Binghamton University

Binghamton is the most selective campus in the SUNY system, and the academic demands match that reputation — students here chose rigor over flashier social scenes at other state schools. The downtown bar scene on State Street provides the main nightlife outlet, and Greek life exists but is declining in influence. The campus nature preserve and community-based residential colleges give it a more intimate feel than its enrollment would suggest. Winters in upstate New York are brutal, which pushes social life indoors.

Set within a nature preserve with forests and wetlands, but the campus buildings are predominantly functional mid-century concrete structures that don't match the natural setting's appeal.