Top 5 Affordable and Fun College Towns in US

Going off to college can be a really exciting time for every single individual. This is the time when one gets more freedom than ever; there are new expenses, new faces, new opportunities, and what not. It seems as if there is this one person in this world who is surrounded by millions and millions of opportunities. However, to truly capture those opportunities or take advantage of those opportunities it is important to have the right set of qualification or skills which could ensure that an individual is able to walk on the path which he or she desires. And the sure shot way of doing that by getting into a good college. The United States of America is currently home to many great universities and college. Sadly, most of them come with great expenses which can definitely be quite hefty for a college student. But there are still certain affordable options which students can go for without compromising at all in the fun department. And in this blog, readers will be able to learn about the top 5 affordable and fun college towns in the US. The list of those towns is mentioned below.

1.    Helena, Montana

Helena is a city in Montana which is known for being incredibly beautiful. This city is strategically located between the Glacier National Park and the Yellowstone National Park. By living in this city, students can live between those two natural wonders at a fraction of a cost when compared to other places in the nearby area. This city has both scenic views and a great pad for all students. There are also tons of outdoor activities which students can indulge in to keep themselves constantly busy. The average monthly cost of utilities is shockingly low in this city at a rate of $64.54! The cost of a one-way ticket in this town is also only $0.85 which is the lowest of all the cities on this list. The population of this city and some other major details are also mentioned below.

O   Population: 31,169

O   Selection of College and Universities: the Helena College University of Montana with in-state tuition of $17,152 and out-of-state tuition of $22,712. There is also Carroll College which has a tuition of $45,466

O   Average Rent: $680.00

O   Price of a Gallon of Gas: $2.50

O   Cost of a Movie Ticket: $12.00

O   0.5 Liter of Domestic Beer: $2.00

O   The Minimum Wage in the city also starts at $8.30

2.    Lincoln, Nebraska

This city in Nebraska is often one of the first places which students think of when they are planning for going off to college. This city has a population of 280,364 people and it also provides students with the choice of three different colleges including Bryan College of Health Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and Nebraska Wesleyan. This city has a minimum wage of $9.00 and it compares greatly with some of the best cities out there in terms of entertainment which is offered.

3.    Augusta, Maine

Augusta is Maine’s capital for a reason and that reason is that this city is quaint, picturesque, and affordable. Utilities in this city are decently priced and the rent is also quite low. This city comes with the cheapest gas price and can boast of the two best universities, which are, the University of Maine at Augusta and Purdue University Global Augusta Campus. This city has a population of 18,494 and hosts a lot of local students.

4.    Columbia, Missouri

This is another great city in this city which also offers the cheapest movie ticket price. The population of this city is around 120,612 and it boasts of universities like Stephens College, Columbia College, and the University of Missouri. Minimum wage in this town starts at $7.85 and the median monthly rent is around $760.00 with the cost of monthly utilities at $130.40.

5.    Colorado Springs, Colorado

Colorado Springs is a city in Colorado which is located near the Rocky Mountains and the Garden of the Gods. This is a great city which all students can consider due to its affordability and a large number of activities to participate in. This city is also a few minutes away from Denver and it has a great list of colleges like Colorado College, United States Air Force Academy, and University of Colorado Colorado Springs. The minimum wage in this town starts at $10.20 with a monthly rent of $975.08.

This is the list of the top 5 affordable college towns in the United States of America which also do not compromise on the fun parts. However, before wrapping up the blog there is another thing which all readers should be aware of. And that is the entire procedure or the criteria which were considered before the results mentioned above were decided on. That selection criterion or the procedure is mentioned in the section below.

The Ranking Criteria

As it was mentioned above, in this section the readers will be able to learn more about the ranking criteria which were followed to arrive at the results which were mentioned above in the list of the top 5 affordable and fun college towns in the United States of America. To get the most accurate ranking as possible it was decided that everything which could be related to the college expenses of a student should be considered. Hence, a list of the budget was made which consisted of every essential product or service that a student can need. In that same list of budget, there were also a number of other items, products, or services which a student might spend his or her spare money on.

After collecting all the required data from meals to rent to movies, the total cost of living in each city was calculated. For considering the cost of living in each city, there were also many other factors which were considered. And some of those factors are mentioned below.

·       The Population of the city

·       The Annual cost of tuition

·       An average rate of an apartment with only one bedroom in the center of the city

·       Cost of utilities on an average

·       The total cost of transportation which was calculated by considering the fare of the one-way local train and by also considering the cost of a gallon of gas

·       The average price of a movie ticket

·       The Minimum wage of the city

·       The price of a 0.5-liter bottle of domestic beer

These are all the major things which were considered to find out the top 5 affordable and fun college towns in the United States of America.

The Conclusion:

Going off to college can be an incredibly exciting time for any student. However, it can also be a very financially challenging time as one might as there might be many things which a student might want to do but he or she might not have the money to do it. But this issue can be solved by enrolling in some of the best colleges in the United States of America in cities which are completely affordable. And those top 5 affordable and fun college towns in the United States of America are Helena, Lincoln, Augusta, Columbia, and Colorado Springs. There was also a very detailed and immaculate selection or ranking criteria which were followed to arrive at the results which are mentioned above.

The References

https://www.greatcollegedeals.net/affordable-towns-in/20-affordable-college-towns-california/

https://www.greatcollegedeals.net/affordable-towns-in/pennsylvania/

https://www.ravereviews.org/travel/most-fun-colleges-in-america/

https://www.goabroad.com/articles/degree-abroad/best-college-towns-to-live-in-international-students-usa

https://livability.com/topics/real-estate/5-great-college-towns-to-settle-in-post-graduation

https://www.move.org/most-affordable-college-towns/

https://www.cbsnews.com/media/most-affordable-college-towns/

https://www.greatvaluecolleges.net/50-great-affordable-college-towns-in-the-u-s/

https://www.bestvalueschools.org/19-affordable-college-towns/

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https://www.thesimpledollar.com/most-affordable-college-towns/

https://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings-articles/qs-best-student-cities/top-10-best-student-cities-us