Located in the center of Montreal in the province of Quebec, McGill was once included on Playboy magazine's list of Top 10 Party Schools in North America. The ranking was based on its male-to-female ratio and campus party scene. Students at McGill also have access to the nightlife of a major metropolitan area, which offers many music festivals and after-hours clubs, where the drinking age is 18.
Students at the University of Calgary likewise benefit from the bustling urban nightlife of their surroundings. With a metropolitan population of over 1 million, Calgary, located in the province of Alberta, is one of the top five most populated cities in Canada. As of 2011, U of C has over 29,000 students and more than 140 student-run clubs, including the Hip Hop & Funk Styles Club and the Salsa Club. Additionally, U of C holds concerts throughout the academic year, featuring rock and punk bands. Past bands include Rancid, Pennywise and the Circle Jerks.
Although its student body of 15,000 (as of 2011) may seem small compared to other Canadian universities located in metropolitan areas, Dalhousie is located near two other universities, St. Mary's and the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design. These three universities together make the student population of Halifax, located in the province of Nova Scotia, closer to 20,000. In addition, the largest Maritime city is reputed to be one of the cities with the most bars per capita in Canada, which results in many pub crawls and happy hours throughout the academic year.
Because York does not have any official fraternities, each of the nine campus colleges and associated residence halls recreates the festive energy of a fraternity or sorority. Located in Toronto, Ontario and the largest city in Canada, York's party potential benefits from its vibrant urban surroundings and a large student body of more than 50,000, as of 2011. Each of the separate colleges on campus has its own pub, and each Thursday night colleges compete with one another to see who can hold the best parties.