The 10 Best Colleges for Serious Skiers
The Blizzard of 2016 has left millions sick of snow. Others can't get enough of the white stuff. Many snowboarding and skiing teens dream of colleges where they can biff and bomb down black diamonds for four years. Parents, however, may have something else in mind: schools that produce grads whose career prospects aren't all downhill. No problem. This Money Best Colleges list can make both groups happy. All ten top schools are within 60 miles of the slopes. And all rank high on Money's measures of educational quality, affordability, and alumni success. For more help finding a college that's a great fit for you, visit the Money College Planner.
10. Colorado School of Mines
Golden, Colo.
Money rank: 134
Distance to nearest ski area: 27 miles (Echo Mountain)
While this Denver-area school is best known for its top-notch programs in engineering and applied science, it’s not a bad spot for powder hounds. Students have access to two small (by Rocky Mountain standards) resorts within 35 miles. Some of the biggest ski areas in the country, meanwhile, are a two-hour drive from campus.
Average early career earnings: $66,400
Read more about Colorado School of Mines.
9. University of Utah
Salt Lake City
Money rank: 127 (tie)
Distance to nearest ski area: 23 miles (Alta)
You don’t have to skip class to get your share of powder days. Snow in this part of the country is dry, light, and plentiful. There are, count them, seven different ski resorts—including some of the best in the country—within a 40 mile radius of Salt Lake City. Utah Transit Authority “ski buses” run from campus to four of these resorts. While Utah’s ski team is ranked among the best in the country, the student-run Utah Freeskier Society offers discounted passes, social events, and more.
Average early career earnings: $47,400
Read more about the University of Utah.
8. Michigan Technological University
Houghton, Mich.
Money rank: 127 (tie)
Distance to nearest ski area: 6 miles (Mont Ripley)
A ski school in… Michigan? You betcha! With annual snowfall of nearly 250 inches, Houghton is one of the snowiest spots in America. Students ski for free on school-owned slopes at Mont Ripley. Cross-country skiers can hop on Michigan Tech’s 35-kilometer network of groomed trails, including 7.5 kilometers of lighted trails for night skiing.
Average early career earnings: $61,700
Read more about Michigan Technological University
7. University of New Hampshire-Main Campus
Durham. N.H.
Money rank: 116
Distance to nearest ski area: 34 miles (McIntyre)
The most popular club on campus? It’s not chess. It’s not ultimate. It’s the Ski and Board Club, founded in 1999. Students pay annual dues of $60 for transportation to Loon Mountain and Sunday River ski resorts, and other social events (i.e. movie nights with ski flicks). For serious skiers, UNH has a tradition in alpine and Nordic racing.
Average early career earnings: $45,900
Read more about the University of New Hampshire-Main Campus.
6. Middlebury College
Middlebury, Vt.
Money rank: 96
Distance to nearest ski area: 14 miles (Middlebury Snow Bowl)
Home to one of the oldest ski areas in Vermont, Middlebury boasts its own ski area with three chairlifts, snowmaking, and an historic lodge to boot. Middlebury’s three-day Winter Carnival (yes, classes are canceled on a Friday) has been a campus tradition since 1920. It features intercollegiate ski races, snow sculpture competitions, ice skating shows, and the all-important hot chocolate bar.
Average early career earnings: $48,200
Read more about Middlebury College.
5. Colby College
Waterville, Maine
Money rank: 85
Distance to nearest ski area: 18 miles (Eaton Mountain)
This small liberal arts school makes it easy for students to get out and enjoy winter. Under its “Jan-Plan,” students take just one class for the month of January. While some use the time to immerse themselves in a single subject, many students take advantage of the lighter load to hit the trails at nearby Sugarloaf, the largest ski area in the Northeast. Closer to campus, season passes are $125 at Eaton Mountain. Nordic skiers have ski-in, ski-out access to the school's own 8.5-mile network of trails. Not surprisingly, the Outing Club is the biggest student group on campus.
Average early career earnings: $49,200
Read more about Colby College.
4. Bowdoin College
Brunswick, Maine
Money rank: 56 (tie)
Distance to nearest ski area: 57 miles (Shawnee Peak)
Bowdoin is ideally situated for exploring Maine’s many fantastic (and uncrowded) ski areas. For students interested in off-piste adventures, the Bowdoin Outing Club organizes outings and offers instruction on everything from mountaineering to back-country skiing. Better yet, the club lets members check out gear, for free, and tap into classes and tips from its full-time professional staff.
Average early career earnings: $49,200
Read more about Bowdoin College.
3. University of Washington-Seattle Campus
Seattle
Money rank: 56 (tie)
Distance to nearest ski area: 53 miles (Summit at Snoqualmie)
It rarely snows on the UW campus, and its elevation is nil. Yet, this top-ranked school is an ideal base camp for accessing jaw-dropping terrain in the nearby Cascade Mountains. Students who join the school's Husky Winter Sports club can become certified ski or snowboard instructors, and teach at a non-profit school at Snoqualmie Summit. About 90 miles from campus, Crystal Mountain is the state’s largest ski area, with a whopping 2,600 acres of skiable terrain and nearly 400 inches of average annual snowfall.
Average early career earnings: $51,900
Read more about the University of Washington-Seattle Campus.
2. Williams College
Williamstown, Mass.
Money rank: 28
Distance to nearest ski area: 14 miles (Jiminy Peak)
This top-ranked liberal arts college isn’t exactly a destination for ski bums. Yet, with Jiminy Peak Mountain Resort and other Berkshire Mountain spots out its back door, Williams has plenty to offer snow-minded students. More than 750 students belong to the 100-year-old Williams Outing Club, which offers gear, instruction, and comradery to outdoor enthusiasts of all levels. Members can reserve a cabin at a nearby school-owned forest that has a four-mile cross-country trail.
Average early career earnings: $50,900
Read more about Williams College.
1. Dartmouth College
Hanover, N.H.
Money rank: 21
Distance to nearest ski area: 9 miles (Ski Whaleback)
This Ivy League school has own ski hill—the Dartmouth Skiway—and many clubs and traditions focused on snow sports. The school’s own Winter Carnival started in 1911 and includes ice sculpture competitions, ski races, and 99-¢ lift tickets at the Skiway. For a little more vertical and terrain, students can head to a handful of major resorts in the nearby White Mountains, or hop over the state line to Vermont; Killington is just 44 miles from campus.
Average early career earnings: $56,900
Read more about Dartmouth College.