Where the college experience influences the community culture
School and city intertwine in college towns, and the community surrounding a school is often a factor in college decisions. But there are two types of college towns, says Mike Salvadore, owner of Seattle, Washington-based 58 Stars Travel: those where the college is the main focus and those that are part of a much larger culture. “So much of what makes a college town is what it offers to students,” Salvadore wrote in an email. “I’ve worked with different families when they have planned their college visits, and it’s important to understand the students’ interests and what types of things they’ll gravitate towards.” Using insights from higher education and travel industry experts as well as rankings from travel and lifestyle publications, here is a look at 10 destination college towns on the West Coast.
Berkeley, California
Named one of the top 25 college towns in the U.S. by Travel + Leisure, Berkeley is home to the University of California, Berkeley. Located just north of Oakland, Berkeley offers a mix of big city and small town culture. Its proximity to wine country means easy trips to some of the country’s best-known wineries, and its location next to the San Francisco Bay offers easy access to water recreation. The school is recognized as the birthplace of the Free Speech Movement in 1964, and a culture of activism is still important to the student body. To the east, students can hike at Tilden Regional Park or stroll through the University of California Botanical Garden. Picturesque Strawberry Creek – a major reason the campus site was chosen in the 1860s – flows west toward the bay and is home to numerous native plants and animals.
Corvallis, Oregon
Located about 84 miles south of Portland, Corvallis is home to Oregon State University. Close to parks, lakes and wildlife refuges, Corvallis offers more than 50 hikes along hilltop, forest and meadow trails, as well as mountain biking, kayaking, swimming, fishing, camping and birdwatching. Oregon was recognized by the League of American Bicyclists as the second most bicycle-friendly state in America, and Corvallis was recognized by real estate website Rent.com as one of the top college towns in Oregon. Corvallis is part of the Pacific Northwest’s craft beer scene with popular spots like Sky High Brewing, Oregon Trail Brewing and Block 15. It’s also surrounded by sustainable wineries and family-owned vineyards, adding wine tastings and countryside picnics to the list of things to do.
Claremont, California
In many college towns, just one school may hold a strong tie to the community. In the Los Angeles suburb of Claremont, seven schools – known as the Claremont Colleges – help create a community dominated by the college student population. The schools are Claremont Graduate University, Claremont McKenna College, Harvey Mudd College, Keck Graduate Institute, Pitzer College, Pomona College and Scripps College. The town was recognized by lifestyle publication Sunset Magazine as one of the 10 best college towns in the West. Despite the large number of students, the small, walkable town has the air of a peaceful oasis away from the traffic and lights of Los Angeles. Claremont’s gardens, parks, theaters and museums cater to a variety of interests.
Davis, California
Tucked away in the middle of Silicon Valley near the state capital of Sacramento is the University of California, Davis, and it’s estimated that students make up about 40% of the city of Davis’ population. The school is a driving force and cultural hub for what is a quaint, hidden gem of a town with good restaurants and cool bars, says Alex Boylan, executive producer and host of The College Tour, an internet-based television show that provides free virtual campus tours. The city’s lively cultural scene includes galleries, art and design museums, theaters and farmers markets. The UC Davis Arboretum and Public Garden spans the entire campus and features waterways, oak and acacia groves, trails, gardens and scientific collections. “Myself, my entire crew, we’re always blown away when we get there,” Boylan says. “It’s beautiful.”
Eugene, Oregon
Home to the University of Oregon, Eugene bills itself as “the running capital of the world” and “TrackTownUSA.” It’s not only home to UO’s famous Hayward Field and an epicenter for track and field, it’s also the birthplace of fitness giant Nike. Founder Phil Knight was a middle-distance runner at UO when he partnered with UO track coach and former Olympian Bill Bowerman to form the company. The city is also known for craft breweries and great cycling. Whether tailgating at a Ducks football game, hiking up the Ridgeline Trail System or visiting the numerous cafes and locally owned stores at the Fifth Street Public Market, Eugene makes for a hip college town, experts say. Travel + Leisure named it one of the top 25 college towns in the U.S.
Monmouth, Oregon
Founded in 1856, Western Oregon University is one of the oldest universities in the state. It’s roughly 65 miles east of the Pacific coast, and about an hour’s drive from the Cascade Mountains. In a town of more than 11,000 people, WOU’s nearly 3,800 students are a large part of the community. “From theater to concerts and art, everything that’s around Monmouth is Western Oregon University,” Boylan says. The campus is home to a 123-foot giant sequoia that’s one of the largest Christmas trees in the U.S., and the surrounding area offers hiking, bicycling, camping, disc golf and fishing.
Pullman, Washington
It’s hard to tell where Washington State University ends and the city of Pullman begins, Boylan says. Known for its rolling hills that shift from emerald green to gold depending on the season, Pullman offers a picturesque landscape year round. Nearby Snake River offers stunning views and water activities, and outdoor enthusiasts can also enjoy gravel cycling, trail running and waterfalls. In addition to the sports games and other on-campus highlights, such as the student-run Ferdinand’s Ice Cream Shoppe, students have a variety of restaurants and shopping centers to choose from around town. Among popular spots are Dom’s Donuts, Zeppoz and the Lumberyard, a collection of restaurants that also includes a full bar, gaming area and enclosed outdoor patio seating.
Redlands, California
Interstate 10 runs through the middle of Redlands, with many motorists perhaps not giving the Los Angeles suburb a second thought. But those who spend time in the town will experience a “gorgeous” and “picture perfect” small town where shops, bars and restaurants are full and the student population from the University of Redlands helps create a lively buzz, Boylan says. The nearby San Bernardino Mountains and various lakes offer plenty of spots for outdoor recreation. Those interested in history can learn about anything from the Civil War to mastodons at one of the city’s five museums or drive the tree-lined streets to see ornate historic buildings from the turn of the last century, when Redlands was known as “The City of Millionaires.”
Santa Barbara, California
For many students, attending college in a beach town is an easy sell. Santa Barbara, home to the University of California, Santa Barbara, offers a palm-lined beachfront location on the Pacific Ocean. UC Santa Barbara even has an on-campus beach where students can surf, swim, walk their dogs, enjoy the tide pools or climb the stairs up to the bluffs for spectacular views. They can also take a stress-relieving hike up to Inspiration Point or relax with oceanside meditation at UC Santa Barbara’s Lagoon Island Labyrinth. For more adventure, the school offers scuba diving courses as well as skiing and snowboarding clubs. Santa Barbara, with a population of nearly 88,000, and similarly sized cities “have similar attributes to the large cities but on a smaller and more intimate scale – wonderful food scene, local music hangouts and more,” Salvadore says.
Spokane, Washington
The Spokane River cuts through the middle of the city near three college campuses: Gonzaga University, Spokane Community College and Whitworth University. Nearly 230,000 people live in Spokane, according to U.S. Census Bureau data, making it one of the larger college towns on the West Coast. The downtown area has a variety of restaurants and bars, and Spokane Arena often hosts major sporting events and concerts. “One of the things I loved most about Spokane was that it has a really great mix of nature and city,” Gonzaga alumnus Cade Hajovsky wrote in an email. “It’s easy to access the river, lakes (only a short drive from Lake Coeur d’Alene in Idaho) and hikes, while also still having a great restaurant and entertainment scene.”
Other Campus Resources
Learn more about college living by checking out the U.S. News guide to campus resources. Connect with U.S. News Education on Facebook and X/Twitter to get more advice on making the college decision.
Destination West Coast College Towns
- Berkeley, California
- Corvallis, Oregon
- Claremont, California
- Davis, California
- Eugene, Oregon
- Monmouth, Oregon
- Pullman, Washington
- Redlands, California
- Santa Barbara, California
- Spokane, Washington
The Bennie Johnnie Experience on the Big Screen
February 5, 2024
The College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University are making history as the first two colleges in Minnesota to be featured on the Amazon Prime TV series The College Tour.
And members of the CSB and SJU campus communities will be first in line to view the finished episode.
A premiere watch party is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 8 in the Benedicta Arts Center’s Escher Auditorium on the CSB campus. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. with a red carpet entrance. The watch party itself is scheduled for 7 p.m. and an all-community afterparty follows at 8 p.m.
The first 50 students through the door will receive VIP seating and swag bags. Everyone in attendance will have the chance to win a free iPad. No ticket is needed to attend the event.
“We believe this episode perfectly demonstrates the Bennie-Johnnie experience students have on our beautiful campuses – surrounded by a supportive community,” said Cory Piper, the dean of admission at CSB and SJU.
“It comes at exactly the right moment. With Strong Integration as our focus and priority, and having just celebrated the inauguration of our first joint president (Brian J. Bruess, Ph.D.), it’s such a joyful time and such a meaningful period in the history of both our schools.”
More than 30 students auditioned to be part of the cast of four Johnnies and four Bennies (as well as one recent alum of each school) who share their stories in the episode. Auditions were held last September. The film and production crew of the program – which is now in its 11th season – arrived in early October, spending five days on the two campuses shooting interviews and footage for the 30-minute episode.
“Saint Ben’s and Saint John’s are just remarkable places and taping this episode was a tremendous experience,” the show’s host Alex Boylan said. “From the moment I set foot here, all the crew talked about was how the hospitality is real – we definitely felt it. And when folks watch the episode, they’re going to see it, too, and hear the passion for both institutions and the beauty in which they’re integrated.”
The episode will become available for viewing on the CSB and SJU website, YouTube and The College Tour website early this month, and is scheduled to begin streaming on Amazon Prime on May 28.
“Being in front of a camera, and getting the chance to share my story with a wide audience, provided me with a lot more confidence and belief in myself,” said cast member Ashley Tarrolly, a CSB senior and economics and finance major who is a member of the Bennie tennis team, founded the On-Campus Entrepreneurship Club and will graduate with honors this May.
“When I gave my capstone presentation at the end of the last semester, I thought back on my experience with The College Tour and it helped.”
Fellow cast member Kobe Forbes, a sophomore who came to SJU from The Bahamas, hopes sharing his experience will benefit other potential students from similar backgrounds.
“I thought it would be helpful for other international or POC students to hear from someone like me about what my experience has been like,” said Forbes, a physics major who is an engagement specialist at the Center for Student Leadership and Engagement and serves as a student senator.
“So I decided to shoot my shot. I wanted to let people know Saint John’s is not your ordinary, average college. The community we have, and the many different activities and clubs we offer, makes this place special. We support each other as Johnnies. There are so many friends you make here who have your back.”
Piper hopes the episode spreads the word about everything CSB and SJU has to offer to an even wider audience.
“We understand the expense of travelling to tour colleges can be a lot,” she said. “Our episode on these platforms allows us to share our story with a wide range of families and students nationally and internationally who will be able to watch from their homes. Our hope is that they’ll love what they see and come visit us!
“CSB and SJU’s strong integration is an incredibly unique model. Other schools that have been featured are one institution with one central campus. We’re two campuses and communities bonded together. We want to share that story and I believe our episode does that beautifully.”
WNMU campus to be featured in Amazon Prime show
By Anya Loya, The Deming Headlight I October 13, 2023
The original version of this story misstated the length of the show’s episode. It will appear in the show’s 11th season, rather than the 10th. This update also corrects the spelling of Jillian Bernstein’s name.
Western New Mexico University will be featured on “The College Tour,” an award-winning TV series from Amazon Prime. The Silver City campus will be part of the show’s 11th season and is the first New Mexico college or university to be featured.
The series focuses on a different college or university across the country in each episode. The show also features multiple students, highlighting their experience at their schools. The show’s concept arose during the COVID-19 pandemic, when opportunities to attend in-person campus tours were restricted, on top of financial barriers to travel, according to the show’s host, Alex Boylan.
Filming will take place Nov. 6 through the 10th at the Silver City main campus. The show will follow 10 students from different backgrounds around multiple campus locations. Filming will include content from both the production team and the university, according to Linda Brown, the university’s communication specialist.
The episode will be divided into ten segments, one per student, and each student will get to collaborate on the segment’s script, Brown said.
WNMU students were encouraged to audition for the episode in early September and participants were selected later in the month. Auditions were held online, with students submitting two-minute videos about their experience at WNMU.
“I think the most important thing is that the student has an interesting story to tell about their experience at WNMU,” Brown said, “and second, I think we want stories that resonate with a wide audience. And of course we want to recruit students who have a good on-camera presence.”
Selected students will be able to cover different topics from academics to club activities to dorm life at WNMU, according to Brown.
Oscar Arteaga, an international graduate student from Venezuela, was selected as one of the show’s participants. Arteaga transferred to WNMU in 2022 from Emporia State University in Kansas and will graduate with a master’s in interdisciplinary studies in December.
“This is my last semester and I wanted to share my experience, share what I’ve learned, what it’s like to be an international student and all the services the university offers us,” Arteaga said.
Arteaga works as a graduate assistant at the WNMU Museum, where he talks about the exhibitions and collections as well as other office duties. He is also the treasurer of the International Student Association on campus, an organization created just this fall.
“In our organization, we’re trying to embrace diversity and guide international students and every other student about the resources campus offers,” Arteaga said.
The organization hopes to host a fashion show that will feature international students wearing traditional clothing from each of their countries, Arteaga said.
Arteaga plans to enter a doctoral program at New Mexico State University or find a job within WNMU after graduation.
The show will be another opportunity for the university to “get the word out,” as Brown put it. Being a smaller school, Brown said Western doesn’t have a national platform for marketing WNMU.
“There’s incredible work being done at the university by our students, by our faculty, by our staff,” Brown said. “So it’s just not coming from marketing or the administration, it’s coming from the students.”
Jillian and Stacey Bernstein, a mother and daughter attending WNMU, will also be featured on the show. Gillian is finishing up her master’s in social work and will graduate in December, while Stacey is going through her first semester of college as a biology major.
Both women highlight how much support they give each other on and off campus. Stacey helps her mom take care of her three younger siblings while her mom is at work or school and Gillian supports her daughter closely as she advances in college life.
“I feel like I’ve met my goal of becoming a role model for her, despite all the challenges and hardships that I have faced. So, to kind of come full circle where, you know, when I was a kid in college, I was pregnant, took a break. She’s very successful and that makes me very proud,” Gillian Berstein said.
She added that she’s thankful to be part of her daughter’s college experience and that it’s good for her younger kids to see their older sister thrive in college.
“The College Tour: Mustang Edition,” a 30-minute episode, will air on Amazon Prime and other streaming services in the spring.
Annya Loya can be reached at annya@demingheadlight.com.
Amazon Prime Show Filming at St. Ben’s, St. John’s next week
By WJON.COM I September 29, 2023
ST. JOSEPH/COLLEGEVILLE (WJON News) — Next week it won’t be just college co-eds strolling around campus at the College of St. Benedict and St. John’s University.
A television production crew will be on both campuses as well.
The Amazon Prime series “The College Tour” will be filming Monday through Saturday. The show is hosted by Alex Boylen with each episode telling the story of what life is truly like on a college campus.
In the series first season among the schools they featured were Arizona State, East Tennessee State, and the University of Connecticut.
St. Ben’s and St. John’s will be the first Minnesota colleges to be featured in the series.
The College Tour Trailer from The College Tour on Vimeo.
The school says the episode is scheduled to air sometime in the spring.