Ohio State University

1. Ohio State University (52,568 students)
2. University of Florida (51,913 students)
3. Arizona State University (51,481 students)
4. University of Minnesota-Twin Cities (50,880 students)
5. University of Texas at Austin (50,201 students)

Ohio State University is ranked the largest university with its combined enrollment of 52,568 at the Columbus campus. Enrollment numbers include all undergraduate, graduate and professional students. Ohio State reached record highs in student retention (92.4%) and increases in transfer students, which contribute to the population of the biggest campus in the nation.

It can be easy to feel lost in a college of this size.

Your best bet is to take an equal share of large classes and small classes. Those lectures with over 200+ students and those intimate smaller classroom setting sessions, each have their own benefit. While a more of a one-on-one teacher time may be beneficial to the student, so can collaboration with the minds of many intelligent students in a large lecture hall.

In large classes, take advantage of TA's (teacher assistants) who have a direct connection with the professor and can help you with any problem(s) you are facing or any upcoming tests.

Sometimes you can lose a sense of belonging on such a large campus. Your best bet here is to join a frat, sorority, club or intramural squad. Some type of a sense of belonging, or being a part of a group can give you enough of a boost of confidence to go on and become a leader at your school. Leaders are want recruiters want coming out of college. It's a good way to lead to getting a job after college.

The question is though, will Colleges limit enrollment in the future? Will admission standards get stricter?

A college campus does have its limits and most are at their full capacity. A prime aspect that is looked at in colleges is the student-teacher ratio, especially when it comes to College rankings. While campuses may have their limits building and expansion wise, and with enrollment numbers increasing, will the idea of keeping a low student-teacher ratio be diminished? Will lecture halls, even for top level classes, be fit to hold hundreds of students? Colleges may lose their appeal and intimate setting, or may be forced to offer more online courses.

Some colleges are a little stricter on admissions. Take UCLA for example, which is located in the already overcrowded city of Los Angeles. They are the most popular college based on the number of applications they receive each year, but never made this list of biggest colleges. While they are near the top, it's clear they may not be able to handle a campus of this size if their admission policies were more forgiving.

A big worry among prospective students is whether or not they will be able to afford college.

Luckily a student loan is one of the easiest loans to get. All you usually need is a cosigner, and you can be approved for a decent size student loan to use on your college expenses.

If fact, even if you have money already saved up for college, you are better off getting a student loan anyway, as student loans are interest free until after you graduate and they are considered "good debt". You could take that money you already have saved up and invest it, put it in a savings account, or some other form such as a down payment on a house near the college you attend. Buying a house near campus not only puts rent money back in your pocket, but it's a good investment, as housing near the college will always be on demand.

The nice thing about student loans is that you don't have to start paying them back until you finish school. Any student loan you get will usually be an interest free loan for about 4 years, as long as you remain an active student.

Of course, you should always try to get grants and scholarships first, as those don't have to be paid back. Check out College Scholarships and see what you can qualify for. It can't hurt.

The government offers Subsidized and Unsubsidized Student Loans which can be obtained by filling out the FAFSA. Subsidized loans are for those applicants who demonstrate financial need. Also, the interest on the loan is paid by the government while you're enrolled.

The minimal requirements for a federal student loan are:

• Show financial need.


• Be studying for an eligible degree or program.


• Maintain satisfactory academic progress.


• Not be in default on a federal student loan.


• Register for the Selective Service (if you are a male and between the ages of 18 and 25).


• Not be convicted of a crime.

If you are not eligible for a federal loan, you can always find a private student loan. Probably the biggest overlooked form of student loan is the private student loan. Most students will just fill out the FAFSA and call it good, but many private lenders can offer just as good of financing for college. Private Loans such as these can still qualify for student loan consolidation. However, private student loans do require a co-signer and/or a credit report.

Your last resort for a student loan will probably be your bank, who may not be as lenient on rules and usually charges a higher interest rate.

Here are some steps to take when looking for student loans:

• You usually need a good co-signer, so keep one in mind.


• Talk with your school's financial aid counselor.


• Fill out the FAFSA and get it in on time. Check FAFSA deadlines.


• Check with your bank.


• Check local credit unions.


• Ask relatives, maybe they can help fund your education.


• Check out Student lenders online
  

Apply for a Student Loan here

A top 10 list can easily sway a student’s decision in what college they choose to attend. But, what if these college rankings are wrong? There is not a set standard or universal guidelines in ranking colleges. Everybody or every organization that does college rankings has their own set of guidelines and methodology.

Some say college rankings are just used an excuse to sell more magazine or newspaper subscriptions. A few publications are getting around the scrutiny of these debatable rankings by offering a personalized "College Search". For example, The College Board website lets you enter your information into different college categories, and suggests colleges that would be a good fit for you as a student.

There has been considerable debate over the methods used to create these rankings. In fact, many universities are considering opting out of yearly surveys and rankings sent out by the Princeton Review and US News & World Report, and many private liberal arts schools already have!

Other examples of colleges opting out, is the schools who want to lose their label of being ranked as a top party school, which may look bad from an academic standpoint.

It seems if a student does attend a top ranked college or elite Ivy League School, they are nearly guaranteed success. For example, studies have shown that if you attend a Top 10 business school, you will receive a higher salary than most others. These companies want you just because you attended and graduated from one of the best Business Schools in the nation, even though a student who attended a school not in the top 10 may have actually received a better education and may be better equipped for the job.

Here are some of the most popular College Rankings:

• US News & World Report

  Probably the most famous ranking as it has been going on since 1983. It's important to note here that no public universities rank in the nation’s top twenty on this list.

• Princeton Review

  The Princeton Review has a wide variety of college rankings, including Best Colleges, Jock Schools, Party Schools and Happiest Students, just to name a few. Their rankings are based on survey feedback from more than 120,000 students across the nation. Their wide range of College rankings can be found in their book: The Best 366 Colleges.

• Kaplan/Newsweek

  Yearly publishes their list of the "Hottest Colleges". They interview admissions officials, educational consultants, students, parents, College and University leaders and high-school counselors to create their list. They rank the number one hottest College in categories such as: The Hottest Ivy, Hottest Catholic School, Hottest Music School and Hottest for Business.

• Washington Monthly

  The Washington Monthly rankings are based on the contribution each University actually makes to the country, specifically research, service, and social mobility. The research criterion is based on the amount of money the school receives from the federal government in research grants and the number of PhDs awarded. The service criterion ranks the school by students that go on to serve in the Peace Corps or ROTC, and the percent of federal work-study funds that goes to community service. Social mobility factors include how well schools graduate poorer students and if the school does a good job recruiting. It ranked this year’s #1 school as Texas A&M as opposed to Texas A&M being ranked 62nd in the U.S. News & World Report rankings.

• Forbes

  Forbes takes a look at the Best Business Schools every two years. The ranking is based on student surveys on return on investment. The ROI of a Business MBA is calculated at five years salary after graduation minus tuition and the forgone salary during school. The overall ranking measures your return on investment in dollars and cents.

• Wall Street Journal

  The WSJ's Top Business Schools list is based on rankings of corporate recruiters' favorite M.B.A. programs.

• Business Week

  Every two years Business Week comes up with its ranking of the best business schools. The rankings look at faculty, career services (help students get jobs) and overall customer satisfaction (both student and those that hire them).

• Kiplinger

  Kiplinger ranks their colleges based on academic quality, cost and financial aid. Of course tuition varies from in-state to out-of-state, so they made rankings for both scenarios.

• CampusGrotto

  Here are some of our rankings for best colleges, best law schools, best business schools and the most expensive colleges.

  
  

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A crazy Halloween can turn any college into a top party school. Probably one of the best and biggest Halloween parties out there, happens at UC Santa Barbara, where people fill the streets of this college town located on the beach. Other Colleges known for having insane Halloween parties include: Ohio University and East Carolina University.

The one requirement of a Halloween party is that you must dress up. Now many of you may have been planning your costume for months, which is good knowing you'll be prepared for one of the biggest events of the year. Some of you though, either have been slacking off or are waiting for the last second to throw your costumes together.

Perhaps some of these Halloween Costume Ideas can get your creativity flowing, so you can think of your own original idea. Most of these costumes can be thrown together pretty quickly and will fit any budget.

• Average Joe

  Simple. Wear an "Average Joe's" T-Shirt. Pretty easy costume and fairly cheap, especially if you went the route I did and make your own (A process that involves a plain yellow shirt, red spray paint and making an "Average Joe's" template). As an added bonus, you can carry around your own dodge ball and throw it at party goers who annoy/piss you off.

  

• Pimp

  Halloween classic that is easy to throw together. Also good for those "Pimps n Hoes" parties.

• Beer Man

  Guaranteed life of the party. Everybody loves the man with all the beer, especially at festivities such as this.

  

• Hugh Hefner

  Props include a Corn Cob pipe, robe and a newspaper under your arm. Wearing a robe can make your night very comfortable, plus all those girls dressed as Playboy Bunnies will flock to you all night long.

  

• Bum

  You are going to being drinking anyway, so why not put a 40oz in a paper bag and call it good?

  

• Toga

  Frat classic made popular by John Belushi.

  

• Bible Salesman

  

Of course, the best costumes are those that are unique, these are just ideas. You should really try coming up with your own idea. I don't want to see a bunch of Average Joe's walking around on Halloween ;)

To see a more up to date list, please visit: Most Expensive Colleges for 2008-2009.

George Washington is the most expensive college

Tuition rates have been rising an average of 6% a year. This rate has been out pacing inflation at a much faster rate for decades.

Higher tuition puts more pressure on parents trying to finance their son or daughter's education, as well as with students, who are forced to pull out larger student loans. While student loans are considered "good debt" because of it's investment, the price of college is still too high for most students.

Most people want to receive a high quality education, and many will pay what ever it takes to get the best. However, Just because a college is the most expensive, doesn't necessarily make it one of the best colleges. In fact, some argue that some of the schools on this list of expensive colleges are just using their high cost as a marketing ploy, thinking there are people out there who want the best and believe they have to pay up to get that.

Some of these tuition fees are pretty outstanding, considering the median tuition at a four-year school is about $7,490.

The most expensive colleges are just about all in the northeast corner of the United States, being Ivy League type schools or fine liberal art schools in the New York area that boast low student-teacher ratios. Of course, most of these expensive colleges are private, as tuition is usually twice as much at a private school.

These rankings are based on 2007-2008 tuition rates.

Remember though, not all students are paying this much, as many of these schools have excellent financial aid programs.

Highest Tuition:

Brown University

Of course this list does not take into context room and board. Where your college is located can be a huge price difference. Bigger, more populous cities demand higher rent and expenses.

So, taking that into context, here are the most expensive colleges based on Tuition and Room and Board combined for one school year.

Highest Total Cost:

Data based on tuition data published on specific College websites as of September 10, 2007.

This list covers traditional 4-year Colleges, therefore may not include some schools, such as Bard College at Simon's Rock since it is geared toward students who have completed the 10th or 11th grade, but have not received a high school diploma. A majority of students at Simon's Rock transfer to larger institutions after receiving an associate's degree after two years.

Other non-traditional schools include Landmark College which provides a liberal arts education to kids with learning disabilities and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Tuition at Landmark College is now listed at over $40,000.

Four little (well big actually) words that are going to get The Collegian, Colorado State University's student newspaper in a lot of trouble.