WASHINGTON - STANFORD University has the best classroom experience in American higher education and the University of Florida is the top party school, according to the Princeton Review's college guide.

The findings were based on a survey of 120,000 students, according to the Princeton Review, whose book, The Best 368 Colleges, went on sale yesterday.

The book lists the top 20 United States colleges in 62 categories, such as 'tastiest campus food', 'best dormitories' and 'most accepting of gay students'.

Schools were evaluated based on student surveys and not ranked according to overall academics.

'We believe college applicants need to know far more about schools than an academic ranking to identify which colleges may be best for them,' said the author, Mr Robert Franek, in a statement.

Stanford, near Palo Alto, California, was cited by respondents as being a place where 'staff and students are all very supportive of each other', with opportunities for interdisciplinary studies.

The American University in Washington DC is home to the most politically active students and Princeton University, which is also top of the list for the most beautiful campus, is popular among students happiest with their financial aid.

At the University of Florida, in Gainesville, 'frats and sororities dominate' the social scene, there is 'a lot of beer drinking' and 'hard liquor is popular', the guide said. The university has made the top 20 party school list for the past 15 years, but has never been No. 1.

The University of Florida also came in first this year in the categories of students who study the least and students who pack the stadiums.

University spokesman Steve Orlando said the school's reputation for partying comes from the school's athletic successes but defended its academic climate, noting that incoming students have a weighted Grade Point Average of 4.1, which is between an A and A- grade.

Other top-rated colleges in the various categories include Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois, which rated top in the campus food category and Loyola College in Baltimore, which ranked highest for dormitories.

Emerson College in Boston was the most accepting of gay students, according to the Princeton Review.

Other top schools included Occidental College in Los Angeles, with the most liberal students, Texas A&M University in College Station, with the most conservative students, and the University of Maryland in College Park with the best athletic facilities.

The annual rankings also list the nation's 'Stone-Cold Sober Schools', with Utah's Brigham Young University topping the list for the 11th consecutive year.

The Princeton Review is a New York company known for its test preparation courses, educational services and books and is not affiliated with Princeton University.

BLOOMBERG, ASSOCIATED PRESS