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Best College Towns -- Top 10 (campusdirt.com)

1. :: City University of New York, Bernard M Baruch College
2. :: University of San Francisco
3. :: Santa Monica College
4. :: Columbia University
5. :: Southern Methodist University
6. :: New York University
7. :: University of Miami
8. :: Roosevelt University
9. :: University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
10. :: University of Texas at Austin

SMU's campus is ranked #8 as 'Nicest Campus' (I guess in beautification) on this web site, too.

3 of the top 10 are in NYC, that's one heck of a "college town". Quite frankly, I've heard NY called a lot of things, but a "college town" is not one that leaps to mind.

EastStang wrote:3 of the top 10 are in NYC, that's one heck of a "college town". Quite frankly, I've heard NY called a lot of things, but a "college town" is not one that leaps to mind.

And how do you rank NYC over NYC and then a couple of spots over NYC.

NYC wasn't generally considered a "college town" before but it definately is now.

NYC (Manhattan) is now mostly safe, clean, well-run, prosperous and packed with interesting and fun activities. In fact, being in NYC has propelled NYU and Columbia into a stratosphere they previously dreamed about.

NYU - possibly the hottest American university. Top faculty and students are begging to be a part of Greenwich Village (NYU's neighborhood) and NYC. Excellent facilities, faculty and opportunities.

Columbia - Morningside Heights (Columbia's neighborhood) has been/is being revitalized. Columbia has facilities and faculty that are the envy of most top universities. Columbia is a walk or subway ride away from everything NYC has to offer.

In fact, because NYC/Morningside Heights is a more exciting, fun and interesting place to study and work than struggling New Haven, CT (Yale University) Columbia might become one of the "big three" with Harvard (Cambridge, MA) and Princeton (Princeton, NJ) - replacing Yale.

Ten years ago a change in "big three" membership was unthinkable.

Like or dislike NYC - location matters and NYC is again possibly the greatest city in the world. For students who want to live and study in a large and fascinating metropolitan area NYC has few competitors.

Baruch College (great location - not much of a campus), NYU and Columbia have all benefited enormously from NYC's resurgence.

For those who love SMU, remember that SMU's future is connected to Dallas' future. It is not that SMU is going away if Dallas stagnates or worse - but perception, quality-of-life and opportunities matter.

An academically-talented HS student who is considering SMU might like SMU's campus, academics and the Park Cities but if they are the type that does their homework then they will also consider the attractions/quality of life of DALLAS vs. other places to live and study when selecting a college.

I am shocked that none of the Boston schools was listed. I don't live there anymore, but I always thought it a great college town (BC in particular, but also Harvard & BU). I think that Dartmouth was the model of a great college set up, as is Oregon. Out here, I think that UC-Davis is a great college town set up (about an hour to SF, yet a small college atmosphere). Anyone else have other cities they liked for college towns?

Here is list of frequently mentioned Best College Towns (VS cities) from multiple sources:

- Eugene, OR
- Corvallis, OR
- San Luis Obispo, CA
- Fort Collins, CO
- Boulder, CO
- Iowa City, IA
- Columbia, MO
- Fayetteville, AR
- Madison, WI
- Ann Arbor, MI
- Bloomington, IN
- Oxford, MS
- Athens, GA
- Gainesville, FL
- Charlotteville, VA
- Annapolis, MD
- Hanover, NH
- Amherst, MA
- Ithaca, NY

Each have their own uniqueness and appeal. What is yours?

Water Pony wrote:Here is list of frequently mentioned Best College Towns (VS cities) from multiple sources:

- Eugene, OR
- Corvallis, OR
- San Luis Obispo, CA
- Fort Collins, CO
- Boulder, CO
- Iowa City, IA
- Columbia, MO
- Fayetteville, AR
- Madison, WI
- Ann Arbor, MI
- Bloomington, IN
- Oxford, MS
- Athens, GA
- Gainesville, FL
- Charlotteville, VA
- Annapolis, MD
- Hanover, NH
- Amherst, MA
- Ithaca, NY

Each have their own uniqueness and appeal. What is yours?

Wow. Not a single Texas town on the list!

As he said "college towns (vs cities)". You certainly wouldn't expect Lubbock, Abilene, Denton or College Station for instance to make that list...would you?

PK wrote:As he said "college towns (vs cities)". You certainly wouldn't expect Lubbock, Abilene, Denton or College Station for instance to make that list...would you?

I guess my sarcasm was lost in translation. However, now I've done it...I bet MeanGreenGem will post something before it's all over with about how Denton should be included on this list!

Do you think Denton got on my list of examples by acident????

Interesting list of the schools in "college towns." They list santa monica college, which is a jc, but not ucla. ucla is just miles from smc, and one very nice campus.

I agree with Boston Pony re uc davis. Davis is a nice town, and very good school. Plus it sits between the SF area, and Sierra Nevadas. Plus Davis is home to one of the best brewpubs in the US.

I would have to add Chapel Hill to Water Pony's list. There is a reason why we moved to the area. unc is a very beautiful campus, and great academics. Many of the people we have become friends with here are unc grads, who moved away only to miss the area. So back they came. The place has a sense of loyalty.

There is a big difference between schooling in a truer college town vs. a larger city. I grew up in LA and the chose SMU because of the school and
SMU being in Dallas. My wife went to Gainsville, and her experiences reflect differently than mine.

I am just saddened that Dallas doesn't support SMU more, like it did when I was at SMU.

As for Texas, is there really any other place to be than Dallas? Yes, Austin is a cool town, but ut? Kill me first. College station, lubbock? Please...

Go Ponies!

They didn't write "Happiness is Lubbock Texas in your rear view mirror" without a reason. Waco ain't much to brag about either as a "college town". Another college town that is not mentioned is Williamsburg, Virginia. The College of William and Mary is an integral part of that community and while there are tons of tourists, it is still a charming town. And the community supports the college and vice versa. Local residents come out to baseball, basketball and football games. In the winter months when tourists begin to fade away, the town is a very quiet place.

No Cal Pony wrote:I am just saddened that Dallas doesn't support SMU more, like it did when I was at SMU.

Has Dallas EVER really supported SMU? Maybe after WWII, for a brief time when all the returning servicemen were there on the G.I. Bill. But other than that...? Heck, Dallas didn't even really support SMU during the days of Mustang Mania.

MrMustang1965 wrote:

No Cal Pony wrote:I am just saddened that Dallas doesn't support SMU more, like it did when I was at SMU.

Has Dallas EVER really supported SMU? Maybe after WWII, for a brief time when all the returning servicemen were there on the G.I. Bill. But other than that...? Heck, Dallas didn't even really support SMU during the days of Mustang Mania.

MM1965, clearly not as well as it should have, but our average crowds (even subtracting the top end SWC teams) were way above what it is today. As I have mentioned on this board before, Mustang Club membership was near 15k in the 1980's, with almost 2k not being SMU grads. That all translated into much better attendance (both for football and basketball) and we were on the front of the sports section with regularity....a sign that readers cared. We traveled 15k to Austin for the '82 game with Texas. We were on TV a lot, with several games nationally televised before the explosion of ESPN and all the other networks that exist today and still don't put SMU on the tube (nor do we deserve it based on our play).

Times were very different for SMU football and basketball during the 1980's than today in virtually every aspect.