I had a great visit to the University of North Carolina at Asheville. Nestled in the Blue Ridge mountain range of Western North Carolina, UNCA is the smallest of the UNC system with only about 3000 undergraduates. There are sixteen division one sports teams including men's basketball who went to March Madness last year. However, there's no football team, so for those students looking for that kind of atmosphere, there are other schools in this region that offer more of a rah rah atmosphere. It's important to note that the Division 1 teams do bring students from all over the country, though out-of-state students only make up 25% of the entire student body.

Greek life exists but isn't terribly popular here. But the outdoors is, and Student Recreation offers hiking, backpacking, rafting, rock climbing, and kayaking trips. Many of them are free and they also have gear that students can rent. Skiing is 30 minutes away. As an institution that values health and fitness, the gym is not just for the athletes. There are free fitness classes and the first 5 sessions with a personal trainer are free. There's also a brand new e-sports center which was built with the intention of bringing gamers out of their dorm rooms to socialize with each other, which I think is wonderful.

Psychology and environmental science are the most popular majors, and some other unique programs are ancient mediterranean studies, atmospheric sciences, mass communication and new media. There is one master's program offered and that's in public health. With an out-of-state all-in cost of under $39K, UNC Asheville is a great option. But beware! The only time the blue light system is ever activated is for bear sightings which are not uncommon!