Your Top 10 - America's granola universities/colleges (schools, graduates, programs)

[robertpolyglot]

I like this topic. Another packaged slice of current Americana: the granola. You get the idea, so there's no need to argue semantics.

What is your list of the Top 10 granola universities/colleges in America? Here's my attempt at it. I will need some "help" with the Northeastern corner of the country.

- University of Oregon, Eugene, OR
- Evergreen State College, Olympia, WA
- Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA
- UC Santa Cruz
- Carleton College in Minnesota (I know one of the small private ones in MN is granola)
- Grinnell College in Iowa (eh, there's gotta be 2 of them in the Midwest)
- Boone State in NC (I know one of the small private ones in NC is granola)
- Smith College, Northampton, MA
- University of Vermont, Burlington
- some small college in Maine, somewhere, to round out the list

Univ of Co Boulder was a likely candidate, but the student body is reportedly a slice of American conformity in a community of granolas.

[K-Luv]

Originally Posted by robertpolyglot

I like this topic. Another packaged slice of current Americana: the granola. You get the idea, so there's no need to argue semantics.

What is your list of the Top 10 granola universities/colleges in America? Here's my attempt at it. I will need some "help" with the Northeastern corner of the country.

- University of Oregon, Eugene, OR
- Evergreen State College, Olympia, WA
- Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA
- UC Santa Cruz
- Carleton College in Minnesota (I know one of the small private ones in MN is granola)
- Grinnell College in Iowa (eh, there's gotta be 2 of them in the Midwest)
- Boone State in NC (I know one of the small private ones in NC is granola)
- Smith College, Northampton, MA
- University of Vermont, Burlington
- some small college in Maine, somewhere, to round out the list

Univ of Co Boulder was a likely candidate, but the student body is reportedly a slice of American conformity in a community of granolas.

I wouldn't say that Smith is granola. It's liberal, sure, but not granola. But two universities next door, Amherst and Hampshire, are. North Hampton, however, is very Liberal. Especially for western Mass.

I also would not deem Carleton granola. But, Macalesterr in St. Paul, maybe. As for Maine....I can't think of any granola college outside of possibly U Maine Fort Kent or U Maine Farmington. No private LAC in Maine (Bates, Colby, or Bowdoin) are granola.

My list, and guess, would be:

UC Santa Cruz
Reed
Sarah Lawrence
Amherst
Bard
Hampshire
possibly Macalester
Maybe UW Madison
Maybe UM Duluth
UV Burlington
I would imagine Eugene, too, based solely off being familiar with the town.
Possibly Mills

[NDak15]

Montana State University and University of Montana could make that list. UM is located in what is considered by many to be a hippy town, although I think MSU is more so.

[robertpolyglot]

Originally Posted by K-Luv

I wouldn't say that Smith is granola. It's liberal, sure, but not granola. But two universities next door, Amherst and Hampshire, are. North Hampton, however, is very Liberal. Especially for western Mass.

I also would not deem Carleton granola. But, Macalesterr in St. Paul, maybe. As for Maine....I can't think of any granola college outside of possibly U Maine Fort Kent or U Maine Farmington. No private LAC in Maine (Bates, Colby, or Bowdoin) are granola.

My list, and guess, would be:

UC Santa Cruz
Reed
Sarah Lawrence
Amherst
Bard
Hampshire
possibly Macalester
Maybe UW Madison
Maybe UM Duluth
UV Burlington
I would imagine Eugene, too, based solely off being familiar with the town.
Possibly Mills

Thank you very much for contributing and NOT arguing. Some people get unnecessarily touchy about this subject. You make some great points.

First and foremost, I should have not missed REED in the West. Absolutely. I might even toss out WWU at that point. I think I could have lasted about a week at Reed, had I erroneously ended up in such a place.

Midwest:
- I wasn't sure which MN liberal arts college it could be. I don't know any of them that well, except for some graduates through which I formed this opinion
- Yes, I've heard UW Madison can be granola, but they offer good business and engineering programs, so maybe not as much
- Wow, UM Duluth - what a cool place, a hilly city next to Lake Superior - probably a great low-pressure-cooker type place where to bundle up, have some good coffee, hit the books, and get a great education in the process

Northeast:
- Sarah Lawrence, yes, I knew one of those women's schools up there would qualify
- I was thinking Bowdoin, but if you say one of U of Maine's branch campuses, I'll go with it and find it believable
- for some reason, I was thinking Bennington in VT, but I think that might be in the same league as the Maine LACs

Again, your post makes for an interesting read.

[toobusytoday]

I would add Guilford and Warren Wilson Colleges, both in North Carolina

BTW, University of Vermont is UVM. VT is Virginia Tech - not crunchy at all.

I googled, "hippie colleges" and found another top ten list: http://www.krdo.com/lifestyles/-/462...1/-/index.html

[robertpolyglot]

Originally Posted by toobusytoday

I would add Guilford and Warren Wilson Colleges, both in North Carolina

BTW, University of Vermont is UVM. VT is Virginia Tech - not crunchy at all.

Oh yeah, I know that VT is not crunchy. When I mentioned Bennington in VT, I meant the college by that name in Vermont, where I believe Brett Easton Ellis, writer of "American Psycho" and other decadent garbage, went to school.

[mm_mary73]

Originally Posted by robertpolyglot

I like this topic. Another packaged slice of current Americana: the granola. You get the idea, so there's no need to argue semantics.

What is your list of the Top 10 granola universities/colleges in America? Here's my attempt at it. I will need some "help" with the Northeastern corner of the country.

- University of Oregon, Eugene, OR
- Evergreen State College, Olympia, WA
- Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA
- UC Santa Cruz
- Carleton College in Minnesota (I know one of the small private ones in MN is granola)
- Grinnell College in Iowa (eh, there's gotta be 2 of them in the Midwest)
- Boone State in NC (I know one of the small private ones in NC is granola)
- Smith College, Northampton, MA
- University of Vermont, Burlington
- some small college in Maine, somewhere, to round out the list

Univ of Co Boulder was a likely candidate, but the student body is reportedly a slice of American conformity in a community of granolas.

No such place as "Boone State" in NC.

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by robertpolyglot

I like this topic. Another packaged slice of current Americana: the granola. You get the idea, so there's no need to argue semantics.

What is your list of the Top 10 granola universities/colleges in America? Here's my attempt at it. I will need some "help" with the Northeastern corner of the country.

- University of Oregon, Eugene, OR
- Evergreen State College, Olympia, WA
- Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA
- UC Santa Cruz
- Carleton College in Minnesota (I know one of the small private ones in MN is granola)
- Grinnell College in Iowa (eh, there's gotta be 2 of them in the Midwest)
- Boone State in NC (I know one of the small private ones in NC is granola)
- Smith College, Northampton, MA
- University of Vermont, Burlington
- some small college in Maine, somewhere, to round out the list

Univ of Co Boulder was a likely candidate, but the student body is reportedly a slice of American conformity in a community of granolas.

CU's student body is amazingly diverse-hippies, engineering students, pre-meds, everything else on the continuum.

[WesternPilgrim]

Deep Springs is granola in its own way.

[robertpolyglot]

Originally Posted by mm_mary73

No such place as "Boone State" in NC.

I was thinking there would be something hippy-dippy around Asheville, NC for some reason. We were given enough replacements in the NE that I could amend my list.