Expensive College Towns - Any Recommendations?

Hey guys, I'm considering applying to colleges in thriving, bustling college towns - but I hear that some of them can be super pricey. Could anyone share some insights on the most expensive college towns in America? I want to make sure I factor in cost of living in my decisions.

Hello!

You're absolutely onto something by considering the cost of living when selecting the location of the colleges you're interested in. That said, some college towns tend to be more expensive than others, with high costs of housing, groceries, and day-to-day expenditures.

For example, Palo Alto, home to Stanford University, can be pretty pricey due to the high-tech start-ups in the Silicon Valley region. Cambridge, Massachusetts, home to Harvard and MIT, is another example of a high-cost college town because of its close proximity to the city of Boston.

Over on the West Coast, Berkeley (where UC Berkeley is situated) has been known for its high living costs as well, and the same could be said for Los Angeles, which houses universities like UCLA and USC.

In the Chicagoland area, Evanston, where Northwestern University is located, is significantly more expensive than other suburban areas.

Remember, these are approximate trends rather than strict rules, as costs may vary significantly within a given area. It still remains key to your college decision-making process because financial comfort is critical to your overall college experience. Using resources to compare cost of living in different cities can be handy to have a more detailed picture.

A heads-up, though! Don't let the cost of living deter you from applying if you're really keen on a school. Many universities offer generous financial aid packages which could include allowances to help cover living expenses. The school’s financial aid office might be a good resource for further investigation on this matter.

I hope this information is helpful in your college search process!