changes.
2. Ithaca College
The college located in, you guessed it, Ithaca, New York, is the third New York university to be honored on this list. Located in northern New York along the Finger Lakes, there’s plenty of scenic outdoor views such as pristine waterfalls and intricate hiking trails. Obviously, toking up before or during said activities makes the experience that much more awe-inspiring, so it’s no wonder so many students choose to dabble in the green.
1. University of Vermont
Considering Vermont has one of the highest percentages of weed-smokers in the country, the University of Vermont is a relative no-brainer for the top spot on this list. Although the state of Vermont has yet to legalize recreational weed, despite multiple attempts, it appears it’s only a matter of time before the deal is sealed. If its top university is any indication, legalization should come sooner, rather than later.
The rest of the Princeton Review’s 20-school list can be found here in its entirety.
Final Hit: The Most Weed-Friendly Colleges in the Country
In addition to the list of the most weed-friendly schools, the Princeton Review also made a comprehensive ranking of the 20 LEAST tolerant schools when it comes to cannabis-use, aptly titled “Don’t Inhale.” Unsurprisingly, most of the list consisted of various U.S. Military Academies, with the United States Coast Guard Academy coming in at number one.
As weed continues to become a societal norm, look for such a list to dwindle in the future. With an influx of East Coast state schools finding their way onto the “Reefer Madness” rankings, it’s a reflection of a newfound acceptance of the plant, whether it’s in a legal capacity or not.
