<p>Repeat after me:</p>
<p>For most large universities, there is more variation in student experience within an institution than across institutions.</p>
<p>I think that the survey is attempting to portray the distribution of those varied experiences at each college rather than making an absolute statement that students at ABC College are more balanced and that students at XYZ are more high-strung. There are undoubtedly students at each that show balance and/or are high strung, but the extent to which this is the campus norm is what is being reflected.</p>
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<p>I’d also add “for most large universities, there is more variation in student quality within the institution than across institutions,” which is why it’s so pathetic when people trot out our-SAT’s-are-20-points-higher to show that their school’s students are “smarter”! </p>
<p>I do think that qualitatively, at least, there’s probably some truth to the direction. Not hard data, and any student can choose to be anywhere along the continuum of drunk-to-hard-core as he or she chooses, but I don’t doubt that there are campus “feels.” Having said that, they can be influenced by major or even by dorm / roommate / who you happen to socialize with.</p>