When comparing multiple colleges, it is often schools considered while their surroundings are overlooked despite that the area around a campus plays a very large role in student life. Shortly after returning to USC from a trip to New York City, I found an interesting survey from Travel & Leisure Magazine, “America’s Favorite Cities,” which ranks 35 major cities across the country in 10 categories based on feedback from residents and visitors. The survey allows you to compare two different cities in a “Face-Off.” Predictably, between New York City and Los Angeles, NYC was declared the winner, at least in regards to visiting or living there. But what about attending school in these cities? I have created a rematch based on survey findings in Travel & Leisure Magazine comparing the 2 cities in categories relevant to college students— Face-Off: The College Edition. 

1. Culture This includes museums, art galleries, theatre, and historical monuments, places that can be used for further research for a class assignment or just as somewhere to go for fun. In the survey LA was ranked 29th out of 35. New York came in 1st. With such a large gap between the two, this is a big victory for New York, especially for anyone with an interest in art or theater. They would have many more opportunities to experience it in New York and might miss out in LA. This could also mean more hands on experience for anyone hoping to work in related venues: galleries, theaters, museums and can influence a student’s experience. 

2. Food/Dining Obviously food is important to college students. Once the dining halls get old we are eager to look past the campus for new places to go. New York was ranked #1 for big-name restaurants and ethnic food, as well as in the top 5 for neighborhood cafés. However, big-name places may be a disadvantage, since many college students tend to have a tight budget and probably can’t afford to eat in them too often. However ethnic food and neighborhood cafes are great to have near a school. Ethnic eateries provide variety and exposure to new things, while cafes are great places to relax after a stressful day or catch up on homework. But from my experience, I think LA has a lot of ethnic options, especially when you consider places like Little Tokyo and Thai Town, among others, which provide tons of different restaurants for cultural cuisine. That makes the only relevant victory for NYC having more neighborhood cafes and the only victory listed for LA being the farmer’s markets, which, though convenient, may not be a priority for many students. 

3. Nightlife Here was another victory for New York as it was ranked in the top 5 for all subcategories: cocktails, bar scene, and live music while LA fell in the middle range. A notable detail of this category though, is that considering most bars require ID, both cocktails and the bar scene only really apply to some upperclassmen and really aren’t very important factors. There are bars in every city and college students don’t tend to be the pickiest people when it comes to that. The live music aspect is worth considering though, because people who enjoy going to concerts would want to have that option and not have to miss seeing their favorite artists. LA does have a pretty large music scene as well as iconic venues, such as those on the Sunset Strip and shouldn’t be discredited. This really depends on individual preference though, what type of music and venue someone prefers, as each city has its unique strengths and weaknesses. 

4. People Though students probably spend much more time with each other than actual residents of each city, this shows exactly who students should expect to be around not only when they leave campus. It includes potential co-workers and employers. It is also notable that NYC and LA had some very close rankings, especially the fact that they were the ranked the bottom 2 of all 35 cities in friendliness. There were other larger gaps, such as NYC being ranked #1 in the diversity of residents and LA being behind as #14. However, LA took a strong lead in the ranking of athleticism and activity, therefore promoting a healthier lifestyle. While a student could consider these things, both cities are so large and there is a broad range of people in each, with no definite “type” for either. 

5. Quality of Life This is probably one of the most important topics regarding college in these cities. Both NYC and LA were ranked in the bottom 5 for environmental friendliness, cleanliness, and peace and quiet. That just shows, both cities are truly big, urban metropolises and this should be expected. Something that may be crucial to students is public transportation, since many schools don’t allow cars on campus up until a certain year and when they do its often expensive, making it a financial drain for many students. Here NYC was ranked 13th, while LA came in completely last at 35th. This should be taken into consideration, as even though both cities attract students with their internship and career opportunities, you have to be able to get to them. Without a car, LA could make that very difficult while you can get almost anywhere on the NYC subway if not by foot. Something that is also important, though to a lesser extent, is weather. For this LA placed much better at #8, which isn’t surprising considering its usually sunny and warm, while New York, at #28, can have some extremes. These are the areas that can really make or break a city for some and have huge effects. 

Overall, even though the survey consistently gave NYC better rankings, and it does offer some advantages that LA does not, many of the categories really depend on the individual. Some people love seasons, and need to get places quickly, while others may crave the beach and prefer driving. Both cities offer great things for students, especially with their size and variety, but if you want to be sure you’re in the right place, “America’s Favorite Cities” really shows the different strengths of places throughout the country, so have a Face-Off before you decide where you belong.

See the full survey results for all 35 cities here

Reach reporter Samantha Rullo here & sign up for our weekly newsletter here