An independent ranking of the attributes of major universities around the country is out with its 2004 rankings, and Florida State University earns the dubious distinction as one of the best "party schools."

Princeton Review Top 10   Party Schools For 2004  1  State University of New York at Albany 2  Washington and Lee University, Lexington, Va. 3  University of Wisconsin-Madison 4  West Virginia University, Morgantown 5  Ohio University, Athens 6  Florida State University, Tallahassee 7  University of Texas-Austin 8  University of Georgia, Athens 9  University of Colorado-Boulder 10  University of Mississippi

FSU was ranked sixth best "party school" by the Princeton Review, and the top college in the South in a category judged on the amount of alcohol and drug consumption, the amount of time students spend studying, and the popularity of fraternities and sororities.

The State University of New York at Albany returned to the top of the list of party schools in the nation, while Brigham Young University kept its place as the country's "stone-cold sober" school, according to the latest Princeton Review survey.

The University of Georgia ranked eighth on the list, but the University of Florida -- ranked fifth only two years ago -- has dropped off the top 10 list.

The "Best 357 Colleges" survey is based on responses from more than 110,000 students at U.S. campuses. The review, which has no affiliation with Princeton University, has been conducting the study since 1992.

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology was the toughest to get into. The happiest students overall were at Pomona College in Claremont, Calif.

Students most likely to vote for President George W. Bush are in the Republican's home state at Texas A&M University, while those most likely to vote for Democratic challenger John Kerry are at Warren Wilson College in Asheville, N.C.

A Harvard study showed about 44 percent of college students nationwide binge drink. The American Medical Association has criticized party school listings, saying they legitimize high-risk drinking and portray alcohol as an essential part of student life.

Robert Franek, lead author for the survey, disagrees and says the survey accurately reflects college life -- for better or worse -- and can be a vehicle for change.

"I think we do a great service for college-bound students, being in a very unique position to get onto the 357 best college campuses and ask students tough questions," Franek said. "We are going directly to college experts, college students on the campuses."