Auburn University sits in the proverbial shade of its bigger, more glamorous public sister, the University of Alabama, but it’s an equally impressive institution emerging as a major American research university. With 23,000 undergrads, Auburn is big but not mammoth and the easily navigated campus makes it feel much smaller. The campus is beautiful with impeccably landscaped grounds and modern, well maintained facilities. There’s two ‘old mains’, brick Victorian-style structures that sit on the main street of this small city, and –as one would expect in the south–there’s mammoth athletic facilities. The spectacular new fitness center, at 240,000 sq. ft, is of a size that’s hard to fathom. It features an indoor track that swirls around the top floor (it’s not an oval) and has elevation changes included in its design.
Our tourguide was enrolled in Auburn’s Honors College, where students receive priority enrollment, a majority of discussion classes and wider opportunities for undergraduate research and international travel. Only 30% of Auburn students are Greek (a much smaller percentage for men and while the percentage for women is 40% there are no sorority houses) and our guide, a non-Greek, told us her social status was unaffected by her decision to just be a student and avoid the Greek scene.
Like The U of A, Auburn has some crazy luxurious housing facilities (many dorm are brand new) with queen beds and flat screen TV’s, and in our group session the only applause line was when the presenter informed our group that there was not a single Auburn dorm with hallway bathrooms. I guess that’s a big deal.
Bike share is big on this bike friendly campus.
School spirit is bonkers, especially in the context of the rivalry wIth University of Alabama. The old Main Gate of the university used to feature two 100-year old oak trees on either side of a lovely brick arch. But a few years ago, a rabid Alabama fan spread a deadly poison around the trees’ roots and despite a year’s worth of heroic effort by the state’s best horticulturalists, the landmark oaks withered away and died. Two new oaks have been planted. Auburn has moved on.
The town of Auburn, AL is a lovely little college town filled with cafes and restaurants and the university sits square amidst downtown. Auburn University was a real surprise. Much less provincial than I had expected, it feels like the major, national university it has clearly become. School pride is everywhere, from the mammoth statue of Charles Barkley to the spectacular under-construction performing arts center. Auburn should be on anyone’s list who’s looking for an academically superior, public university in a warm climate.
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