Must be the Cougaritas.
A ranking list published by the Princeton Review in August 2023 is garnering new buzz on social media, as Washington State University students were deemed the 4th happiest student body in the country. Amazing!
WSU students are clearly very happy with their collective Coug college experiences, as Washington State boasted being one out of only two west coast colleges to rank in the top 10, as well as the top-ranked school from the former Pac-12 conference (Just in case you’re curious, the University of Utah was the only other Pac-12 school to earn a spot on the list of 25 schools, coming in at #18 overall— Which means no, the other state university in Washington did not make the cut).
The Princeton Review states that their annual college rankings lists are based entirely on what students attending various schools report about their experiences, via a student survey. Survey questions are classified into four categories: Academics and administration, life at their college, their fellow students, and themselves. The most recent happiness rankings are based on the responses of 165,000 students at 389 schools across the country, according to the Princeton Review.
Now, we all know there’s a hundred reasons that Cougs showed to be some of the happiest students in the country— What’s not to love about Pullman and the WSU campus? But, I wanted to dive into a few of the possible reasons students have shown to be big fans of their Wazzu experiences.
Disclaimer: I have no idea what students actually reported that earned WSU the #4 ranking. The following is a healthy mix of personal opinions, and a couple jokes. Now, let’s get to it!
- A School that Cares!
Wow, students are happier when their university makes an effort to care for their individual needs and preferences? Shocker!! When I toured WSU as a nervous junior in high school, the number one thing that stood out to me, and has continued to stand out over the years, is how much WSU administration and leadership cares about not only their students— But their prospective students, as well! I was shown the utmost care and personalized treatment as a potential future Coug, which continued throughout my entire experience at a student.
2. Strong social culture
Students at WSU love to get together with their friends and have a good time. In my experience, going out to parties or bars with a group of people is one of the best ways to bond with them in Pullman— It can be difficult to start a conversation out of the blue with the person sitting next to you in your 9am class, but if you see that person out at the bar that night, it’s no big deal to say “Hey! You look familiar, I think we have a class together”, and boom, you have a study buddy AND a new friend to hang out at the bars with. Throughout my time at WSU, I continuously met people who were eager to make a new friend and add to their “circle” or friend group, which speaks volumes to the social culture at Wazzu.
3. The Coug / Cougaritas
No further explanation needed.
4. Unique Identity and Belonging
Overall, it’s no secret that WSU has an incredibly unique identity and atmosphere that goes beyond “just a college”. And the best part is, Wazzu has a place for everyone who chooses to buy into that one-of-a-kind community! With numerous student organizations and niches within the university and Pullman community, finding your place is thankfully very easy for a good majority of students.
WSU’s students giving largely positive results in these surveys administered by the Princeton Review is fantastic news that WSU is doing a good job taking care of its students, and that students are taking care of each other. After all, Cougs help Cougs! I look back on my time as a student incredibly fondly, and I’m grateful to hear that current students are feeling the same way. Go Cougs!