Which Schools Have the Best Greek Life?

Deciding to rush a fraternity or a sorority is an exciting decision. Some people know from the time that they're in high school that they want to be a part of Greek life when they go off to college.

If this sounds like you, then you might want to take sorority and fraternity rankings into account as you apply to college. Applying to some of the best Greek life schools will set you up to have an awesome Greek life experience.

While there are hundreds of schools that have great Greek life on campus, we're going to go over some of the best Greek life colleges you can apply to.

Miami University

This school's name is misleading because it isn't in Florida (which could be a bummer for some of you to realize). It's in Oxford, Ohio, but that doesn't diminish this school's awesome Greek life organizations.

Miami has 29 recognized fraternity chapters and 22 recognized sorority chapters. This provides a wide variety of organizations where you can find your Greek life family. You'll be joining thousands of others with your same values and goals.

You'll have to wait until at least your second semester of freshmen year until you can rush, but the wait will definitely be worth it. Miami Greek life is known for awesome philanthropy events like:

• Volunteer cleaning events
• Blood drives
• Fundraisers

Miami is also well-known for having a great sense of community in Greek life.

The social parts of Greek life at Miami also make this a great school to consider. Between getting hundreds of new sisters or brothers, mixing with other organizations, and being a part of Greek leadership, Miami has it all.

The University of Alabama

Alabama has got to be one of the most well-known schools for Greek life. Screams of "roll tide" and waves of crimson and white are iconic for football, basketball, and Greek life.

Alabama has a whopping 68 Greek organizations and 35 percent student Greek life involvement. You'll be joining one of the largest Greek life communities in the country. According to the college's membership report, more than 13,800 men and more than 6,800 women belonged to Greek organizations in 2020.

The University of Alabama also has some of the smartest Greek organizations in the country. The average Greek grade point average is 3.31, which is actually higher than the overall undergraduate average.

Besides joining a huge community of smart and interesting people, you'll also be gaining hundreds of new friends. The social aspects of Greek life cannot and should not be ignored, especially at a school like the University of Alabama, where Greek parties, tailgates and mixers are a part of the college experience.

Cornell University

We're going to the opposite of the South for this next school: Cornell University in upstate New York.

Cornell is one of the more prestigious colleges on this list. It is one of the eight Ivy League schools, and it has a robust Greek life. Cornell boasts over 50 Greek organizations. More than 3,000 students belong to a recognized fraternity or sorority. You'll also see one of the highest Greek life GPAs at Cornell. The well-known university has a Greek life GPA hovering around 3.4 for both sororities and fraternities.

Cornell is considered one of the best Greek life schools for the balance between Greek life, academia, and other social activities. Many people involved in Greek life are also a part of academic clubs, club sports and more at Cornell instead of being entirely focused on Greek life.

Cornell's goals for Greek life include coaching of chapter leaders, communication with everyone involved in Greek life, education and training, and crucial partners.

You'll be joining one-third of the student population that is a part of Greek life at Cornell. Not only that, but you'll also be joining a place with some of the highest fraternity and sorority rankings in that region of the country.

University of Southern California

Let's take a trip out west to give you a nice variety of options for the best Greek life colleges. USC has 54 Greek chapters available to join, where 24 percent of undergraduate students have found homes away from home.

The average Greek GPA matches the average undergraduate GPA of 3.35. You can be sure that your academics won't suffer when you join a fraternity or sorority.

In fact, over 40 percent of Greek chapters actually surpass this average GPA, with over 1,700 students in Greek life having over a 3.5 GPA.

USC Greek life is also a big proponent of philanthropy, community involvement, education and engagement. Your experience in these high-ranking fraternity and sorority organizations will provide you with connections, learning experiences and friends that will last a lifetime.

Dartmouth College

It would be a crime not to include Dartmouth on this list since it was an inspiration for one of the most famous movies about Greek life of all time, Animal House.

What's different about the real-life Greek life compared to the Greek life from Animal House? Real Dartmouth fraternities and sororities are actually some of the best in the country: it's not just wild parties.

There are of course parties and social events. But primarily, the Dartmouth Greek life mission focuses on six principles, including:

• Brotherhood/Sisterhood
• Leadership
• Inclusivity
• Service
• Scholarship
• Accountability

Dartmouth is also one of the few colleges to take a stand against dangerous practices that are sometimes seen in Greek life. They've taken steps to reduce binge drinking, hazing and sexual assault.

In 2015, Dartmouth banned hard alcohol in order to protect the safety of Greek students. The college is also requiring sexual misconduct training for all 28 of its Greek organizations.

Overall, Dartmouth has a great reputation for protecting the safety of students. It's also known for having smart and generous Greek life organizations on campus.

Best Greek Life Schools: Bottom Line

There are hundreds of amazing schools throughout the country that have Greek life organizations. These are just a few of the best Greek life schools for you to consider.

Wherever you apply and end up attending, you'll have an amazing Greek experience. You'll get to join an awesome community of smart and capable young leaders while gaining friends you'll have for life.

If you're still worried about the rush process or which organization you should join, you can check out our blog for more tips and information about rushing, pledging and more.

Greek U also offers a wide range of affordable, high-quality Greek merchandise, so be sure to check out our site once you find and join your organization.