According to one of the most reputable organizations examining higher education and college towns, Ames is yet again in the top five. Iowa City used to be top three in the country, but they slipping.
sure, I personally think any ranking that would put Ames ahead of Iowa city in any category as a joke, but I’m really curious about what goes into such rankings. I’m guessing it is that Iowa city has had MUCH more immigration over the last 20 years, as well as more migration from other states, and has grown a lot faster and is thus not as affordable, but then again, the number one city on this list is Boulder which is freaking ridiculously expensive.
i’ve been to Ames number of times and it is a nice town, and isu has a nice central campus, but it is not even in Iowa City‘s league in any category I can think of. Campuses are more than quadrangles, and I love how the University of Iowa’s campus integrates the river and has more verticality and visual interest, plus much better architecture, and I also love how the campus either side of the river eventually becomes integrated into the city itself, just like the University of Michigan and most European universities.
I agree with their assessments of Ithaca and Madison and Boulder and other truly great cities, and I would put Iowa city among those, minus the mountains or the gorges though.
Any of the college towns in the south are not deserving of the top 25 though, because those places are just not truly diverse anymore, not like up north or out west or east, and in fact, are at times actively intolerant, particularly because of the states that they’re in. I feel sorry for and am worried for people who go to school in places like Florida or Texas these days, not to speak of other SEC states. Particularly if those people happen to be women or happen to not worship in a certain cult, be it fundamentalist Christianity or fascism or Christian fascism, If those things actually are separable these days. I never imagined in my lifetime I would see so much government intrusion into education as I am seeing from the current republican party. It is designed to be oppressive and divisive. And is designed to turn education into a corporate business that makes people dependent on and indebted to the neo liberal capitalist system, even as it collapses.
Madison is outstanding, especially its bike and outdoor Rec culture, and the terrace on campus just might be my favorite single place at a university anywhere in the world.
Iowa State does have better sculptures than the University of Iowa though. Really love how they integrate sculptures into the campus.
But if you’re talking about culture, world class programs and colleges, restaurants, and underground scene, art, percentage of highly educated people, creativity, walk ability, livability, and national and international significance, Iowa city I would definitely put near the top of any list of college towns, and I’ve been to hundreds of college towns - from small cities like Iowa city to midsize towns like Madison to major metro areas like Berkeley/Bay Area and Boston and Palo Alto and all over the place in Europe and elsewhere. so I have a bit of perspective. I also really like the small college towns that are just all about the college, like a lot of the liberal arts schools. Those can be beautiful, if not a little suffocating and full of overly sheltered bubble mentality big but extremely fragile ego types.
One thing that’s great about Iowa city is that you have a huge university and it still has a small town feel but with big city culture and sports etc.
I am biased for my hometown though. So I’m sure they will be cyclone fans who simply refused to concede that Ames is ridiculously overrated, as has been their university and athletic programs.
sure, I personally think any ranking that would put Ames ahead of Iowa city in any category as a joke, but I’m really curious about what goes into such rankings. I’m guessing it is that Iowa city has had MUCH more immigration over the last 20 years, as well as more migration from other states, and has grown a lot faster and is thus not as affordable, but then again, the number one city on this list is Boulder which is freaking ridiculously expensive.
i’ve been to Ames number of times and it is a nice town, and isu has a nice central campus, but it is not even in Iowa City‘s league in any category I can think of. Campuses are more than quadrangles, and I love how the University of Iowa’s campus integrates the river and has more verticality and visual interest, plus much better architecture, and I also love how the campus either side of the river eventually becomes integrated into the city itself, just like the University of Michigan and most European universities.
I agree with their assessments of Ithaca and Madison and Boulder and other truly great cities, and I would put Iowa city among those, minus the mountains or the gorges though.
Any of the college towns in the south are not deserving of the top 25 though, because those places are just not truly diverse anymore, not like up north or out west or east, and in fact, are at times actively intolerant, particularly because of the states that they’re in. I feel sorry for and am worried for people who go to school in places like Florida or Texas these days, not to speak of other SEC states. Particularly if those people happen to be women or happen to not worship in a certain cult, be it fundamentalist Christianity or fascism or Christian fascism, If those things actually are separable these days. I never imagined in my lifetime I would see so much government intrusion into education as I am seeing from the current republican party. It is designed to be oppressive and divisive. And is designed to turn education into a corporate business that makes people dependent on and indebted to the neo liberal capitalist system, even as it collapses.
Madison is outstanding, especially its bike and outdoor Rec culture, and the terrace on campus just might be my favorite single place at a university anywhere in the world.
Iowa State does have better sculptures than the University of Iowa though. Really love how they integrate sculptures into the campus.
But if you’re talking about culture, world class programs and colleges, restaurants, and underground scene, art, percentage of highly educated people, creativity, walk ability, livability, and national and international significance, Iowa city I would definitely put near the top of any list of college towns, and I’ve been to hundreds of college towns - from small cities like Iowa city to midsize towns like Madison to major metro areas like Berkeley/Bay Area and Boston and Palo Alto and all over the place in Europe and elsewhere. so I have a bit of perspective. I also really like the small college towns that are just all about the college, like a lot of the liberal arts schools. Those can be beautiful, if not a little suffocating and full of overly sheltered bubble mentality big but extremely fragile ego types.
One thing that’s great about Iowa city is that you have a huge university and it still has a small town feel but with big city culture and sports etc.
I am biased for my hometown though. So I’m sure they will be cyclone fans who simply refused to concede that Ames is ridiculously overrated, as has been their university and athletic programs.