College Consensus, a unique new college ratings website that aggregates publisher rankings and student reviews, has published their ranking of the 25 Best Beach Colleges at collegeconsensus.com, and Point Loma Nazarene University and UC San Diego made the list. Colleges and universities located near beaches often have the reputation of “party schools,” but the coastal life can be a real advantage and benefit to the college experience. After all, a student body that embraces fun and health is a more successful student body. With that in mind, College Consensus has ranked the top Consensus rated schools that also happen to have great beach life, according to the combination of published rankings and student reviews. The full top 25 are: Point Loma Nazarene University – San Diego;
University of California, San Diego – San Diego;
Brigham Young University-Hawaii – Laie, Hawaii; California Polytechnic State University – San Luis Obispo;
California State University, Long Beach – Long Beach;
The Citadel – Charleston, S.C.;
Coastal Carolina University – Conway, S.C.; College of Charleston – Charleston, S.C.;
College of the Atlantic – Bar Harbor, Maine;
Eckerd College – St. Petersburg, Fla.; Flagler College – St. Augustine, Fla.;
Florida Gulf Coast University – Fort Myers, Fla.; Florida Institute of Technology – Melbourne, Fla.;
Loyola Marymount University – Los Angeles; Palm Beach Atlantic University – West Palm Beach, Fla.; Salve Regina University – Newport, R.I. St. Mary’s College of Maryland – Saint Mary’s City, Md.;
University of California, Irvine – Irvine;
University of California, Santa Barbara – Santa Barbara;
University of California, Santa Cruz – Santa Cruz;
University of Hawaii at Manoa – Honolulu, Hawaii;
University of Miami – Coral Gables, Fla.;
University of North Carolina Wilmington – Wilmington, N.C.;
University of South Florida – Tampa, Fla.; University of Tampa – Tampa, Fla. “What does it take to make a best beach college?” asked managing editor Carrie Sealey-Morris. The answer is interesting: “It’s a matter of culture, of values, of attitude – a way of looking at the world and connecting to the more than 70 percent of the globe that is covered in ocean.” That perspective can take a lot of different forms. “Many of the best beach colleges are places where sustainability, environmental responsibility, and respect for nature are written into the curriculum and mission,” Sealey-Morris said.
The best beach colleges are also good for students and for communities: “A place to connect with nature does wonders for the stress of college,” Sealey-Morris said, and “The best oceanside colleges are also leaders in community engagement, reaching out and actively improving life for the region where they live.” So even if parents may worry that their kids are running off for four years of 24-7 partying, the College Consensus Best Beach Colleges ranking proves that “the best beach colleges in America are also some of the best colleges in America, period.” The 25 Best Beach Colleges ranking is not meant to be a scientific survey – there’s no entirely objective way to gauge what makes a beach the best. To create the ranking, Consensus editors scanned the coasts for colleges and universities that qualify for a College Consensus score, finding the schools that have a reputation for beach life and a deep connection to the ocean. Schools are then put in order by their College Consensus score. By ranking beach schools by the College Consensus method, students and their families can feel confident that their choice will not just be sandy and sunny, but provide top-ranking academic quality and student support.
