Archive: Opinions

Instead of railing against Albany this week I thought I would share some good news for a change.  Ithaca ranks as the 4th best small college city in the nation.  That is according to a WalletHub ranking of 280 US cities.  Ithaca ranks 24th overall, with great scores for being a 'youth oriented environment' and for 'opportunities.'  In fact Ithaca ranked #1 as the top youth oriented city.

The study ranked cities based in three categories using 23 key metrics: academic, social and economic environments, weighing each of the three equally.  I suppose the bad news is that Ithaca ranked #215 in 'wallet wellness' for students.  I suspect the cost of a Cornell education brought that ranking down, but another big factor was the cost of housing.  The study also looked at the cost of a fitness club membership and the average cost of pizza and beer.



But the city could argue you get what you pay for.  When ranking youth-oriented environments the study considered the number of students per capita, percentage of 18-to-35-year-olds, percentage of single persons, student gender balance: half weight, number of nightlife options per capita, number of cafés per capita, number of shopping centers per capita, number of sports clubs per capita: full weight, city accessibility (percentage of workers who bike, walk, or take public transportation) and the crime rate.  Ithaca ranked #1 in this category, not just for small cities, but for all cities.

"Students should feel safe and welcome not only by the institution but also the town they will be spending the next 4 plus years," says University of Missouri Director of Financial Aid Nicholas Prewett.  "In addition, students often look to do internships, jobs, or internships with local businesses to gain experience before graduating. If there are opportunities within a college town to get those experiences, it looks more appealing to prospective students."

Ithaca ranks high in opportunities, as well.  The city ranked #26 based on earning potential for people with a bachelor’s degree or higher, the percentage of part-time jobs, the unemployment rate, entrepreneurial activity (net change in number of businesses per capita on a 3-year average), brain drain (annual change in share of population with a bachelor’s degree or higher), job growth rate (2008 - 2013) and the quality of higher education.

I am not surprised by that.  I have always regarded Ithaca as a black hole in that it sucks you in and then you don't want to get out.  As for job opportunities, I don't know.  I've known PhDs who paint houses for a living, so while I guess you can say there are job opportunities, the competition for jobs in your field of study is fierce if you want to stay here.  On the other hand, Ithaca has become a mini-Silicon Valley with a lot of high tech companies popping up and doing quite well, many of them here in Lansing.  So the opportunities, at least in that job segment, are improving.

The experts say that college towns are also good options for retirees and families.

"Departments on campus will often open their doors to local schools to provide programming for different academic areas such as science, history, and agriculture," Prewett says.  "In addition to the extracurricular opportunities colleges bring to a town, there is also the stabilization of the economy. Institutions can often bring stability to an area because of the jobs available, the constant stream of new students and their visiting families, and often, graduates of institutions will stay around the area to work."

Finding just the right school is a challenge for parents and students, and it is too easy to look at the school independently of its environment.  But choosing a school in a city that will provide the opportunities a student is looking for in addition to being the right fit academically is important.  It may mean the difference between an isolationist experience limited to the campus, or a richer experience engaging with the town.

For those of us for whom our student days are a distant memory, it is encouraging to learn that we chose a great place to settle.  I grew up near Cambridge, and lived near Madison, Wisconsin, two great college towns.  Cambridge ranks 74th overall, 36th for medium sized cities, and 9th for being youth oriented.  Madison ranks 54, 45th for youth oriented, and 12th in medium sized cities.  I went to college in Saint Louis, which ranks 103 overall, 84 in youth orientation and 12th for large cities.  Evidently Ithaca tops them all.

So what are the very best college friendly cities? Austin, TX ranks ##1 for large cities, Boulder, CO for medium, and Oxford, OH for small cities.  But I don't think any of us need to be moving any time soon.

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