Just when you thought winter was over, it wasn’t. For some in the northern and midwestern parts of the U.S., March 21 doesn’t signal spring as much as it does winter’s halfway point. More than prolonged freezing temperatures, these cities know snow -- one-third get at least four feet of snow a winter.
Here are America’s coldest colleges.
1. University of Alaska Fairbanks (Fairbanks, AK)
At the top of the list is, no surprise, the nation's northernmost “Land, Sea, and Space Grant university.” The University of Alaska in Fairbanks has an average snowfall of 66 inches annually. Cheers to you, you crazy Nanooks!
2. University of North Dakota (Grand Forks, ND)
On the border of North Dakota and Minnesota lies Grand Forks, ND, a college town with a population of 55,000. Its University of North Dakota boasts some of the most resilient students -- with a minimum average temperatures of -3.1 degrees Fahrenheit. And surprisingly, one of the healthiest: the school is considered one of the healthiest colleges in the nation.
3. North Dakota State University (Fargo, ND)
North Dakota State University in Fargo sits right up there with UND. Fargo, considered the largest city in North Dakota, hovers around an average monthly minimum temperature of zero degrees Fahrenheit. Interestingly, NDSU draws students from 47 of our 50 states with a 78% retention rate. If over three fourths stick around through the winter for a second year, it can’t be that bad, right?
4. University of Minnesota - Duluth (Duluth, MN)
Duluth receives a whopping 82 inches of annual snowfall, making University of Minnesota-Duluth one of the snowiest campuses in the U.S. Don’t let 7+ feet of winter snowfall deter you -- it’s also one of the top public schools in the nation.
5. Northern State University (Aberdeen, SD)
Doesn’t hurt to attend this frigid college when it’s set on a park-like campus. Northern State University in Aberdeen, South Dakota has an average monthly minimum temperature of 1.5 degrees Fahrenheit, but’s campus is considered one of the most beautiful in the Midwest.
