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Let’s say you want it all – a competitive sports environment, easy access to natural areas, AND easy access to urban cultural centers. It’s rare to find these, especially the latter two, in the same school, but it does exist.

  1. 1. Northwestern University
  2. 2. University of California, Berkeley
  3. 3. Georgetown University
  4. 3. Boston College
  5. 3. University of Colorado, Boulder
  6. 6. University of Wisconsin, Madison
  7. 6. University of Washington, Seattle
  8. 8. University of California, Los Angeles
  9. 9. University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
  10. 10. Arizona St. University
  11. 11. Villanova University
  12. 12. University of Virginia, Charlottesville
  13. 12. Vanderbilt University
  14. 12. University of Texas, Austin
  15. 15. University of Arizona, Tucson
  16. 15. San Diego St. University
  17. 17. Syracuse University
  18. 18. Florida St. University
  19. 18. Georgia Institute of Technology
  20. 18. Ohio St. University
  21. 21. University of Pittsburgh
  22. 21. University of Louisville
  23. 23. University of South Carolina, Columbia
  24. 24. Rutgers University
  25. 25. University of Maryland, College Park
  26. 25. Pepperdine University
  27. 27. University of Portland
  28. 28. University of Georgia, Athens
  29. 28. Loyola Marymount University
  30. 30. Fordham University
  31. 31. Swarthmore College
  32. 31. Harvard University
  33. 33. University of California, Santa Cruz
  34. 34. Brown University
  35. 34. Haverford College
  36. 34. Rice University
  37. 34. University of California, San Diego
  38. 34. Pennsylvania St. University, University Park
  39. 39. Duke University
  40. 39. University of Nebraska, Lincoln
  41. 39. Boston University
  42. 39. University of California, Santa Barbara
  43. 43. University of California, Irvine
  44. 44. Bryn Mawr College
  45. 44. Stanford University
  46. 44. University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
  47. 44. University of Southern California
  48. 44. U.S. Naval Academy
  49. 49. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
  50. 49. University of Pennsylvania
  51. 49. Macalester College
  52. 49. George Washington University

All rankings are subjective, but this one is extraordinarily so. It’s equally weighted between three scores, each simply ascribed by me. The urban culture access score approximates the ease of access – primarily without a car – to diverse urban centers. The nature access score approximates the ease of access to aesthetic natural settings, and the sports score emphasizes major conference membership in football and basketball, as well as recent success in these sports. Northwestern is a clear winner here, as it’s in the Big Ten, is immediately on Lake Michigan (NU has two beaches on campus), and has a short safe walk to cheap public transportation that puts you downtown Chicago in under an hour. UC Berkeley, likewise, is a clear #2, with it’s Pac 12 membership, setting in the hills of Berkeley creating ample scenic hiking opportunities while also have a short safe walk to the BART that will get you to the heart of Oakland or San Francisco very quickly.

Yes, there are many weaknesses here, and yes, it’s very biased, but yes, all rankings are. Most importantly, it’s fun to think about these things.

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