#90 University of Tulsa

University of Tulsa is a private institution that was founded in 1894. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 3,160, its setting is urban, and the campus size is 209 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. University of Tulsa's ranking in the 2014 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, 86. Its tuition and fees are $33,702 (2013-14).

Students at the University of Tulsa leave with two transcripts: an academic one and a co-curricular one. The CCT, as the latter is known, is a log of all membership in clubs, any leadership positions, and any marketable skills a student has gained while in college. To beef up a CCT, students can get involved in more than 200 student clubs and organizations. The school’s Greek system has more than 10 fraternities and sororities. Freshmen and sophomores must live on campus, unless they commute from a parent’s home within 20 miles of campus. Students who are at least 21 years old or married may live off campus, too. The Golden Hurricane sports teams are members of the Division I Conference USA, and the school’s mascot is a superhero named Captain Cane. At the end of select weeks during the year, students can join for Hurricane Thursdays, campus celebrations which alternate between carnivals, concerts, and more. The TU campus is two miles away from downtown Tulsa, Okla., a city of about half a million people that is home to performing arts centers, museums, shops, and night clubs. The state capital of Oklahoma City is about 100 miles away.

The University of Tulsa is known for its petroleum engineering programs, which are taught in a $15 million facility complete with drill rig ad simulator. Any student, regardless of major, can get involved in research projects as early as freshman year. TU is also home to the country’s first college campus mosque, which was built with the help of private funds. Notable TU alumni include television psychologist Dr. Phil (Phillip McGraw) and Chicago Bears head coach Lovie Smith.

#91 Auburn University

Auburn University is a public institution that was founded in 1856. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 20,175, its setting is suburban, and the campus size is 1,875 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. Auburn University's ranking in the 2014 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, 91. Its in-state tuition and fees are $9,852 (2013-14); out-of-state tuition and fees are $26,364 (2013-14).

Auburn, Ala., has been ranked one of the best places to live, and life at Auburn University can be similarly enjoyable for students. Football is a particularly big attraction in the fall, as fans support the Auburn Tigers with the help of school mascot Aubie the Tiger. The Tiger sports teams compete in the NCAA Division I Southeastern Conference, and the influx of football fans makes Auburn the fifth-largest city in the state on game days. Pep rallies are held in the downtown Toomer’s Corner, and the area is covered in toilet paper by fans after every big victory. There are more than 300 organizations on campus, and about 6,000 students are involved in the school’s Greek system. Auburn freshmen ease into the college transition through Camp War Eagle, a three-day, overnight summer orientation program. Transition help continues on Hey Day, an annual effort to get students to wear name tags and say hello to one another. Freshmen do not have to live on campus; in fact, a dorm room isn’t even guaranteed. Because of space restraints, first-year students are awarded on-campus living assignments on a first-come, first-served basis.

As a land, sea, and space grant institution, Auburn University receives federal funding for research projects that benefit the larger community. The school has an Urban Studio, where students can participate in community projects and a Rural Studio, aimed at finding housing solutions for residents of West Alabama. Research projects include storage facilities for nuclear waste. The university also offers unique programs, such as the only wireless engineering program in the country. Notable Auburn alumni include famed college football coach Vince Dooley and a handful of NASA astronauts—such as Kathryn Thornton, the second American woman to travel to space.

#92 Colorado School of Mines

Colorado School of Mines is a public institution that was founded in 1874. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 4,169, its setting is suburban, and the campus size is 491 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. Colorado School of Mines's ranking in the 2014 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, 91. Its in-state tuition and fees are $16,485 (2013-14); out-of-state tuition and fees are $32,415 (2013-14).

For left-brained students who want to work in the sciences, opportunities abound at the Colorado School of Mines. A public engineering and applied sciences school in Golden, Colo., Mines has 21 academic departments including Hydrologic Science and Engineering and Geophysics. The school also offers degrees in Liberal Arts & International Studies and Economics & Business departments. When students aren’t studying, the school’s location is ideal for outdoor recreation. Golden is 13 miles from the state capital of Denver, and lies in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, where students can bike, hike, and climb. The campus also has a fake rock wall for students to test their skills before attempting the Rockies. Cold-weather sports fans can partake in the annual Winter Carnival, a student-run affair packed with skiing and snowboarding at a local resort. The Mines sports teams, known as the Orediggers, compete in the NCAA Division II Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, which is mostly comprised of other teams from Colorado. The school mascot is Blaster the burro, and a giant ‘M’ emblazoned onto nearby Mount Zion signifies the school spirit. There are more than 140 student clubs and organizations, including seven fraternities and three sororities. First-year students do not have to live on campus, though about 90 percent opt to do so. Even the student newspaper, The Oredigger, is decidedly science based; sections include weekly roundups of new discoveries and a Geek of the Week feature.

Research opportunities abound for undergraduate and graduate students at the Renewable Energy Materials Research Science and Engineering Center and the Unconventional Natural Gas Institute, two on-campus powerhouses for energy innovation. The school campus is also home to a geology museum, where students can check out displays from moon rocks to fossilized dinosaur tracks for free. Mines alumni garner some of the highest-paid starting salaries in the country, and have gone on to excel as engineers, scientists, and entrepreneurs. Notable alumni include Andrew Swiger, senior vice president of Exxon Mobil Corporation, and Mari Angeles Major-Sosias, vice president of AREVA’s International Network.

#93 Florida State University

Florida State University is a public institution that was founded in 1851. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 32,171, its setting is urban, and the campus size is 448 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. Florida State University's ranking in the 2014 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, 91. Its in-state tuition and fees are $6,537 (2013-14); out-of-state tuition and fees are $21,703 (2013-14).

Florida State University is a sprawling public school in Tallahassee, the state’s capital. Freshmen are not required to live on campus, and typically, there is not room for every student, so it’s important to apply early if you’d like to live in university housing. There are more than 550 student organizations to check out, as well as adventure trips for kayaking, backpacking, whitewater rafting, and more coordinated through the school’s Outdoor Pursuits program. The Florida State Seminoles sports teams compete in the NCAA Division I Atlantic Coast Conference and are traditionally dominant contenders in baseball and football.

For students interested in studying abroad, Florida State has centers in Florence; London; Panama City, Panama; and Valencia, Spain, and offers students other study abroad programs as well. Florida State has a wide variety of graduate schools, including a College of Business, a College of Law, and a College of Medicine. The university also has a joint College of Engineering with Florida A&M University. Among the notable graduates of Florida State University are fitness expert Richard Simmons and Spanx apparel line founder Sara Blakely.

#94 University of Denver

University of Denver is a private institution that was founded in 1864. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 5,394, its setting is urban, and the campus size is 125 acres. It utilizes a quarter-based academic calendar. University of Denver's ranking in the 2014 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, 91. Its tuition and fees are $40,707 (2013-14).

Whether a student is looking for outdoor recreation, a bustling urban lifestyle, or a hometown team to support in every major professional sports league, he or she will likely find it at the University of Denver. Known as DU, the school is settled at the base of the Rocky Mountains in the state’s capital city. Students who want to explore Denver’s surrounding areas can join in on group trips through the school’s Alpine Club, which organizes more than 20 outdoor excursions a year. There are more than 100 other student clubs and organizations to check out, too, including about 15 fraternities and sororities. Freshmen and sophomores must live on campus unless they are older than 21. Student athletes compete on the Denver Pioneers sports teams, members of the NCAA Division I Sun Belt Conference. The school’s ski team has won more national championships than any other program in the country, and the hockey team is notoriously competitive in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association. On the professional level, Denver has a team in each of the four major sports leagues: the Denver Broncos in the NFL, the Colorado Avalanche in the NHL, the Denver Nuggets in the NBA, and the Colorado Rockies in the MLB. For creative entertainment, students can check out musical, theatrical, and innovative performances in the on-campus Newman Center. Many of the shows are free. The university campus also hosts the Pen and Podium series, which brings in several famous authors and poets to speak each year. To explore downtown Denver, students can hop on the city’s LightRail system, a network of monorail trains that stops on campus and goes to more than 30 other locations. The city is known for its revitalized urban areas, including Lower Downtown, or LoDo, a hub of shopping, dining, and nightlife that is 8 miles from campus.

Female students can opt to enroll in the school’s Women’s College, which offers single sex classes and organizations. Female students in the Women’s College will graduate with a DU degree. DU is also home to the Sturm College of Law, which ranks in the first tier of law schools. Notable alumni include former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice; comedian David Adkins (known as Sinbad); and Coors Brewing Company CEO Peter Coors.

#95 University of Massachusetts--Amherst

University of Massachusetts--Amherst is a public institution that was founded in 1863. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 21,928, its setting is suburban, and the campus size is 1,463 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. University of Massachusetts--Amherst's ranking in the 2014 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, 91. Its in-state tuition and fees are $13,258 (2013-14); out-of-state tuition and fees are $27,974 (2013-14).

The University of Massachusetts—Amherst is the central location for the state school system. The university is large, but through the Five College Interchange, students can take courses at smaller liberal arts colleges nearby: Smith College, Mount Holyoke College, Amherst College, and Hampshire College. Students have close to 90 majors to choose from, including an option to design a major, known as BDIC: the Bachelor’s Degree with Individual Concentration. Adult students can complete a degree through a combination of online and on-campus coursework via the UMass Amherst University Without Walls (UWW).

All freshmen must live on campus, and family housing, including one- and two-bedroom apartments, is also available to students who are married or who have legal custody of a dependent child. There are more than 200 student organizations to check out, as well as outdoor activities in and around the college’s town, Amherst. For road trips from campus, Boston is 90 miles away, while New York City is a 175-mile drive. Notable alumni of the University of Massachusetts—Amherst include Jack Welch, former CEO of General Electric; Jeff Talyor, founder of Monster.com; and Jeff Corwin, an Animal Planet personality.

#96 University of San Diego

University of San Diego is a private institution that was founded in 1949. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 5,457, its setting is urban, and the campus size is 180 acres. It utilizes a 4-1-4-based academic calendar. University of San Diego's ranking in the 2014 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, 91. Its tuition and fees are $41,392 (2013-14).

The University of San Diego is a Roman Catholic institution open to students of all faiths. As its name suggests, the school overlooks the San Diego Bay, and the city of San Diego is a 15-minute trip away. On campus, there are more than 100 student organizations, including about 10 fraternities and sororities. Most of the San Diego Torero sports teams are members of the NCAA Division I West Coast Conference; the football team competes in the NCAA Division I-AA Pioneer League. Athletic teams are cheered on by the school’s mascot, a costumed bullfighter named Diego Torero. As a Roman Catholic institution, the University Ministry coordinates retreats and immersion trips and hosts daily mass services, including a special Mass for Peace on Wednesday nights. After class, students can relax at nearby beaches, like La Jolla and Pacific Beach, or explore Balboa Park, the biggest urban cultural park in the country that includes  15 museums, the San Diego Zoo, and the Old Globe Theatre. Opportunities to kayak, sail, wind surf, and more are nearby. Students can join group excursions, led by the school’s Experiential Learning and Adventure Center, or rent kayaks, surfboards, and snorkel equipment on campus for trips on their own. Freshmen must live on campus, and for students around on the weekends, the school hosts a Friday Night Movies series and Saturday Night Live Concert series.

The University of San Diego has a variety of graduate programs, including a Tier 1 School of Law and an accredited paralegal program. Some academic programs are specific to the school’s religious foundation, like the Center for Christian Spirituality and the Oscar Romero Center for Faith in Action. Notable alumni include Lowell McAdam, president and CEO of Verizon Wireless; Theo Epstein, general manager of the Boston Red Sox; and Andrew Firestone, a former contestant on  ABC’s The Bachelor.

#97 Binghamton University

Binghamton University--SUNY is a public institution that was founded in 1946. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 12,356, its setting is suburban, and the campus size is 930 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. Binghamton University--SUNY's ranking in the 2014 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, 97. Its in-state tuition and fees are $8,144 (2013-14); out-of-state tuition and fees are $18,464 (2013-14).

Outdoor recreation abounds in the southeastern New York location of Binghamton University. Despite its name, the university is actually located in Vestal, N.Y., a suburb of Binghamton. The campus encompasses 887 acres of land including a nature preserve, complete with a forest and pond where students can hike, bike, and run around. Through the Adventure Resource Center and the Outdoor Pursuits program, students can participate in organized kayaking, climbing and camping trips, or can plan an excursion of their own. Winter sports fans can go skiing and snowboarding at Greek Peak, a 30-mile trip from campus. On campus, annual student events include University Fest and Spring Fling, two outdoor celebrations with live music, carnival rides, and food. There are more than 250 student organizations, including 55 recognized fraternities and sororities. Freshmen must live on campus, and, because of space restrictions, no graduate students are permitted to do so. One perk of living in the school’s residence facilities: free laundry. The Binghamton Bearcats compete in the NCAA Division I America East Conference, and student fans form the BU Zoo cheering section during basketball games. The school mascot is a bearcat named Baxter. On average, more than nine in 10 students remain at SUNY Binghamton after freshman year, one of the highest first-year retention rates in the country.

Binghamton University is ranked as one of the top schools in the state of New York. Highly ranked graduate programs include the Department of History, Department of Public Administration, and Department of Psychology. In addition, the university is renowned for its sustainability efforts. Notable alumni include Madeleine Smithberg, the co-creator and executive producer of The Daily Show, Andrew Bergman, the screenwriter who penned Blazing Saddles, and Tony Kornheiser, an ESPN commentator.

#98 Drexel University

Drexel University is a private institution that was founded in 1891. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 11,901, its setting is urban, and the campus size is 96 acres. It utilizes a quarter-based academic calendar. Drexel University's ranking in the 2014 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, 97. Its tuition and fees are $37,505 (2013-14).

Students at Drexel University get a unique mix of in-class education and extensive on-the-job experience before graduation. Drexel operates a cooperative education program, sending students to more than 1,200 employers worldwide for six months at a time. Before graduation, students can complete as many as three co-ops, many of which are paid. (The average paycheck a Drexel student will take home after six months is more than $14,500.) To accommodate the co-ops, the university schedule is split into quarters. A co-op is completed over two quarters, and student who complete 3 co-ops will graduate in five years. Graduating in four years is possible if students opt for a single co-op experience and take classes during the summer. Most majors require students to complete at least one co-op. The experience pays off after graduation, as about a third of Drexel graduates are offered jobs by their co-op employers. When students aren’t working, there is plenty to do on the school’s main campus in Philadelphia’s University City. They have more than 160 student clubs and organizations to get involved in, including more than 25 fraternities and sororities. The Drexel Dragons compete in the NCAA Division I Colonial Athletic Conference. The neighborhood is extremely student centric, also home to the University of Pennsylvania and the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia. The city’s central hub of public transportation, 30th Street Station, is two blocks from campus, and Center City Philadelphia is a 10 minute walk away. Housing is guaranteed freshman year, and first-year students who do not live with their parents must live on campus. In total, close to 80 percent of Drexel students commute to school. Drexel refers to itself as Philadelphia’s most technological school, and it was the first campus in the nation to be entirely wireless.

Drexel offers well-regarded programs through the College of Engineering, and has a medical school and a law school, too. The Drexel University College of Medicine is the country’s largest private medical school, and the Earle Mack School of Law is a unique extension of the university’s mission, offering co-ops opportunities to law students and special curriculums in entrepreneurship, business, and health law. Notable alumni of Drexel University include Earle I. Mack, a former ambassador to Finland and namesake of Drexel’s law school, and William T. Schleyer, former chairman and CEO of Adelphia Communications.

#99 University of Missouri

University of Missouri is a public institution that was founded in 1839. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 26,996, its setting is urban, and the campus size is 1,262 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. University of Missouri's ranking in the 2014 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, 97. Its in-state tuition and fees are $9,415 (2013-14); out-of-state tuition and fees are $23,764 (2013-14).

Students at the University of Missouri live in a unique botanical garden, with more than 40,000 plants across campus. More than a third of high school seniors from Missouri attend Mizzou each year, and all freshmen must live on campus. As the only Division I-A sports school in the state, the Missouri Tigers teams are a big focus of campus life. The teams compete in the NCAA Division I Big 12 Conference and are particularly competitive in football. The school mascot, Truman the Tiger, is named after former President Harry Truman, who was born in Missouri. Mizzou has more than 600 clubs and organizations for students. More than 20 percent of students join the school’s Greek system, which comprises 50-plus fraternities and sororities. Students also have a vast array of degree options, with more than 280 majors, nearly 50 of which can be completed online. The university’s hometown of Columbia is in central Missouri and is host to annual events like the Roots ’n Blues ’n BBQ music festival and Art in the Park, a large creative works showcase. To travel around campus and the town on the weekends, students have free access to STRIPES, a transportation service that delivers riders to their destinations from 10 p.m. to  3 a.m. Thursday through Sunday.

The University of Missouri has highly ranked graduate programs at the College of Education and Robert J. Trulaske, Sr. College of Business, as well as a School of Medicine and a Tier 1 School of Law. This public research university offers opportunities for students to team up on faculty-led projects as early as their freshman year. Among the scores of notable Mizzou alumni are actors Jon Hamm and Brad Pitt, singer Sheryl Crow, and playwright Tennessee Williams, who won the Pulitzer Prize for A Street Car Named Desire.

#100 University of New Hampshire

University of New Hampshire is a public institution that was founded in 1866. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 12,811, its setting is rural, and the campus size is 2,600 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. University of New Hampshire's ranking in the 2014 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, 97. Its in-state tuition and fees are $16,496 (2013-14); out-of-state tuition and fees are $29,216 (2013-14).

The University of New Hampshire (UNH) is a public institution located in the city of Durham, near the coastline of the state. Students at UNH can choose from more than 100 majors, including graduate studies in the Whittemore School of Business and Economics, the College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, and in the fields of education and law. Even before freshmen undergraduates show up for their first classes, they get a chance to meet their classmates and have some fun through the Pre-Orientation Adventure for Wildcats (PAWs) program. This opportunity allows first year students to camp outdoors and learn from upperclassmen leaders.

Once on campus, students can explore more than 100 clubs, join an intramural sports team, or eat with friends at one of the dining halls, which often serve locally produced foods. The many UNH Wildcats varsity athletic teams compete in the NCAA Division I within various conferences. Notable UNH alumni include John Irving, who wrote the bestselling novel The World According to Garp and won an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay of his book, The Cider House Rules.