University of Minnesota Duluth — Local services in Duluth

Good value for the money, great school for a diverse variety of outdoor activities. Beautiful running/hiking trails walking distance from school (used to walk to school through Chester Creek), kayaking, skiing (Spirit Mt about 15 minutes away, can ski between class if you want and you have the hill/park to yourself), not to mention some of the best swimming holes you've ever been to (during a short season). With the city being built on a large hill, you can get really good at longboarding too. Great views, but if you've been to Duluth you already know all this.

Considerations: -When it comes to late night food delivery, there are few options. When it comes to late night dining near campus, there are almost 0. -If your college experience must consist of tailgating and getting hammered for a big football game, don't go to UMD. You can do that for the hockey games (minus tailgating, there's free buses that go from campus to the arena though), and you have all day to be productive beforehand. -If you're not ready to move away from home/friends and meet new people, don't go to UMD.... -It can get cold..

It's a small school, you're not going to run into a lot of alums everywhere you go later in life, but you can leave with a degree and ample experience in outdoor activities.

Same thing I'll say to anybody considering going to college--if you have a plan, go for it. If you don't know what you're trying to become in life, then maybe you're not ready for school. At least if you go to UMD, assuming you're an in-state resident, you're not going to be as broke if you don't make it all the way through. Duluth is a relatively cheap...

UMD is a great school, it just doesn't deserve five stars. The business school, LSBE, deserves five stars. UMD wide, some of their professors are needlessly political which can lessen their credibility as objective educators. The liberal arts school is comical is some of their class offerings, however there are decent programs within the liberal arts school that should not be overlooked, such as anything related to world languages. The hockey team is great. The weight room is great, would be a lot better if you are on a sports team and have access to their better facility. It you want a commuter campus, this is the college for you. The food on campus is subpar but some days it can be pretty good. Only department I heard a lot of complaints about was the physics department (at the time of writing they may have improved but be wary). Would be four stars if it was a wet campus. Would be five stars if the University system cared about this campus but they give the impression of only caring about the Twin...

The staff and environment is usually pretty good. However, there is a strong politically biased undertone with most professors and the general population. Also, the parking is absolutely disgraceful. Don't pay for the $300 parking permit.... you will never find a spot and when your inevitably late for class, your professor will tell you to come earlier. Even though you drove through 5 lots for 20 minutes. Absolute money grab.

Update: Recent discovery that even if you purchased their joke of a parking permit, if somehow the sticker falls off your windshield you will still get a ticket and be expected to pay it even with proof of a permit. Pathetic. Bumped down to one...