The fall semester is tough, and battling finals feels like a war of attrition
But the chilly yet charming winter break—finally, it’s here!
As the annual showdown that sparks the most jealousy
Comparing winter break lengths is a battle for honor!
Take a look at this year’s US College Winter Break Rankings
See if your school made the list
US College Winter Break Leaderboard
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Canadian College Winter Break Leaderboard
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Why Do Winter Breaks Differ So Much Among US Colleges?
The main reason for the variation is the academic calendar system.
Quarter-system schools have three terms a year—one in fall and two more in the following year. So the next year starts very early, resulting in a relatively short winter break.
Semester-system schools generally have a slightly longer winter break.
Additionally, last year due to the pandemic, many universities historically broke the 60-day winter break mark. But that won’t be the case this year.
2022 US College Winter Break Happy List
Earliest Break Start
From the compiled data, the University of Chicago, Caltech, and the UC system (except UC Berkeley) tie for first, beginning their breaks as early as December 11.
Berkeley, however, starts a week later than other UC schools, around December 18, mainly because it operates on a semester system while the rest are on quarters.
In addition, Northwestern University, Wake Forest University, Stanford University, and Duke University follow closely behind, all starting their breaks before December 15.
Latest Break End
MIT is the school with the latest return date on the list, not starting classes until January 31. This means students can enjoy a Chinese New Year’s Eve dinner before heading back—truly blissful.
Johns Hopkins University, Brown University, and the University of Wisconsin–Madison also don’t resume until after January 25.
Longest Winter Break
As the saying goes, it’s better to have a long break than a late start, but the most enviable situation is having both.
MIT also claims the longest winter break, with a whopping 45 days. As if dominating academic rankings weren’t enough, MIT has to top the winter break charts too!
2022 US College Winter Break Sad List
Latest Break Start
Columbia University, Tufts University, and the University of Wisconsin–Madison hold exams right up until Christmas Eve, with winter break not starting until December 24—the latest among all schools.
Columbia students really have it tough: not only sleep-deprived but also vacation-deprived...
Earliest Break End
Caltech and UC system schools may start their breaks early, but they also return early, with classes resuming on January 3.
Compared to some schools where breaks have just begun a week ago, California students are back in class right after New Year’s—pretty miserable.
Dartmouth College, Duke University, and Emory University also resume classes before January 5.
Shortest Break
The shortest break belongs to the University of Michigan–Ann Arbor, with a total of just 16 days off.
You could call it a “break” in name only, nearly a month less than the longest break at MIT!
