Contributed by Info Guru Oliver VanDervoort

Once you have finished your public schooling and graduated from high school its time to pony up a pretty penny and head off to college.

The biggest questions you will face once you hit this stage is which University to attend. There are a couple of different features you should take into account when you are looking at different locations and comparing one school against another. Some of the aspects of your decision will change depending on what you find important but there is a list of the top 10 reasons to choose a college. Look no further to find those reasons.

10. Distance from home

Depending on your desires, you may want to go to a school that isn’t all that far away from your home. You might also want to get as far away from home as you possibly can if you want to check out a different part of the country or world.

9. Region of the country

This is somewhat related to distance from home but slightly different. Once you have decided how far away you want to go, you can set your sights on the weather and climate of whatever school you are looking at. One of the reasons to choose a college is to pick a place you can be comfortable, this can mean temperature wise as well as mental comfort.

8. Location

Once again this is slightly related to the first two options yet slightly different. This basically means that you need to decide whether or not you want to go to a school that is set in the middle of a city, or one that is in a more rural area. The location of a school can lead to more fun when you are out of class or a less safe environment depending on where the campus is located.

7. Campus Size

Some students might not feel very comfortable at a huge campus that spans multiple parts of the city. Smaller colleges generally have more compact campuses that allow them to get from their dorms to their classes in a matter of minutes. You will have to choose which is more attractive to you.

6. Class Size

Somewhat related to campus size, there is also an argument to be made that the smaller the class size, the better of an education you can receive. For the most part, a smaller class is something that prospective students should be looking out for when evaluating reasons to choose a college.

5. Athletic Programs

If you are involved or interested in athletics then of course you are going to want to go to a school that has a good program. Even if you are not a sports fan, a good athletic program can mean more money for the school, which means better facilities across the board.

4. Facilities

There are several things you can tell about a school by looking at the state of repair their facilities are in. You can also tell a lot about the school by how much time and attention was put into building their facilities in the first place.

3. Friends

You can either choose a place to go to school based on where your friends are going, or you can use this aspect as a place to go where you think it will be easiest to make new friends. This can mean a specific college with a ton of people who all share your interests or one that has great extracurricular activities.

2. Has your Major

One of the top reasons in making a choice is to go to a place that has the programs you are interested in taking. If you are into broadcasting then you should choose a school that has a great broadcast journalism school.

1. Academics

A school with good academics will open many doors. The best academic schools will do more than simply give you a good education, they will also be something you can have on your resume that will impress future employers. On the flipside, you don’t want to get into a situation where the curriculum is too difficult and you are setup to fail.