New study ranks college communities

By Jennifer Zahn

September 17, 2009

Though many students focus on a college’s academic merits when making enrollment decisions, other factors do come into play.

For example, location. Students may search for schools with the best off-campus housing, most aesthetic atmosphere or safest environment.

A study released last week by the American Institute for Economic Research ranked college destinations based on location, rather than scholastic repute.

The College Destinations Index ranked the top 75 cities from various metropolitan areas, but only displayed the top 15 or 20 in each size category.

New York City snagged the top spot in the major metro category, while San Jose, Calif. won the midsize metro category. Boulder, Co. earned the No. 1 spot for small metro cities and Ithaca, N.Y. proved to be the best college town destination.

The only Wisconsin city to make the list was Madison, which ranked fifth in the small metro cities category.

Kendall Wallace, a senior at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, was not surprised about the city’s accolades. Though Wallace did not choose UW–Madison strictly for its location, she said she was glad it turned out to be such a great place to live.

Wallace cited Madison’s two lakes, Mendota and Monona, multiple walking and bike paths, and overall busy city vibe as its highlights.

“Yes, it may be in the Midwest with lots of farms, but people come from the coasts for school here, even with the nasty winters,” Wallace said.

Internship and job opportunities also abound due to the campus’ location in Wisconsin’s capital. Michael White, a sophomore at UW–Madison, said there are a lot of chances for students majoring in political science to get involved, but there are also many opportunities for students in almost every major.

“The business career center hooks students up with a lot of internships,” White said.

Milwaukee did not make it into the top 20 for the small metro size category. Stephanie Grant, a sophomore in the College of Education, cited several potential reasons for its absence from the College Destinations list.

“It is one of the most segregated cities, which might not make it such a popular place,” Grant said. “Also, there is a lack of entertainment and sites to see. Yes, Milwaukee has a long history, but nothing really important has gone on here recently that people want to see… therefore, Milwaukee doesn’t seem as appealing as other cities with a lot more entertainment value.”