The University of Georgia has been ranked #8 in a listing of The Active Times’s “50 Fittest Colleges.” 

The rankings were determined based on factors such as access to athletic activities and facilities, students’ use of said facilities, campus dining options, the general happiness level of students, and the quality of life overall on campus. The University of Georgia received its score due to our 440,000-square-foot Ramsey Student Center, one of the largest college recreational facilities in the entire U.S. 

The 2015 ranking is the third time The Active Times has created this list, and this year 142 colleges made up the preliminary list. Schools were scored out of 175 after the U.S. News and World Report’s “Best Colleges Rankings” was consulted, The Princeton Review’s rankings of campus dining options, athletic facilities and happiness were looked at, and the opinions of students on Niche Colleges were taken into consideration. 

Other universities ranked include Georgia Tech (#48), University of Florida (#31), University of South Carolina (#30). Virginia Tech took the #1 spot in the rankings for the second time.

A reason for UGA’s success on this list is our excellent athletics. The football season is approaching, and it’s often difficult for online students to make it out to the games. The UGA Alumni Association is making it easy for students to tune into the games during Game Watching Parties that are being hosted at 50 different official locations over the football season. To get more information on the locations, check out the Alumni Association’s website. 

For a complete list of ranked schools and explanations, visit The Active Times.