By David Hautanen
Senior Associate Director of Admissions, Northeastern University

Attending a college or university in a city offers easy access to academic, cultural, and social venues that enrich the college experience beyond the campus boundaries. The entire city becomes a laboratory for learning. Whether you want to do research at neighboring universities, libraries, or research centers, visit museums, attend professional sporting events, go to the symphony, or simply have a broad range of retail choices, it is all nearby. Going to college in the city means a short walk, bus ride or subway trip, and the world is at hand.

When you are visiting campuses located in the city you’ll notice some distinct differences from rural or suburban college campuses. Compared to rural or suburban colleges and universities that have been able to grow and remain distinctly separate from their surrounding community, urban colleges and universities typically have grown into their host communities. As a result, urban colleges offer a wide variety of campus styles. At one extreme, the college or university is blended with the city, offering its students the experience of being fully part of the urban community at all times. At the other extreme are schools with clear campus boundaries where the student has the benefit of a distinct campus experience within the city while still having all the amenities of the city right there.

Urban campuses tend to attract students who are more cul...

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