<p>I'm starting my college search and there is a criteria that says "great college town."</p>
<p>What makes a great college town?
How important is it to YOU for your college to be in a great college town?
Would you prefer going to college in a great college town or in an urban city?</p>
<p>To me, a great college town is one in which the town is built around the college rather than the college just being in the town</p>
<p>Check these links:</p>
<p>[The</a> American College Town](<a href=“http://pubpages.unh.edu/~gumprech/Americancollegetown.html]The”>http://pubpages.unh.edu/~gumprech/Americancollegetown.html)</p>
<p>[College</a> town - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia](<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/College_town]College”>College town - Wikipedia)</p>
<p>[The</a> American College Town | New Hampshire Public Radio](<a href=“http://www.nhpr.org/node/19972]The”>http://www.nhpr.org/node/19972)</p>
<p>[News:</a> ‘The American College Town’ - Inside Higher Ed](<a href=“http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2008/10/20/collegetown]News:”>http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2008/10/20/collegetown)</p>
<p>[America’s</a> College Campuses: Book Review: The American College Town](<a href=“http://americascollegecampuses.blogspot.com/2010/04/book-review-american-college-town.html]America’s”>America's College Campuses: Book Review: The American College Town)</p>
<p>Iowa City is an example of a great college towns. College towns typically have one or more universities that have a large footprint to their economy, this is most often experience by cities with smaller populations but can also be identified in large cities. You also tend to notice in college towns pride in the local university(s). Another major part of a college town is the sports scene, a college town sports scene is almost always dominated by the local university(s). Again this is most often experience in smaller cities 10-150k but can be identified in large areas from 150k+, yes sometimes even 500k+. In most college towns the economy larger offering to their younger population whether it’s entertainment, shopping, etc…making it friendly to the college population. There are many other qualities in a college town.</p>
<p>I personally like college towns and urban areas. Though most college towns do have a decent urban district just not as large as say Manhattan. A college town tend to be more friendlier to the student population, making it a great atmosphere.</p>
<p>I think it’s important for a university to be within a great college town but I definately would not make that first preference. First preference should be given to the school.</p>
<p>Great college towns are a nice perk, and I personally love my college town (Chapel Hill), but I don’t think that they are necessary or should be considered as a deal-breaker when considering certain schools. I’ve spent time at plenty of schools in plenty of locations, and all have their perks.</p>
<p>UNC is in a great college town, but off-campus housing is more limited and is more expensive as a result. 30 miles to the east is NC State and Raleigh, which is too large to be a college town by any means but still provides students with a great venue for nightlife and entertainment. Heck, even the Dukies I know have managed to have fun in Durham, which doesn’t have a great reputation locally. </p>
<p>Anyways, my point is this: College towns are great and are unique, but don’t count out a school just because it is in a metro area or a suburb of a large city. Both situations have their positives.</p>
<p>Good college town is very important in college selection. I think a good college town as the collegial feel while offering a lot of activities to explore.</p>
<p>Two of the best college towns:
University of Texas - Austin (Austin, TX)
Universtiy of Wisconsin - Madison (Madison, WI)</p>
<p>I’d throw in Ann Arbor, MI (University of Michigan) in the top tier, with Bloomington, Indiana (IU) just a notch below.</p>
<p>A great college town gives you all the cultural, athletic and diversity advantages of a city without many of the hassles.</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/925917-reccomendation-schools-great-college-towns-have-di-football-teams.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/925917-reccomendation-schools-great-college-towns-have-di-football-teams.html</a></p>
<p>When I think of college towns, I immediately think of Ithaca, NY (Cornell) and while I think that Ithaca is a cute town, I could never see myself spending 4 years of my life there. I think it’d be fun to hang out there for a year or two, but after that, I’d probably get really bored because there just isn’t that much to do there.</p>
<p>I think the best college towns are the ones in relatively large cities ie Austin, TX (UT). The thing is, you can make a big town feel small, but you can’t make a small town feel big.</p>
<p>Most big towns don’t fee l small at all. They are expensive with most things outside a student budget. Not many students can afford the covers and drinks at swanky big city clubs. Even concerts and restaurants cost more. Austin is still mostly a big college town with gigantic suburbs. The downtown is still pretty small city. It’s a hybrid.</p>
<p>What do you mean “their is a criteria”, do you mean you have that criteria? My daughter when to Brown and loved it, it is in a just okay small city, but the area around the college has a bit of college town feel, it’s set apart from the town because it is on a hill, but downtown is only 15 minutes away. The community is tight.</p>
<p>However she is really loving grad school at University of Wisconsin-Madison. She says it is a outstanding college town.</p>
<p>Ann Arbor is a compact and distinct college town. It doesn’t feel like a big city at all, and yet it’s quite cosmopolitan. A true hybrid. You can actually WALK anywhere in town and feel completely safe. Not too many areas like that in this country with over 100,000 people in it.</p>
<p>Some great college towns:</p>
<p>Ann Arbor, MI (University of Michigan)
Athens, GA (University of Georgia)
Austin, TX (University of Texas)
Bloomington, IN (Indiana University)
Boulder, CO (University of Colorado)
Burlington, VT (University of Vermont)
Chapel Hill, NC (University of North Carolina)
Charlottesville, VA (University of Virginia)
Columbia, MO (University of Missouri)
Gainesville, FL (University of Florida)
Iowa City, IA (University of Iowa)
Madison, WI (University of Wisconsin)</p>
<p>Amherst, Mass, is a great college town. And Boston of course is the ultimate college city!</p>
<p>One can find College Confidential’s list of “Great College Towns” on a tab in its “College Search” feature</p>
<p>[College</a> Search - College Confidential](<a href=“http://www.collegeconfidential.com/college_search/]College”>http://www.collegeconfidential.com/college_search/)</p>