College towns bring together academic minds, alumni, students and sports enthusiasts, especially in the fall when football fans flock to reconnect with the nostalgia of happy college years. The reasons they come – pageantry, culture, tradition and idyllic settings – are also the reason many want to stay and become homeowners in their college town. According to the third annual Coldwell Banker® College Home Price Comparison Index (HPCI), while Ohio State may be leading the nation in the football polls, it is the Ball State Cardinals and Stanford Cardinal and their athletic conferences that hold the distinction of being located in the nation’s most affordable and expensive college towns, respectively.
The link above has all the details. Pointer via The Quad, which had this convenient summary. Price is for “a 2,220-foot, 4 bedroom 2 ½ bath home with a family room and two car garage.”
10 MOST EXPENSIVE
1. Stanford University, Palo Alto, Calif. $1,677,000
2. Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Mass., $1,381,250
3. University of Southern California, Los Angeles, Calif., $1,306,333
3. U.C.L.A., Los Angeles, Calif., $1,306,333
5. University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, Calif., $1,287,500
6. San Jose State University, San Jose, Calif., $1,145,000
7. University of Hawaii, Honolulu, Hawaii, $843,750
8. Northwestern University, Evanston, Ill., $708,000
9. Florida International University, Miami, Fla., $638,333
9. University of Miami, Miami, Fla. $638,33310 LEAST EXPENSIVE
1. Ball State University, Muncie, Ind. $150,000
2. Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, Texas, $151,250
3. University of Tulsa, Tulsa, Okla., $153,750
4. Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Okla., $162,000
5. Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, $163,250
6. University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio, $163, 278
7. University of Louisiana Monroe, Monroe, La., $164,499
8. University of Houston, Houston, Texas, $169,736
8. Rice University, Houston, Texas, $169,736
10. Utah State University, Logan, Utah $172,978
The University of New Mexico is tagged at $317,319. My alma mater, The University of Arizona, at $286,667.