First and foremost, college is about getting an education. But it's also about having fun, going out, and making new friends.

Business Insider created a list of schools that best embody this dual principle — the "work hard, play hard" mentality that many students look for.

To find the most intense colleges in the country, we combined four rankings from college information site Niche: colleges with the best academics, smartest students, best Greek life colleges, and top party schools. We eliminated any schools that ranked only for academics or only for social life.

The list runs the gamut from big state schools, such as the University of Texas and the University of Michigan, to Ivies like Dartmouth and Yale.

Take a look at the most intense colleges in America, where students go all out, whether they're studying or partying.

Additional reporting by Andy Kiersz.