Universities with the Hardest Working Students?

Hey there, I'm preparing for college, and one thing that's important for me is the dedication level of the student body. Which colleges are known for their hardest working students? Any ideas? It'd motivate me to be around such a crowd!

There's no scientific metric by which to directly determine how "hardworking" students at a college are, but there are many ways to gauge student engagement and dedication.

One methodology that might be insightful is looking at colleges where students report studying the most hours per week. A survey conducted by the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) shed some light on this. According to that survey, schools known for their high levels of student dedication could include:

1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)

2. California Institute of Technology (Caltech)

3. Harvey Mudd College

4. United States Military Academy (West Point)

5. United States Naval Academy (Annapolis)

6. University of Chicago

However, just because students at these schools study a lot doesn't necessarily mean they're more dedicated--it may just mean that their coursework is more demanding.

Another way to look at it would be to consider colleges known for rigorous academic standards and curriculums like:

1. University of Pennsylvania (Wharton specifically)

2. Princeton University

3. Cornell University

4. Reed College

Finally, colleges with a high percentage of STEM majors would likely fit the bill, as these fields often require a lot of time and dedication. This includes MIT, Caltech, and Carnegie Mellon University amongst others.

A driven and hardworking student body rocks, but don't forget to maintain a balanced college life with room for downtime, extracurricular activities, and social events, which are all a part of the complete college experience.