Montana State University vs Colorado State University campus atmosphere.

[TaperPin]

Yes, I have to agree. Full disclosure... both the wife and I are faculty members in the sciences, so the poor kid has been hearing the importance of networking with professors his entire life.

lol Yes, he has good backup!

 

[Fireflyfishing]

CSU alum 97-01. Had a great time. Now the state is ruined and wouldn’t go back.

Bozeman is called Bozeangeles for a reason.

Pick your poison. Either way you’ll spend a lot of $.

 

[Tod osier]

That's in good weather.
I'm going to toss out my grandfatherly boomer comment now. (UW grad 1975)
If your Wyoming home requires travel on 287 between Ft Collins and Laramie BE CAREFUL. I would probably completely avoid it at night.
In my day Ft Collins (and Boulder) were attractions because of 3.2 bars and better rock concerts making 287 a death trap. For whatever reason it remains so today.

Taylor column: It's time to do something about Highway 287

I’ve made the 65-mile trek from Laramie to Fort Collins enough to know the dangers of U.S. Highway 287.

www.wyomingnews.com

This stretch of US 287 between Highway 14 and Wyoming is among Colorado's deadliest highways

The 30-mile stretch from Colorado Highway 14 to the Wyoming state line in northern Larimer County has a long history of fatal crashes.

www.coloradoan.com

Best of luck to your son at CSU, great school. Thoughtful college decisions are required with the costs of college approaching criminal levels and zero cost controls. I was lucky my four were smart and great test takers (ACT, SAT- another racket). They finished with advanced degrees at out of state colleges with no loans or debt strictly due to scholarships from having their mother's brains.

Thanks, he is a careful kid for a 17 year old. I'll make sure he reads what you wrote.

 

[5MilesBack]

I went to CSU in the 80's. It was AWESOME back then, as well as Fort Collins in general. I even swore that I'd move back there at some point. Larimer County was about 75% red back then. But in the early to mid 90's Californian's absolutely flooded that whole area. It's not even remotely the same as it was when I was there. I've heard the same about Bozeman, but I'd still probably choose Fort Collins if I had to today.

I had a professor that taught a 400 level Labor Economics class, and he didn't hold back in letting us know that he was a socialist/Marxist. That became an interesting class. That was one class that I never missed.....somebody had to rebut his viewpoints. He still gave me an A, and said he enjoyed the banter back and forth.

 

[Hnthrdr]

I went to CSU in the 80's. It was AWESOME back then, as well as Fort Collins in general. I even swore that I'd move back there at some point. Larimer County was about 75% red back then. But in the early to mid 90's Californian's absolutely flooded that whole area. It's not even remotely the same as it was when I was there. I've heard the same about Bozeman, but I'd still probably choose Fort Collins if I had to today.

I had a professor that taught a 400 level Labor Economics class, and he didn't hold back in letting us know that he was a socialist/Marxist. That became an interesting class. That was one class that I never missed.....somebody had to rebut his viewpoints. He still gave me an A, and said he enjoyed the banter back and forth.

I was there in 08 and it seemed a lot more “right leaning” than it is today…

 

[Bryerific]

It appears that you have been given plenty of useful information already, but since you said your son will read through this, I’ll add my experience. I’m originally from a Denver suburb and attended college in the late 2010s. My final college choices came down to CSU or MSU. I ended up choosing MSU because of scholarships, outdoor opportunities, and the desire to be in a smaller town, but most of my highschool friends chose CSU and I actually visit Ft. Collins a lot as my job’s main office is in Ft. Collins. This has given me a decent overview of both towns and I’m pretty familiar with the schools.

While I feel I made the right choice for my goals and desires and often wish I could relive the amazing time I had acquiring both an undergraduate and grad degree at MSU, I’ll be honest and say Ft. Collins/CSU may be better for a lot of people. For example, Bozeman is the better town for skiing, fishing, and hunting (Ft. Collins is still great), but Ft. Collins has all same urban amenities (and more) plus it is a short drive down to Denver.

I think academic success can be had at both schools so I would just lean into whichever one your son felt better connections at when talking with faculty. I know my friends and coworkers that went to CSU all really enjoyed their academic careers and launched into good jobs.

A few other notes about the areas:

Given the MSU school year is Sept- April, the only weather you are guaranteed to get during the school year is winter. Honestly, many students miss out on much of my favorite time to live in Bozeman because they have to leave town for summer jobs and internships. I’d love to spend a few more May/June periods in the area but it’s a hard place to find work, especially when competing for summer jobs.

And as a non-skier, I spent my falls hunting and a lot of wintertime photographing wildlife in the Lamar Valley of Yellowstone. Honestly, I’m not sure what I would have done to fill up my free time while in Bozeman if I wasn’t always outdoors. I know downtown can be a lot of fun and the university puts a lot of effort into indoor events to keep students entertained, but I’ll be honest, if one wanted to explore another city, Driving a few hours to Billings/Helena/Butte doesn’t quite compare to Denver for most folks, including possibly your son.

But overall, both are great choices and I’m sure he’ll have success at either (and Go Cats!)