I have a very average son who has been accepted to several schools (Dayton, St Joseph, Xavier, Susquehanna, Scranton, Stonehill) and several others. He has also been accepted to Western Carolina, BGSU and UMaine. He is now thinking he may want a bigger school than the privates as he is completely undecided on a major and wants to throw in a few more RD apps. What are some of your favorite state schools for an average kid? He doesn’t want too big (prefer under 14,000) and near a major airport. Wants a social life, esp outdoor activities. Really liked Western Carolina but didn’t like that there was no college town. Doesn’t need to be a big town, but he would like someplace to walk to from campus. No west coast. Would like cost under 50k, would prefer under 40k. We live in MA and he really doesn’t like any of our directional state schools and wouldn’t get into Umass Amherst.
App state
Colorado state
Montana state
SUNY Buffalo?
If he liked Western Carolina maybe East TN State University?
U.Mass Lowell comes to mind, but I am assuming that you already thought of it.
UNH is another possibility, and is right at 14,000 (marginally less if you only consider undergraduate students).
UVM would be way over $40,000 unless you get the presidential merit scholarship, which seems unlikely if he doesn’t have the stats for U.Mass Amherst.
I thought of Colorado State but this seems like a long way to go. It is not all that bad of a drive from the Denver airport.
U.Maine does seem like a good option.
George Mason U and Virginia Commowealth U in Virginia are known for giving decent merit aid to OOS students to match in state tuition but he may have missed the merit deadlines. They are both larger than 14k students though.
Part of your issue is deadline. Who has passed. Here’s some below that will assuredly hit $40K except where noted (a few are possible depending on stats).
The first school that came to mind when you mentioned WCU (so he likes nature, mountains, etc.) but needs some college town and an airport is actually a nearby (to WCU) school - which might fit perfectly. UT Chattanooga. Chattanooga is awesome - very campusy but right across the walking bridge to an awesome city and yep, there’s an airport. So it’s more small tourist city than college town but from college type stuff to gourmet, aquariums to rock climbing, it’s all there. The location is perfect for college students and working professionals. And an airport to boot.
I think there are still flagships to hit. UNH and U of Montana definitely work. Missoula is awesome. Durham has a train to Boston and you’re from Mass. UNH seems to fit but $40K may not happen but some get $20K merit. It’s $56K direct costs so stats and deadlines will matter - don’t assume you won’t qualify.
U of Idaho fits population wise - I don’t know the campus surrounds. Has an airport.
U North Dakota is another - has aviation programs. Has an airport. It’s listed #41 on the link below of top college towns (whether that’s adjacent I don’t know). North Dakota State also is on the list and fits your population - it’s #22.
As for non flagships, UAH works - less a college town but in the city although feels suburban. Has an airport. College of Charleston - the College town is he big tourist zone. But it’s the opposite of WCU in that its uber urban. Has a major airport.
U Northern Iowa - Waterloo and Cedar Rapdis have airports - #35 best college towns on link below.
Kansas State is a tad too big - but 17K undergrads - it draws raves on this website. It has an airport. #31 on the link below.
UVM - #23 on the list below. May or may not hit $40K.
U Mary Washington (train to DC/Richmonod) or Christopher Newport (a bit suburban) might work as smaller publics. They are likely to hit $40K but we don’t know stats…definitely $50K.
Good luck.
Are there any general areas of interest where he is more or less likely to choose a major?
- Visual or performing arts
- Humanities (e.g. area/ethnic studies, classics, English, foreign language/literature, history, philosophy)
- Social sciences (e.g. anthropology, area/ethnic studies, economics, history, political science, psychology, sociology)
- Natural sciences (e.g. physics, chemistry, biology, geology, environmental science)
- Mathematical sciences (e.g. math, statistics, computer science)
- Engineering
- Business (including accounting, finance, marketing, etc.)
- Health professions (including nursing)
- Other majors
Being undecided on major means that one criterion to consider is whether the school has majors of interest that are enrolled to capacity, resulting in needing direct frosh admission or secondary admission based on college grades after enrolling (nursing is a common example across all levels of college admission selectivity). That may be undesirable for an undecided student. But this can be ignored for majors that the student will not be interested in. But note that some majors (particularly engineering, natural sciences, and health professions) need students to start on the prerequisites early in college to avoid closing them off.
Also, any basic stats like GPA and test scores so that others can suggest schools that are realistic for admission, and scholarships if out-of-state list price >$40-50k?
App State was immediately my first thought.
Marshall, Ohio U, Wofford, James Madison or Dickinson.
Major airport might be an issue.
I don’t think all have airports.
For example, the closest airport to App State is actually - someone mentioned upthread ETSU - that’s App States closest airport (Johnson City)- 70 miles away. And it has 20K undergrads.
JMU has 21K undergrads.
Ohio U is 80 miles to the nearest airport and 20K undergrads.
They are looking 14K or less.
West Chester University in Pennsylvania
Can’t have everything I guess. App State would check most of the boxes. I know several people that attended and seemed happy. Beautiful area.
Ohio U might be a sleeper. Pretty campus but doesn’t check all the boxes.
Definitely not arts, nursing or engineering. Maybe business, outdoor tourism, emergency management, or criminology. Possibly wants to be a fire fighter but wants a degree to fall back on. His GPA is 2.8 but should be around 3 once mid-year grades come out. He already has some great options just want to make sure we’re not missing anything.
Marshall University in Huntingdon, WV.
College Navigator - Search Results shows a list of colleges with fire fighting / fire protection related bachelor’s degree programs.
You can do a similar search for the other types of majors that may be more likely to be of interest.
Note that criminology and criminal justice are related but different. Criminology is usually a research-oriented social science major that can be a subarea of sociology. Criminal justice is usually an applied major for those intending to go into law enforcement.
Miami University of Ohio might be of interest. About 18,000 students.
Ole Miss (University of Mississippi) in Oxford, Miss. More than 14,000 students.
University of North Carolina at Wilmington.
UNC-Charlotte.
College of Charleston.
We visited and he liked it but they seem to have some major housing issues for freshman, lots of kids out in a hotel this year.
My favorites:
UNC-Asheville
SUNY Albany
SUNY New Paltz
SUNY Cortland
SUNY Brockport
UNH
College of New Jersey
Rowan University
Stockton University (NJ)
Mary Washington
College of Charleston
I think where I struggle is - you have Dayton, St. Joe, Xavier, etc. - not outdoorsy.
I suppose Scranton is in range of Outdoorsy. WCU seems the favorite - and is it that outdoorsy part?
That’s where a UT Chatt comes in or someone mentioned ETSU - which also works and has the Tri Cities airport. I’ve been to Johnson City many times but I can’t recall is ETSU college town-y adjacent.
But these two are very outdoorsy.
Both the Montana schools work - are they too far West as you said no west coast? U Wyoming is another - rated high for outdoor activities - far from an airport but as Col State (much bigger was mentioned), it’s not that that far (probably too far). But United flies to Laramie from Denver - so it is doable.
Radford U is by Va Tech - within distance of Roanoke - it has a small college town based on what I’m reading. It’s definitely in “outdoorsy” range. As one review writes - it has no shortage of eats off of Main Street and around Radford University.”
Just a few more names that might work although I think UT Chatt fits better with WCU but in society and an airport than others. But all these hit the by airport and right population and in outdoorsy areas.
Good luck.
UNH or URI may be on the table if apps are still open… ..much easier than UMass Amherst, even in-state.. My slightly above average kid was under 50K from MA last year for those with merit (didn’t get into Amherst).
MSU is huge, but a college town
At URI you can be a volunteer FF walking distance!