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If you are solely looking at features of college towns vs features of cities with major colleges in them, then there will be a huge drop off. As a WSU Alumni, Pullman is an great college town for young students and those who love the campus environment. But if you compare it as a city to other places in the conference it turns from the best college town to the worst city.
Yeah, that's one of the reasons this was so interesting to me. I think really any place with a major university like any of these schools is going to be a fine place to live, it's really all just in perspective when they compare.
the big east conference, the ivy league and the colonial athletic association (honorable mention: patriot league) would be tied for conference with the best collection of cities considering the general consensus of what makes a city great:
Whats cringe worthy is that you care that much. DC is one of my favorite cities, I dont care if UM is a "bastard child." Big 10 is Big 10. I picked new Brunswick because of proximity to NYC and Philly. I like big cities and being near them, oh well.
Nothing wowes me about Columbus, sorry. Ill put it over New Bruniswick because of its size, but I dont have much interest in Ohio. I already see enough Ohio tags.
I am a big ten alumnus and current professional student so of course I care. I apologize for coming off abrasive, we are a passionate bunch
I understand your preferences based on being near very large cities. However, you might as well just live in New York or D.C. or go to school there if you want a big city environment instead of a small satellite city with few redeeming qualities.
I am a big ten alumnus and current professional student so of course I care. I apologize for coming off abrasive, we are a passionate bunch
I understand your preferences based on being near very large cities. However, you might as well just live in New York or D.C. or go to school there if you want a big city environment instead of a small satellite city with few redeeming qualities.
No problem. Sure I see your point. Why live in EB to live near NYC, instead of just living in NYC. But since this list is based off the colleges, I have to theoretically choose based on where the school is.
I admit I'd live in Columbus over East Brunswick, but proximity is still something I'd want.
the big east conference, the ivy league and the colonial athletic association (honorable mention: patriot league) would be tied for conference with the best collection of cities considering the general consensus of what makes a city great:
education
employment opportunities
economy
diversity
subway system
housing values
standard of living
...
Hmmm, I'm not sure I'd agree with the Ivy League cities making that list to be honest, bar Columbia and Harvard, and maybe Princeton, although I don't know too much about it.
I've heard it said many times that often the most prestigous schools are in the roughest areas and I feel like that saying does tend to be true with most of the places in the Ivy League. Philly and New Haven most noticeably, but rural upstate New York and New Hampshire are also unfortunately prone to some serious drug abuse problems and poverty/unemployment. The weather in most of the Ivy League towns is also a pretty common deterrent to those areas I think as well.
Pullman, Washington is perhaps one of the best "pure" college towns of the major conferences, because there is literally very little going on there than Washington State University. Yeah, the weather is mostly miserable, and it is isolated (though only about 90 minutes from Spokane). But what makes it great is it is purely a college town, doesn't pretend to be anything more or less. I'm sure there are others like it, but perhaps not at that conference level.
Houston
Miami
Birmingham
Boca Raton (Broward)
Denton (Dallas-Fort Worth)
San Antonio
Hattiesburg
Charlotte
Nashville
El Paso
All comes down to location imo.
Wow, CUSA actually has good coverage. If it was me, I'd do:
1. Miami
2. Nashville/Houston
4. San Antonio/Charlotte
6. Boca Raton
7. Birmingham
8. Denton
9. El Paso
10. Hattiesburg
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