When looking to further your education, The University of Minnesota-Twin Cities is a great place for Minnesota students to look into. 

Campus environment 

If you are looking for a large school environment full of different people from all around the country, look no further than the U of M. Ranked as the tenth largest school in the nation, and in the heart of Minnesota’s largest city, this school is perfect for someone who loves an urban climate.

Best known for

The University of Minnesota is very well known for their research opportunities. The Association of American Universities ranked the University of Minnesota as 20th in the nation for research opportunities. 

Colleges 

The University of Minnesota is broken up into 19 different colleges and schools that will help to ensure that you are receiving the education that best suits you. These schools include:

• Center for Allied Health Programs
• College of Biological Sciences
• College of Continuing and Professional Studies
• School of Dentistry
• College of Design
• College of Education and Human Development
• College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences
• Graduate School
• Law School
• College of Liberal Arts
• Carlson School of Management
• Medical School
• School of Nursing
• College of Pharmacy
• Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs
• School of Public Health
• College of Science and Engineering
• College of Veterinary Medicine

Cost of tuition 

The cost of in-state tuition at the U of M is lower than the national average for public colleges, at around 15,254 USD. 

My personal experience

Earlier in the year I took a tour of the University of Minnesota and overall, I really enjoyed it. I have always been looking for a large school in or near a metropolitan area, and in the state of Minnesota, it doesn’t get more metropolitan than the Twin Cities. When you are at the U of M, you are never far from the bustling life of the city. The campus is very large, but for the most part, most places are within walking distance from another. The only challenge would be if you were to take any classes on the St. Paul campus, which is across the river. Fortunately, the U of M offers transportation to and from this campus, which makes for only about a 20 minute shuttle ride.

 I went on a tour that was dedicated more towards their design program, so I got to see first hand what my education would look like at the U of M. Overall the design program is definitely not one to complain about, but it is very obvious that it is not their most prized college.

I would rate my overall experience on my tour of the University of Minnesota an 8/10.

When considering your future education, many people want to move somewhere out of Minnesota so that they can have a form of independence. But when moving away from home, it can be a bit of a culture shock if you move somewhere completely different from what you are used to. If that is something you are nervous about, Kent State University might just be the perfect place for you.

Campus environment 

If you are looking for a small town feel and also want to move away from Minnesota, then Kent State might just be perfect for you. Kent State is the third largest university in the state of Ohio, and is located far from any sort of metropolitan area. That being said, the Kent area has plenty of restaurants, shops, and many other forms of nightlife. 

Best known for

Kent State is best known for its fashion design program which is ranked as the 6th best in the country. Kent also has been ranked as having the  second best fashion merchandising program in the nation by Study.com. So if you are looking for a future career in either fashion design or fashion merchandising, then Kent State might just be the school for you.

Colleges 

Kent has 12 different educational colleges that will be able to help get you the education that you are looking for. These schools include: 

• ​​College of Aeronautics and Engineering
• College of Architecture & Environmental Design
• College of Applied and Technical Studies
• College of the Arts
• College of Arts and Sciences
• College of Business Administration
• College of Communication and Information
• College of Education, Health, and Human Services
• College of Nursing
• College of Pediatric Medicine
• College of Public Health
• Honors College

Cost of tuition

The cost of out-of-state tuition for Kent State is an average of $20,810, which is slightly less than the national average for out of state tuition.

My personal experience

In mid-December I took a tour of the Kent State University fashion program, and wow, what a program. Just the overview of the entire program sounded like a fashion student’s dream. They offer so many opportunities for internships and even require both an internship and a study abroad to be able to graduate. The study abroad programs that they offer for the fashion students take place in their multiple different campuses located around the world. Overall as a fashion student, I was blown away by the extensive program, but for me personally, the rest of the school felt slightly more lackluster. I have always been a person who has been obsessed with the idea of living in a major metropolitan area, and this school did not quite deliver in that aspect. The school is located in the middle of nowhere and without the small city-esque group of shops and restaurants nearby, Kent State would definitely make you feel like you’re in the middle of rural Ohio. If you enjoy a more rural scene than this school is perfect for you, but for me personally I was a bit disappointed.

I would rate my overall experience at Kent State University a  7.5/10.