The Daily Beast ranks Texas A&M as happiest college in the country COLLEGE STATION, Texas, Jan. 3 (UPI) -- Texas A&M University has been dubbed the happiest college in the country using factors such as freshman retention rates, the Daily Beast website said. The Daily Beast said it looked at statistics for freshman retention rates, student health, student experience and alumni satisfaction to rank 20 of the top schools in the United States and determined Texas A&M had the top score, followed by Stanford University, the University of Wisconsin, Florida State University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. "It doesn't surprise us, because current and former Texas A&M students have a little different view than normal students would have at their schools," Shane Hinckley, interim vice president of marketing and communications at Texas A&M, told the Houston Chronicle. Hinckley said the school's students have a strong sense of belonging and are known for the spirit of service. "We're one of the largest public schools in the country and we're also the second most affordable school in the country," Hinckley said.