The University of Texas at Dallas (UTD)

The University of Texas at Dallas is a large public university offering its 21,000 undergraduates 56 majors across seven schools. "Great academics and amazingly qualified professors and research opportunities" are just some of the many resources offered to help students succeed. STEM and business programs are popular here, with research opportunities right out of the gate for first-years who are interested. More than 50 years on, UTD shows no signs of slowing down and if anything has been taking even more "great measures to make sure that students know that they are supported academically, emotionally, and mentally." The professional development and "great guidance surrounding pre-professional careers" extends to services like the Student Success Center, which provides free tutoring, and the Testing Center, a 300-seat computer lab that undergrads can use as a secure and comfortable testing environment for any tests, exams, or assessments.

The school "is excellent at preparing students for their future careers and offering many opportunities to prepare them to do so," and the "diverse learning culture" gives everyone a chance to expand their horizons outside of their major. Classes take a hands-on approach, and students "are often confronted with exciting project prompts" both in and out of class: "There's always a research team, project, or development happening in the departments." Professors "give all required resources to students in order to excel," and "the coursework, projects and tests are challenging and prepare us for post-graduation."

Most students define Comets as "hardworking, nerdy, and tech savvy," where "school spirit thrives the most in meme culture" and everyone "probably enjoys games and anime." People take academics seriously but know how to relax, or as one student describes it, "everyone is also just trying to have a good time while giving enough time to their textbooks." There's a "limited amount" of jock culture and traditional sports on campus, but "you can have any type of life you want because there is every type of group of people at UTD." That is, "you can really find or make your group here, you just have to seek it out."

Students here "spend many hours on their lectures or doing homework," but after the day is done, they enjoy kicking back with friends, "going out to eat somewhere close to campus or going to take photos for Instagram somewhere in Dallas," or just taking part in low-key casual activities like "sand volleyball, walks around campus with friends, [and] basketball." Even though there is already "so much space to study or do whatever you need to," the campus is in the midst of a growth spurt: there are plans for "a DART station and a whole second part of campus." If all the options for "tons of random activities" sounds a bit chaotic, know that there are also plenty of student organizations, "career-focused and community service clubs," and student volunteering opportunities.