In 2013 the University of Iowa was ranked the No. 1 party school in the nation by the Princeton Review. Even after falling out of the top 20 list in 2018, party culture still remains a staple in the Iowa City social scene. According to the Des Moines Register in 2018 there were 387 places serving alcohol in the area.
There are a plethora of parties, bars, house concerts, and other drinking-influenced events. In all weather — even as temperatures start to drop — the party scene does not dwindle. Over the course of five nights during the fall semester, The Daily Iowan observed people vomit, stumble home, take drugs, and get lost on the streets of Iowa City.
Students dance at a house concert in Iowa City on Saturday, Sept. 23, 2023. Historically, the University of Iowa has been known as a party school.
