CHICAGO, Sept. 25, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- For the seventh time in its 59-year history, Playboy magazine has released its list of Top 10 Party Schools, with the University of Virginia taking top honors. The much-talked-about rankings are featured in the magazine's October college issue (on newsstands now and online at www.playboy.com/partyschools2012).

The following schools have earned a spot on Playboy's 2012 Top 10 Party Schools list:

1. University of Virginia 6. University of Georgia 2. University of Southern California 7. Vanderbilt University 3. University of Florida 8. Tulane University 4. University of Texas 9. Texas Christian University 5. University of Wisconsin 10. Ohio State University

In addition to its Top 10 rankings, Playboy has also awarded high marks to the University of North Carolina for having the "#1 Sex Life"; Ohio State University for having the "#1 Sporting Life"; and Southern Methodist University for having the "#1 Nightlife." The magazine named SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry as the country's "Worst Overall Party School."

This year's list was determined by Playboy's editors who took America's top 100 colleges and universities and ranked them across 900 data points in three categories: sex, sports and nightlife.

Playboy last published its Top Party Schools list in May 2011 with the University of Colorado at Boulder crowned as number one. The magazine's first list, Top 40 Party Colleges, appeared in its January 1987 issue with California State University-Chico taking the top spot. Party school rankings have also appeared in the magazine's November 2002, May 2006, May 2009, and May 2010 issues.

SOURCE Playboy