The 10 colleges with the happiest students—Apple CEO Tim Cook went to No. 1

While your work ethic and study habits may determine how well you do in college as far as grades, plenty of other factors play a role in whether you succeed at a certain school.

Your satisfaction with the college you choose may play a significant role in determining whether you finish your degree at all. Emotional stress is the No. 1 reason college students have considered discontinuing their studies, according to a recent Gallup poll. 

Of course, there are plenty of reasons students may be unhappy in college that are unrelated to their campus of choice. But a school where students report high levels of satisfaction may be a good sign for prospective applicants. 

Auburn University in Alabama earns that reputation. It's the U.S. college with the happiest students for 2025, according to The Princeton Review. The publication ranked colleges based on how strongly students agreed with the statement "I am happy at my school" in nationwide surveys. 

Here are the 10 colleges with the happiest students:

1. Auburn University — Auburn, Alabama
2. Kansas State University — Manhattan, Kansas
3. Taylor University — Upland, Indiana
4. University of Dallas — Irving, Texas
5. Thomas Aquinas College — Santa Paula, California 
6. Texas Christian University — Fort Worth, Texas
7. Washington State University — Pullman, Washington
8. Marist College — Poughkeepsie, New York
9. Emory University — Atlanta, Georgia 
10. Angelo State University — San Angelo, Texas

"I loved my experience at Auburn," said Carolina Williams, a 25-year-old who chose Auburn over Yale University in 2017. "I made amazing friends there. I got involved in great organizations that just provided amazing experiences for me," she told CNBC Make It earlier this year.

One of the largest universities in the South with over 26,000 undergraduates, Auburn boasts a wide variety of majors and activities. Students there can get involved with world-class research or check out some of the country's premier college sports competitions. 

"You literally can just go ask [professors], 'What are you researching? Can I help you?' And the answer is yes," Williams said.

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Many Auburn students — including Apple CEO Tim Cook, who graduated in 1982 — go on to find success after college. Alumni in the first five years of their career earn a median of $69,700 a year, and those with 10 years of work experience earn a median of $126,100, according to Payscale.

Plus, more than half of Auburn alumni say their work makes the world a better place, Payscale found.

Three other public universities — Kansas State, Washington State and Angelo State — join Auburn in the top 10 schools with the happiest students. Many students prefer the often larger student bodies, more expansive fields of study and affordability that public colleges typically offer, compared with private schools.

On the other hand, plenty of students are happy at private colleges that might offer a more personalized or specialized experience. Universities such as Taylor and Texas Christian have religious ties that may be important to students' well-being, for example. 

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