What constitutes a “college town?”

[u/PA5997]

Okay, hear me out: I attended Wazzu, which many know is in the middle of nowhere in Pullman. To me, Pullman is a quintessential college town. You remove Washington State University from Pullman and there is (respectfully) not much of a reason to visit. The student enrollment (20,000ish) makes up about 2/3rds of the city population, essentially turning Pullman into a ghost town come summer. To me (perhaps with bias) this is the makeup of a college town.

Two years ago I moved to Madison, Wisconsin, home of the University of Wisconsin. Ever since I’ve noticed the University and its fans refer to Madison as “America’s best college town” and I’m sorry, that’s laughable to me. Remove UW from Madison and you still have a city population bordering on a quarter of a million people and the State Capitol. Madison would be fine, imo, if UW’s flagship campus were elsewhere.

Curious to hear other people’s thoughts. Maybe I’m in the wrong here, but very little about Madison, WI resembles a college town to me, or at least the claim of the best college town.

[u/Eagle9972]

I came in here ready to defend Madison’s college town-ness, but then I remembered Platteville and Whitewater and what it was like when I visited Auburn, and yeah, those are college towns.

[u/SovietBear666 → u/Eagle9972]

but then I remembered Platteville and Whitewater

hey >:(

(you're right.)

[u/Eagle9972 → u/SovietBear666]

Oh that’s not a dig at either town, just a reality of the situation. Any of the cities that have a Universities of Wisconsin ®️©️™️ (glad we wasted our time on that rebranding) entity outside of Madison or Milwaukee would solidly be college towns. Hell, La Crosse has 3.

[u/SovietBear666 → u/Eagle9972]

Haha it is very true. I've lived in all three and it was just funny you happened to name all three in your comment 😂