Anonymous wrote:A lot of large universities are not in big cities becaues they need space for research.
Some universities actually started out as "satellite" campuses for larger flagship universities that needed more space for research. For example, UC Davis was a satellite campus for UC Berkley for agricutural studies.
Also, it's good for the economies of the small towns to have a major university located in/close by. It means tons of jobs, both professional (like professors, medical staff, etc.) and non professional (bus drivers, custodial, etc.)
Land will be cheaper, so the university can buy more to accommodate growth.
It also means the development of a true "college town" atmosphere that is centered around the university (instead of other things), which is a positive for many students.