The 25 Healthiest American Colleges

Gaining the dreaded “freshman 15” is a universal concern, but with these colleges, it might be easier to keep that off then you think, not to mention stress, and any other health concerns you’ll be facing in college. The Greatist has compiled a list of 25 of the absolutely healthiest places to call your alma mater, all of the info can be found in the original article, but for a less meaty look at the health highlights, here’s the list:  

1. Clemson University

My favourite health highlight: They have not one, but TWO apps that provide nutritional info about dining hall food.  

2. Columbia University

My favourite health highlight: it’s a toss up between the mental health resources; individual and group programs, specialty programs for people with eating disorders – and the special options available for vegan, kosher, halal, and food allergies.  

3. Brown University

My favourite health highlight: Their psych and counseling services including crisis intervention and group therapy, plus there’s a picture of a bunch of students petting a dog, so I can only assume there’s some form of adorable animal therapy involved, in which case, sign me up.

4. University of California at Santa Barbara

My favourite health highlight: Their adventure programs, backpacking, kayaking, and canoeing in the great outdoors. Although the fact that you can reserve massage chairs in the counseling area is pretty awesome too.  

5. University of Denver

My favourite health highlight: Their HYPE program – Healthy Peer Empowerment, where interested students can be trained on specific health issues, since students are far more likely to seek out help from a friend than the administration.  

6. University of Missouri at Columbia

My favourite health highlight: At first I got stoked about the locally-grown food available in the dining halls, and then I got excited about the composting program. BUT THEN, I read that they have a fully functioning spa on campus. Mani/pedi, massage, and a facial before exams? Yes, please.  

7. University of Pittsburgh

My favourite health highlight: The 24-hour fitness centres and the sustainability focused dining halls.  

8. Vanderbilt University

My favourite health highlight: There wellness centre which focuses on seven aspects wellness: environmental, intellectual, emotional, physical, social, spiritual, and occupational  

9. Claremont McKenna College

My favourite health highlight: A new state of the art fitness centre slated to open in fall 2016, complete with hydration stations – because it sounds waaaay fancier than water fountain.   10. Pennsylvania State University My favourite health highlight: The campus’s “De-Stress Zone” for maximum R and R. 11. Scripps College My favourite health highlight: The outdoor pool, heated year round and the dining options which sound like they belong in a 5-star restaurant. 12. University of Massachusetts at Amherst My favourite health highlight: UFIT, their 10-week fitness program all devoted to healthy living, with every student involved getting a pedometer, a fitness log, and attending weekly discussions about health topics. 13. University of Chicago My favourite health highlight: The food – locally-sourced, cage-free eggs, and even their coffee is fair trade. 14. University of Iowa My favourite health highlight: The rec centre is UNREAL. A climbing wall, giant pool, indoor jogging track, all your standard cardio and weight machines, basketball and volleyball courts, and an INDOOR LAZY RIVER. Seriously?! Can I just vacay here and not get a degree? 15. Bowdoin College My favourite health highlight: They offer acupuncture, reflexology (which I recently tried out, very cool), and massage as part of their mind/body/spirit-oriented programming. 16. Louisiana State University My favourite health highlight: If you want to workout indoors, the fitness centre has personal training, group classes, fitness assessments, and all the standard stuff. If you want to get active outdoors they also have rock climbing, canoeing, and kayaking. 17. Stanford University My favourite health highlight: The education about where their food comes from, A) because I think that’s really important, and B) because they don’t have a lot to hide what with their hormone-free, healthy dishes, with a bunch of vegan and vegetarian options. 18. University of Georgia My favourite health highlight: They have a Build Your Plate program, where you can look up the meal options online for any given day, build a plate, and asses the nutritional value. They also offer medical, dental, and eye clinics, and even have their own pharmacy. 19. Virginia Tech My favourite health highlight: The Y.E.S. program/Farm and Fields project – sustainable, locally sourced food, educational events, and lots of info on the food you’re eating. 20. University of Arizona My favourite health highlight: Lots of health and fitness options, but my favourite thing is that they have a ropes course! 21. Whitman College My favourite health highlight: A toss up between their bike-sharing program, just as easy as checking out a library book, and their “Scramble” trips – week long outdoor activity trips that freshman can do in random groups, overseen by upperclassmen. 22. Washington University at St. Louis My favourite health highlight: The programming from their health and wellness centre sounds awesome; dine with a dietician, a mindfulness bootcamp, and a stress-buster workshop. 23. The Ohio State University My favourite health highlight: They have not one, not two, okay, they have SEVEN on campus fitness centres. Plus they offer absolutely everything from adventure trips to yoga classes. 24. University of Texas at Austin My favourite health highlight: They have a Quidditch team. Okay, they have massive tracks of land with about a million fitness options, but more importantly, they have a QUIDDITCH TEAM, which happened to win the 2013 International Quidditch Championship, which I now know exists. 25. Yale University My favourite health highlight: Their fitness centre is nicknamed “the cathedral of sweat” how badass is that? I mean, it’s apparently because it looks a lot like a church, but still, super cool name. They also have a skating rink and sailing facilities, but without any cool nicknames that I know of.