The American Institute for Economic Research has ranked Buffalo as the ninth-best place for college students to live among midsize metro areas ahead of such cities as Nashville, Tenn., Sacramento, Calif., Charlotte, N.C., and Orlando, Fla.
The committee made a distinction between major metropolises, midsize metros, smaller cities and college towns, and grouped each city or town accordingly.
While being ranked ninth among "midsize metro areas" isn't something to boast too much about, Buffalo is a good place to be for college students..
Buffalo State College is renowned for its education and arts programs. Canisius College and Niagara University offer solid religious education. Medaille College is a small private school that packs an academic punch, and we all know about the multitude of academic programs here at UB.
Additionally, community colleges in Erie and Niagara counties can provide students with guidance to get a start in the right direction.
The institute used several categories to determine the final rankings. Buffalo scored well in student diversity, largely thanks to the sizeable concentration of international students at UB.
Buffalo's ranking also increased due to the city's vibrant arts scene and entertainment district. Students in the Queen City have many options when it comes to going out on the weekends.
The downtown entertainment district on Chippewa Street, easily accessed by the Buffalo subway system that runs through UB's South Campus and the Canisius College neighborhood, offers many different bars and dance clubs.
For a different bar scene, Allen Street and Elmwood Avenue are spots where students can absorb some of Buffalo's culture that one might not find elsewhere. The area is also home to numerous art galleries, concert halls and restaurants.
Buffalo also offers professional sports, hosts mainstream concerts and is close to world famous Niagara Falls. Those with passports even have easy access to go north of the boarder into Canada.
Nevertheless, there are some negative things about Buffalo's college experience that the committee may have missed.
Both UB and Canisius College's campuses are too spread out. UB is spread across three separate campuses while Canisius' buildings are scattered throughout the cityscape. This causes the missing feeling of a unified college campus.
Also, collegiate sports are a huge part of student life at many schools throughout the country. While athletic programs are improving at UB, Canisius and Niagara, Western New York area schools certainly cannot compete with programs such as Ohio State, Texas or Southern California.
Buffalo's ranking is up four spots from last year's 13th ranking. We're still trying to figure out what's changed.
