Student Life
Rankings








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. Northwestern University
- 2. University of California, Berkeley
- 3. Georgetown University
- 3. Boston College
- 3. University of Colorado, Boulder
- 6. University of Wisconsin, Madison
- 6. University of Washington, Seattle
- 8. University of California, Los Angeles
- 9. University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
- 10. Arizona St. University
- 11. Villanova University
- 12. University of Virginia, Charlottesville
- 12. Vanderbilt University
- 12. University of Texas, Austin
- 15. University of Arizona, Tucson
- 15. San Diego St. University
- 17. Syracuse University
- 18. Florida St. University
- 18. Georgia Institute of Technology
- 18. Ohio St. University
- 21. University of Pittsburgh
- 21. University of Louisville
- 23. University of South Carolina, Columbia
- 24. Rutgers University
- 25. University of Maryland, College Park
- 25. Pepperdine University
- 27. University of Portland
- 28. University of Georgia, Athens
- 28. Loyola Marymount University
- 30. Fordham University
- 31. Swarthmore College
- 31. Harvard University
- 33. University of California, Santa Cruz
- 34. Brown University
- 34. Haverford College
- 34. Rice University
- 34. University of California, San Diego
- 34. Pennsylvania St. University, University Park
- 39. Duke University
- 39. University of Nebraska, Lincoln
- 39. Boston University
- 39. University of California, Santa Barbara
- 43. University of California, Irvine
- 44. Bryn Mawr College
- 44. Stanford University
- 44. University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
- 44. University of Southern California
- 44. U.S. Naval Academy
- 49. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
- 49. University of Pennsylvania
- 49. Macalester College
- 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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