‘It’s not the kind of ranking you want to have’: St. FX ranked top ‘party school’

Administrators at St. Francis Xavier University say they don’t feel like celebrating after MacLean’s Magazine ranked their university Canada’s top ‘party school.’

“It’s not the kind of ranking you want to have,” said the university’s Vice-President Kevin Wamsley.

According to MacLean’s, St. FX holds the top spot for universities in Canada where students spend an average of just over seven hours a week partying. A total of six Maritime schools made the Top-20 list:

The school’s administration disliked the ranking so much, they didn’t bother to mention it in a news release highlighting the university’s other rankings.

Wamsley said the school has already introduced programs for students that address issues like sexualized violence and alcohol abuse.

“We don’t want to be the state police on all accounts. We want students to enjoy themselves, we want them to have fun,” said Wamsley. “But we have to provide education on these issues, and that’s what we’re doing.”

Students on the Antigonish campus say they’re not surprised.

“I think there are some students who take great pride in that,” said student Bill Andrews.

Others point to St. FX’s top rankings in academic categories, like helping students to think critically and gain experience for employment.

“I think it’s cool we still have such a good academic environment, but we’re ranked so high for partying,” said student Taylor Matthews. “I love it here.”

MacLean’s interviewed more than 10,000 students at 100 universities across the country.

With files from CTV Atlantic's Dan MacIntosh

Note: CTV erroneously reported that Mount Saint Vincent University had been ranked as #8 on the list, instead of Mount Allison University. CTV regrets the error.