Thanks for the explanation about how these schools got started and how that influenced location. Makes sense to me.
-OP

Op - they need a lot of land.

If it's a large university, such as a state's flagship, you don't want it all spread out across a city. That's no university feel. Out beyond the city is better.

Texas

^ pp above. Sorry I forgot Rutgers and Penn State.

Anonymous wrote:Here is a handy link the the state flagships: https://oglethorpe.edu/flagship50/flagship-institutions-and-tuition-by-state/

Awesome thanks!
So with the exception of LSU and Ohio State, it's all "U of X" or "X Univeristy" (ex. "West Virginia University")--no "X Tech"

"OP is right most that most states haven't chosen to locate their flagships universities in the top 10 largest cities in the country because, well, those cities aren't in their states. But most flagship universities are located in vibrant economic and cultural areas within their own borders, so the poor kid she is concerned about will be fine."


We're talking about kids who have grown up in the DMV, since this is the DC parent board.

What kid who grew up here would think that Albuquerque is a major city on par with the place they grew up? Columbus? Kids who grew up in the DMV are going to find places like Albany or State College, PA to be "smaller" and less cosmopolitan than here.

Here is a handy link the the state flagships: https://oglethorpe.edu/flagship50/flagship-institutions-and-tuition-by-state/

Anonymous wrote:Why are people arguing about the definition of flagship? It is literally defined and identified by the state system.

Care to provides cites to support this for all 50 states?

Why are people arguing about the definition of flagship? It is literally defined and identified by the state system.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Reading the responses, I think not everyone is using the same definition for "Flagship."

Is a flagship always "University of X state?" Or is "X State University" ever the "flagship?" What about "Tech" (such as Georgia Tech?)

Not always. The Ohio State University is the flagship in Ohio and the University of Ohio is a private college. Same in PA with UPenn and Penn State. I think a "Flagship" can be a state school that is intended to be the premier school in a state and that, in rare cases, there can be two. Indiana University and Purdue University each function as a flagship in Indiana due to the division of subject areas, although if you had to choose between the two, IU would be the flagship. UCLA and Cal Berkeley could be similar, although I am less familiar there.

Some are in big cities and some are in cities that became big (OSU in Columbus and UT in Austin are the best examples of that, probably).

UCLA used to be known as the southern branch/campus when there were only 2 UC schools. In fact, they have the same fight song just with different lyrics. Berkeley was the top school/flagship for the longest time and still is with most graduate programs. That being said, UCLA is harder to get into now and higher ranked at the undergraduate level so both could be considered flagship schools for undergraduate purposes. It is like little brother catching up or passing big brother which seems to brother a lot of Berkeley students and alumni.

U of New Mexico is in Albuquerque.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Reading the responses, I think not everyone is using the same definition for "Flagship."

Is a flagship always "University of X state?" Or is "X State University" ever the "flagship?" What about "Tech" (such as Georgia Tech?)

Not always. The Ohio State University is the flagship in Ohio and the University of Ohio is a private college. Same in PA with UPenn and Penn State. I think a "Flagship" can be a state school that is intended to be the premier school in a state and that, in rare cases, there can be two. Indiana University and Purdue University each function as a flagship in Indiana due to the division of subject areas, although if you had to choose between the two, IU would be the flagship. UCLA and Cal Berkeley could be similar, although I am less familiar there.

Some are in big cities and some are in cities that became big (OSU in Columbus and UT in Austin are the best examples of that, probably).

Boy, lots of people wrong on lots of facts in this thread.

Ohio University in Athens, Ohio is NOT private.

That's what happens when a Hoosier tries to talk about schools in Ohio from memory. Point holds about flagships with "State" in the name, I guess.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pitt
South Carolina
Texas

Pitt is not the flagship. What about Penn State??

Lower ranked and less prestigious than pitt

Not the definition of flagship.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Pitt
South Carolina
Texas

Pitt is not the flagship. What about Penn State??

Lower ranked and less prestigious than pitt

As someone pointed out, these are land grant schools typically -- and to have enough land granted, the school needs more space.

That being said, of the big 10 schools that would be called flagships (i.e not Northwestern, Purdue...), Minnesota is certainly in a major city. Maryland is in a big city, more or less. Rutgers is in central NJ which is basically one big suburban expanse.

Two of the rest are in big cities, but not "big CITIES" if your definition of city is NY/Chicago/Miami/LA. Lincoln (Nebraska), Columbus (OSU). Michigan, IU, and Iowa are in mid-sized college towns (Ann Arbor is close to Detroit so deserves an asterisk). And then you have poor UIUC and Penn State, both of which are in the middle of nowhere. Really, I'd say UIUC/PSU and Iowa are the only truly rural or rural-adjacent campuses.

As a faculty spouse, I will say that Unis in cities have a huge advantage in attracting faculty because of the very common two body problem. No way in a million years would I move to State College PA, but sure, I'd move to Columbus.