Both students and campus health officials say the ranking signifies a changing perception of MSU, which gained national attention throughout the 2000s when numerous riots and large-scale parties caused damage near campus.

West Virginia University came in at the top of the list this year, followed by University of Iowa at no. 2. Three other Big Ten universities — Penn State University, University of Illinois and University of Wisconsin-Madison also made the list.

“I’m actually a little disappointed,” said no-preference sophomore Stefan Elslager. “I mean, I want to be no. 1; I want to be at the top.”

Professional writing and English senior Kaila Herin, on the other hand, is pleasantly surprised that MSU is not ranked as a big party school.

“I knew it was considered a party school when I decided to come here, and it didn’t deter me because the academic program that I was going into was a good fit for me,” Herin said.

Olin Health Center Health Education Services Coordinator Dennis Martell said MSU is “a very serious school that is interested in you succeeding academically; case closed.”

Olin Health Center heads the university’s Social Norms program, a campuswide advertising campaign centered on comical duck illustrations aiming to educate students about safe drinking.

“We’re not trying to get people to stop drinking,” Martell said. “We’re not trying to change celebrations. We’re just trying to reduce the harmful consequences and make students academically successful.”

Martell said his organization has asked students one question for the past 12 years: “What best phrase describes MSU?” In the most recent data collected, “party school” came up as an answer 4.7 percent of the time.

Aware of MSU’s absence from the Princeton Review’s party school list, Elslager said a degree from MSU and an equivalent degree from a ranked “party school” shouldn’t be different.

“I know at my house I like to throw a party every single weekend,” he said.

Herin agreed that a school’s bad image in only one aspect shouldn’t undermine a degree earned at that university.

“If partying gets in your way, then you’re not going to graduate,” said Herin. “If you’re still graduating, then it means you were able to balance your time and your education.”

MSU’s Office for Survey Research collects the data for social norm advertisements, where it is incorporated in graphic designs and then printed on posters and T-shirts distributed around campus.

“I’m not surprised we didn’t make the list, because perceptions change,” Martell said. “The credit goes to the students and the community for changing the culture.”