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The Best College Bar in the United States, Ranked

Picture this: It’s a cool autumn day, and your school is buzzing because, after a long week, it’s finally game day. Nothing beats the nostalgia of rooting for your school at your iconic college bar.

Your college bar often feels like a home away from home, giving you memories that will last a lifetime, whether your school is in the SEC, ACC, or a completely different conference.

The Best College Bar in the United States, Ranked
Image credits: Pexels

According to YouthTruth, 75% of American high school students look forward to their college days, gaining excitement not only about higher education but also about the memories they will make along the way.

BetUS knows how formative a place your local college bar is in your early 20s. So, we’ve created a one-stop guide revealing the best college bars in the U.S. We analyzed Google reviews, the price of a well drink and shot, the number of events held weekly, and whether the bar charges a cover.

The top 20 college bars in the U.S.

Rank College Bar City State
1 Skybar Auburn Alabama
2 Kings Live Music Conway Arkansas
3 Buckhorn Laramie Wyoming
4 Fred’s Bar Baton Rouge Louisiana
5 Luckys Sioux Falls South Dakota
6 The UAF Pub Fairbanks Alaska
7 Centro Blacksburg Virginia
8 Toads Place New Haven Connecticut
9 Anna O’Brians Honolulu Hawaii
10 Devils Advocate Tempe Arizona
11 Press Play Boulder Colorado
12 Klondike Kates Newark Delaware
13 The Cage Lewiston Maine
14 Good Grammar Salt Lake City Utah
15 Kollege Klub Madison Wisconsin
16 Sandbar Miami Florida
17 Blue Room Statesboro Georgia
18 Maggie Maes Austin Texas
19 Rounders Tuscaloosa Alabama
20 Recess Tallahassee Florida

 

1. Sky Bar, Auburn, Alabama

Sporting a 3.9 rating on Google reviews, Sky Bar in Auburn, Alabama, has been ranked the top college bar in the U.S. With shots and well drinks priced at $5.50 each, hosting around seven events per week, and rarely charging a cover, Sky Bar has become a beloved spot for Auburn students. Its three levels make it the perfect place to cheer on the Auburn Tigers.

2. Kings Live Music, Conway, Arkansas

Kings Live Music in Conway, Arkansas, ranks second among the top college bars in the U.S. With an impressive 4.6-star rating on Google, this bar is a favorite among the University of Central Arkansas students. Known for its live music, Kings offers $6.00 well drinks and $3.00 shots, making it an affordable night out with great entertainment.

3. Buckhorn, Laramie, Wyoming

Buckhorn in Laramie, Wyoming, ranks third with a 4.4-star rating on Google reviews. A popular gathering place for University of Wyoming students, this bar offers well drinks and shots for just $5.00 and hosts five different deals and events each week. Buckhorn is a lively hotspot that lights up the town of Laramie.

4. Fred’s Bar, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Fred’s Bar is an iconic Louisiana State University staple known nationwide. With a 4.1-star rating on Google reviews, this beloved college bar offers affordable drinks, starting at $5.00 for well drinks and $2.00 for shots.

5. Sporty’s Bar and Grill, Madison , South Dakota

Sporty’s Bar and Grill in Madison, South Dakota, is ranked fifth among the top college bars in the U.S. Whether you’re looking to play a round of pool or cheer on your favorite team, Sporty’s is the go-to spot for Dakota State students. With a 3.9-star rating on Google, Sporty’s offers drinks starting at $5.00 and shots starting at $3.00.

The best college bar in every state

Whether you’re on home turf for a game or playing away, you can use this tool to search for the top college bar in each state in the U.S., ranked by their Google reviews, the price of a well drink and a shot, or the number of events and deals the bar offers each week.

 

The most expensive cities In the United States for a well drink

You might be a bottom-shelf drinker, or you could be curious (or shocked) to learn where you’d be splurging on a classic well drink. We’ve dug into the data to find out which cities have the priciest pours for bottom-shelf liquor.

Rank College Bar Well Drink Cost City State
1 Rocco’s Tavern $9.00 Los Angeles California
2 Harpers $9.00 East Lansing Michigan
3 Undeclared $8.00 Knoxville Tennessee
4 The Gaslight Social $8.00 Casper Wyoming
5 Gold Spike $8.00 Henderson Nevada
6 Club Still Life $8.00 Greenville North Carolina
7 Harrys $8.00 West Lafayette Indiana
8 Whiskey Republic $8.00 Providence Rhode Island
9 District 64 $8.00 Grand Forks North Dakota
10 Mahoneys $8.00 Cortland New York

 

1. Rocco’s Tavern, Los Angeles, California

Situated in Los Angeles, Rocco’s Tavern is an iconic bar for UCLA students. Rocco’s offers basic drinks starting at $9.00.

2. Harpers, East Lansing, Michigan

Harper’s in East Lansing, Michigan, is a popular college bar for Michigan State University students. With well drinks starting at $9.00, paying for a vodka Red Bull before stepping into the adult world is not a bad price.

3. Undeclared, Knoxville, Tennessee

Undeclared in Knoxville, Tennessee, is a landmark bar for University of Tennessee students. This college bar is the perfect place to cheer on ‘Ole Rocky Top,’ where an average well drink will cost you $8.00 down in the Tennessee hills.

 

The most expensive cities In the United States for a shot

Whether you prefer lemon drops, gummy bears, or Vegas bombs, are you curious about where in the U.S. you’ll pay the most for a liquid hangover? We’ve got the scoop on which cities have the highest prices for shots.

Rank College Bar Cost of a Shot City State
1 901 Bar $9.01 Los Angeles California
2 2 Bros $9.00 Middlebury Vermont
3 Sandbar $9.00 Miami Florida
4 Maggie Maes $8.00 Austin Texas
5 Libby’s $8.00 Durham New Hampshire
6 Noto $8.00 Philadelphia Pennsylvania
7 Centro $8.00 Blacksburg Virginia
8 The Mews $8.00 Great Falls Montana
9 Generals Athens $7.50 Athens Georgia
10 Dickermans $7.00 Hamden Connecticut

 

1. 901 Bar, Los Angeles, California

901 Bar, located in Los Angeles, California, is popular among USC students. Known for its strong drinks, paying $9.01 is a small price to start a fun night.

2. 2 Bros, Middlebury, Vermont

2 Bros in Middlebury, Vermont, is a classic, sleek pub and lounge popular among students attending Middlebury College. With trivia nights and karaoke, it serves $9.00 shots, making it a fun place to start or end your night.

3. Sandbar, Miami, Florida

Sandbar in Miami is popular among University of Miami students and is one of the liveliest college bars on our list. It embraces the fun and vibrant spirit of the city it calls home. For $9.00, you can down a shot and start or end your night on the right note.

With this guide, you can now find the top college bar in each state ranked by the price of a well drink and shot, the number of events, whether they have a cover charge, or their location.

From Skybar in Auburn to Kings Live Music in Conway, there is no shortage of iconic college bars across the U.S. to enjoy on game days.

BetUS is your go-to destination for the best odds on all games, so you can enjoy the game and the reward on your bets.

 


Methodology

We reviewed and ranked the top college bars in each state across the U.S., based on the most popular colleges in that state. Each bar was scored on factors including its average Google review rating, the cost of a drink and shot, the number of weekly events and deals, and whether it charged a cover fee for entry. Bars with more events and lower costs scored higher. The data is accurate as of September 27, 2024.

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