25 colleges where students study the most hours a week

College students all over the country are studying hard, but some are putting in more hours.
The Princeton Review surveyed students about the number of hours they study a week.
The survey found the most studious college is the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.

Depending on which college you attend, you might spend more time hitting the books than your peers elsewhere.

Many of the colleges on this list — which ranks schools by how much students study — have rigorous curricula,small class sizes, and an interdisciplinary approach to learning.

The list is from the Princeton Review's "The Best 391 Colleges," which surveyed 170,000 students at 391 colleges about their experiences and was published in August 2025.

The following ranking was compiled from college student responses to the question: "How many out-of-class hours do you spend studying each day?"

Based on the responses, the Princeton Review published a list of the 25 schools where students study the most, but did not share the average number of study hours reported by students at each college.

The results are based on students' self-reported study hours, so they reflect respondents' estimates rather than time that has been independently tracked.

Here are the 25 colleges where students reported studying the most outside class, ranked from No. 25 to No. 1.

25. Rice University

The main brick entrance to Rice University.

Rice University offers over 50 undergraduate majors across disciplines such as business, humanities, and natural sciences. Its student-to-faculty ratio for undergraduates is 6-to-1.

One student told the Princeton Review: "People work on the weekdays and during the day on weekends, and then on Friday and Saturday everyone does something fun, whether partying or spending time with friends."

24. University of Puget Sound

Exterior of the University of Puget Sound.

The University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington, offers over 50 undergraduate majors, and all students participate in an experiential learning opportunity, such as study abroad or an internship.

Students at Puget Sound said in the survey that they are "very dedicated to their studies" while also invested in extracurriculars.

23. Hamilton College

The Stanley Cup sits outside Hamilton College's Sage Rink during the NHL Kraft Hockeyville USA in Clinton, New York.

Hamilton College, in Clinton, New York, offers an open curriculum with 44 majors and 58 areas of study. The school says on its website that almost 70% of people graduate with two majors or a major and a minor.

One person told the Princeton Review that Hamilton students are "friendly and academic, but not cut-throat or competitive in any way."

22. Webb Institute

Webb Institute building with tall chimneys, arched entry, courtyard fountain, and reclining statue on a pedestal.

Webb Institute, in Glen Cove, New York, offers a dual bachelor's degree in naval architecture and marine engineering. Students begin studying their major on the first day of college.

The curriculum is intense; students said in the survey that they usually can have a day off on the weekend if they are on top of their studies.

21. Gonzaga University

John Hemmingson Center on the Gonzaga University campus in Spokane, Washington.

Gonzaga University, in Spokane, Washington, offers 16 undergraduate degrees across a wide range of majors, minors, and concentrations. The average class size is 22.

"My best professors...encouraged us to draw connections on our own, and taught according to what struck us as important," one student told the Princeton Review about their Gonzaga experience.

20. Amherst College

Amherst College's red brick building with white columns and a clock tower rises behind autumn leaves under a clear blue sky.

Amherst College in Massachusetts offers students 43 majors and an open curriculum. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 7:1, class sizes are small, and students and professors are close.

Students in the survey said the open curriculum provides a lot of "space and freedom to take a variety of classes" and that it's an "academically rigorous undergraduate education."

19. Washington University in St. Louis

Students walking in front of Brookings Hall at Washington University in St. Louis.

Washington University in St. Louis has nine different schools, including the School of Medicine and the Olin Business School. It also offers opportunities for interdisciplinary studies.

A student told the Princeton Review that the classes are "very rigorous and challenging."

18. Bowdoin College

Bowdoin College sign stands on a tree-lined lawn in front of campus buildings.

Brunswick, Maine's Bowdoin College,prides itselfon face-to-face, specialized learning. Chalkboards are still in use, and every first-year student has to complete a writing seminar.

Survey respondents said students are generally "academically competitive" yet supportive.

17. Colby College

Construction workers leave the Colby College Museum of Art for a lunch break after putting some of the many finishing touches on the largest college museum in the state of Maine

Colby College, in Waterville, Maine, sayson its websitethat courses go beyond the classroom, with experiential learning, research, and project-based problem solving part of its teaching.

Students in the Princeton Review survey said that the "classes are very rigorous and there is a high expectation for reading and work outside class."

16. St. Olaf College

Facade of Regents Hall at St Olaf College surrounded by trees.

St. Olaf College, in Northfield, Minnesota, offers a range of interdisciplinary majors, such as environmental studies and quantitative economics, and concentrations such as applied linguistics and Middle Eastern studies.

"Studying is also a form of hanging out for many people," a student told the Princeton Review survey.

15. Williams College

Exterior view from the side of the Williamstown Theater Festival at Williams College on a sunny summer afternoon.

Williams College, in Williamstown, Massachusetts, offers more than 50 areas of study, from Chinese to mathematics.

The students themselves said they are "always busy, always a little bit stressed" in the survey, but that the college offers a "perfect combination of...liberal arts and research opportunities; neither one has to be sacrificed."

14. Bucknell University

The insignia and crest of Bucknell University is embedded in the walkways of the college campus in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania

Bucknell University, in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, offers over 60 majors and 70 minors across its three colleges: Arts & Sciences, Engineering, and the Freeman College of Management.

Students told the Princeton Review that there is a "work hard, play hard" mentality and that they all have a shared goal of learning.

13. Reed College

Reed College's red-brick institutional building, with bay windows and a central entrance, faces a green lawn and walkway.

Portland's Reed College offers 38 majors — 13 of which are interdisciplinary. Humanities 110 is a yearlong course where students are introduced to humanistic inquiry.

According to the students themselves, "Reedies are invested in the learning process" and "academically driven."

12. College of the Atlantic

Aerial view of College of the Atlantic with autumn trees, buildings, and a pier beside a large body of water.

All students at College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, Maine, earn a human ecology degree, a program they curate themselves based on their interests.

As a result, students told the Princeton Review that the school "attracts a self-selected group of passionate, driven, and deeply curious individuals who are committed to interdisciplinary learning and environmental and social justice."

11. Wellesley College

Bell Tower, Green Hall surrounded by trees at Wellesley College.

Wellesley College in Massachusetts describes itself as "one of the most academically challenging institutions of higher education in the country."

The survey responses reflect this, with one student saying that Wellesley's "workload is not for the faint of heart." Another added, "Even when classes are stressful, there is a beautiful campus that sparks happiness at random moments."

10. Massachusetts Institute of Technology

A general view of the exterior of The Great Dome on October 21, 2025, at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) campus in Cambridge, MA.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology has topped the QS World University Rankings for 15 years in a row, and is renowned for its STEM teaching and research.

MIT students told the Princeton Review that the academics "definitely push [you] beyond your comfort level."

9. Princeton University

East Pyne Hall on the campus of Princeton University.

As a member of the Ivy League, it may not be surprising that surveyed students said Princeton is an "intellectually challenging place."

They added that there is a "tendency to overwork" but that nearly everyone is also talented at something outside the classroom.

8. Lafayette College

Modern stone-and-glass Skillman Library at Lafayette College with broad steps sits behind a large green lawn under a clear blue sky.

Lafayette College, located in Easton, Pennsylvania, offers degree programs in both engineering and the liberal arts, and prides itself on this interdisciplinary curriculum.

The students "tend to be athletic, very preppy, and serious about their education," according to the Princeton Review.

7. Centre College

A person sits on a grassy lawn at Centre College, Kentucky with a notebook in front of a large brick building with white columns.

Public speaking, writing, community engagement, and experiential learning all form part of Centre College's general education curriculum. Located in Danville, Kentucky, the school offers majors across a range of arts and sciences disciplines.

Students told the Princeton Review that the "academic rigor is great preparation for graduate school and fellowships."

6. Gettysburg College

Glatfelter Hall on the Gettysburg College Campus in Pennsylvania.

Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania offers a liberal arts and sciences education. Students take a wide range of classes and can form their own major.

There was consensus among the students surveyed by the Princeton Review that, at Gettysburg, Mondays through Fridays are "rigorous," with most students busy studying.

5. Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

Modern brick and glass Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology building stands beside a pond with a fountain and autumn foliage.

The Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, in Terre Haute, Indiana, has been ranked as having the No. 1 undergraduate engineering program for 27 consecutive years by the US News & World Report.

Students told the Princeton Review that they fill their "days with studying and homework," but that there is a "great support system, both socially and academically."

4. Grinnell College

Classical brick and stone facade of Carnegie Hall on the campus of Grinnell College under a blue sky with clouds.

With no general education requirements or core curriculum, Grinnell College in Iowa allows students to curate their own curricula.

However, if you think this makes academic life a breeze, think again. In the survey, students at Grinnell told the Princeton Review that it is a "very academically oriented" school and that they spend a lot of time studying.

3. Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering

The Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering in Needham, Massachusetts, emphasizes a project-based curriculum in which, from semester one, students work on real-world engineering solutions.

Students told the Princeton Review, "academically, classes are challenging, but there are many resources."

2. Harvey Mudd College

Modern tiled building with blue glass windows, exterior stairs, trees, and bicycle racks under a clear sky.

Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, California, is unique among liberal arts colleges; its mission is to educate the next generation of STEM leaders.

The school's core curriculum includes courses in engineering, mathematics, biology, and computer science, as well as college writing and a critical inquiry class.

Students surveyed said "the course load is rigorous," yet "rewarding."

1. California Institute of Technology

Caltech Beckman Institute building framed by trees with an arched walkway and reflecting pool in front.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of only 3:1, the California Institute of Technology has small class sizes and a rigorous academic curriculum.

While its name reflects the school's strong reputation and focus toward the sciences and engineering, you can also major in the humanities and social sciences.

Pasadena's Caltech is great at "keeping students occupied and entertained while at the same time cramming a ridiculous amount of information into our heads," one of the surveyed students told the Princeton Review.

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25 colleges where students study the most hours a week

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