Top 10 Happiest Colleges in the Country

Fastweb ^ | 18 June 2014 | Kathryn Knight Randolph

[Vigilanteman]

Original article was published by The Daily Beast earlier this month. If you don't care to go to the original, these are the top 10:

1. Texas A& M
   
2. Stanford University
   
3. University of Wisconsin
   
4. Florida State University
   
5. University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
   
6. University of Florida
   
7. Brigham Young University
   
8. University of Georgia
   
9. University of Texas, Austin
   
10. Kansas State University

[Vigilanteman]

The biggest common denominator I can see is $10K or less difference between annual cost and average financial aid package. The only outlier is Stanford, and the difference is not great ($15K). Basically, this means that a kid who is willing to work part-time and earn half of that differential, needs only borrow $5K or so annually to make up the balance.

So they ought to be able to graduate with less than $30K in debt if they choose wisely.

[mountainlion]

This leaves out the Colleges in states where drugs are legal.

[Blogatron]

Gayest?

[napscoordinator]

Yes! My Alma Mater is number 4! Go Noles!!!!!!

[Puppage]

Let’s revisit this after the first semester in Colorado schools....

[dowcaet]

University of Wisconsin? Isn’t that located in Madison, a liberal hotbed? Liberals are always angry. Have any of you ever met a happy one in your life?

[EDINVA]

It is interesting that all but Stanford and BYU are state schools. MOST are in warmer climates.

I don’t know about the others, but just walking around the Stanford campus made me happy. It’s beautiful! As a student, tho, you tend to be too stressed to notice the beauty that surrounds you.

Most financial aid packages include work/study, so that takes up time for an outside job during the school year. There’s only so much a student can earn during summer break, but if they can keep total undergrad loans to $50K or less today, especially for a school like Stanford, that’s doing well.

[MplsSteve]

Cheap worthless off the cuff generalizations about this list...

1. Wisconsin students are generally drunk and stupid. Given that, how could you not be happy?

2. BYU students are primarily Mormons. The Mormons I’ve met seem to be generally happy content people.

3. UNC students are financially well-off and arrogant. Given that, I’d be happy too. P.S. I’m not a Dookie.

9. UT students are elitist and condescending in their thinking, a trait common to the Austin area. Given that no one challenges their belief systems, that’s why they’re happy.

OK, blast away at me!

[Betty Jane]

The financial aid package most likely includes a Stafford loan of $5500-$7500 dollars, depending on year in college.

[henkster]

Madison would be a hotbed of angry liberals, except that Madison is also known for a lot of beer. It’s hard to be mad when you’re drinking beer all the time.

The drawback is that you get lots of “girls of substance” with their fat corndog fingers.

[henkster]

I’m not blasting away. I think you are spot on.

Of course, these polls are meaningless. You can be happy or miserable anywhere. It’s up to you.

[stanne]

$30 k

That we think $30k debt for a kid starting out in a 25% unemployment rate (that’s what’s reported for them) owing $17trillion bush Obama money ( it’ll be double when obamacare sets in) we won’t even worry about Hillary walking into bidens spot and taking over when Obama goes gleefully to Hawaii or into some UN spot, they’ll be glad to have a basement to beg put of

[Carry_Okie]

There’s only so much a student can earn during summer break, but if they can keep total undergrad loans to $50K or less today, especially for a school like Stanford, that’s doing well.

FReeper NattieShea just graduated from Stanford last Sunday, and with no debt. She's off to Michigan State this summer for a PhD program in microbiology.

[PapaNew]

Six are in the Southeast, two of those in Texas.

Two are in the Midwest and two in the West.

None from the northeast, which is university central. Interesting.

I was born & raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, but I love Texas and the South and the "Bible Belt". I think they are generally happier there than just about anywhere.

[Vigilanteman]

Maybe. But even if you double the amount of college debt on graduation to $55K or so, it is still manageable if you’ve majored in something marketable.

[Vigilanteman]

Plus the only left coast school is Stanford, which is private and very competitive to get into.

Need I also mention that it is also the Alta Mater of Thomas Sowell, arguably the greatest economist alive today, and home to the Hoover Institue, one of the great conservative think tanks?

[Abathar]

You do know the real reason U of W switched over to artificial turf right?

It was the only way they could stop their cheerleaders from grazing at halftime.

[R_Kangel]

.... What .... no mention of any Clown College anywhere in this article.

[Vigilanteman]

Kids willing to take jobs outside their field have a whole lot less than a 25% unemployment rate.

All three of my daughter had professional jobs within six months of graduation, all during the ObaMao years. Of course they majored in something which was actually marketable and one of the three is working in fields unrelated to their degree.

[stanne]

And there are a ton who do not have that story, and who are not thinking about getting married or having kids and who owe $30 k and many a lot more

It is abusive that we are allowing this

Wait til we expect them to assist us later on Heck, social security... Ask your kids how much of their paycheck that takes from them. If they’re really smart they’ll know what our first year lawyer friend knows its 25%

Abuse. And they know they won’t see it. I’m counting on them to wise up and get rid of that