Advantages & Disadvantages of Studying in Charlotte

You think about studying in Charlotte but want to get additional information about student life, extracurricular activities, living costs, housing, safety, nightlife, career prospects and much more?

Great! This article is exactly for you since I will show you the pros and cons of studying in Charlotte in the following chapters.

Table of Contents

Study in Charlotte – Overview

Number of Universities9 colleges in Charlotte and around 30 colleges and universities in the Charlotte region.
Quality of UniversitiesWhile you find a few good universities, most colleges in Charlotte are just average.
Networking OpportunitiesSince Charlotte is a big economic center, you can meet many influential people in the Charlotte region and can build a strong network rather quickly which can help you succeed in the corporate world once you graduate.
Student LifeWhile you have decent student clubs, student life in Charlotte is not as exciting as in other more vibrant places.
International StudentsRather limited number of international students in Charlotte since Charlotte is not really popular from a global perspective.
Career ProspectsSince overall quality of education is just average, you will most likely not have the same great career prospects compared to graduates from Harvard or other more renowned universities.
NightlifeWhile there are some decent bars and clubs, you should still not expect the same great nightlife in Charlotte as students in Los Angeles or other big metropolitan regions are often able to explore.
Living CostsWhile living costs in Charlotte are slightly above national average, they are still far lower than in many other big cities in the US.
HousingRents in Charlotte are still affordable for many students in Charlotte and housing shortage is not as severe as in many other big cities.
Weather & ClimateWhile summers are pretty warm, winters are rather cold and students in Charlotte can therefore experience real seasons.
advantages and disadvantages of studying in charlotte

Advantages of Studying in Charlotte

  1. Living costs in Charlotte are still reasonably low
  2. Rents are still affordable for many students in Charlotte
  3. Housing shortage is not as severe as in many other big cities
  4. Financial pressure for students in Charlotte is still reasonable
  5. Many things to do in nature in the Charlotte region
  6. Students in Charlotte can stay fit
  7. Many recreational spaces in Charlotte
  8. Students in Charlotte live in an interesting climatic zone
  9. Decent bars and clubs in Charlotte
  10. You can join student clubs and extracurricular activities in Charlotte
  11. Charlotte is a pretty tolerant place
  12. Easy to socialize for people who study in Charlotte
  13. Easy to get around for students in Charlotte
  14. Students find most things they need close to their homes
  15. Charlotte is not the most hectic city
  16. Students find decent libraries and other quiet spaces
  17. You can meet interesting people from all over the US
  18. Many student jobs in Charlotte
  19. Big corporations to work for after you graduate

Living costs in Charlotte are still reasonably low

One advantage of studying in Charlotte is that living costs are still relatively low compared to many other big cities and while students in Los Angeles and other expensive regions have to spend lots of money on drinks and other things of daily life, you will have a rather relaxed time in the Charlotte region since you will be able to afford more things for the same budget.

Rents are still affordable for many students in Charlotte

Not only living costs are reasonably low, but also rents are still affordable for many people who study in Charlotte while students in San José and other more expensive places have to spend much more money on housing.

Housing shortage is not as severe as in many other big cities

Since demand for housing in the Charlotte region is not as high as in many other big cities in the US, students in Charlotte also have an easier time finding a decent and affordable place to stay rather quickly while people in more popular regions often have to search for far longer.

Financial pressure for students in Charlotte is still reasonable

Due to reasonably low living and housing costs, people studying in Charlotte also don’t have to deal with the same high financial pressure as people studying in NYC or other more expensive regions and can therefore focus on their studies while many other people have to worry about financial problems much more.

Many things to do in nature in the Charlotte region

Another upside to studying in Charlotte is that you will also find many things to do in nature and this can help you get lots of fresh air so you can relax and reload your batteries and will be able to focus even better on your studies after taking those short breaks.

Students in Charlotte can stay fit

Since you can spend lots of time in nature outdoors, you can also stay fit as a student in the Charlotte region in a completely natural manner and may not have to go to the gym which can save you lots of time in the long run.

Many recreational spaces in Charlotte

Not only will you find many nature reserves around Charlotte, but you will also find many parks and other green spaces within city borders and can therefore prepare for your exams in one of those quiet environments.

Students in Charlotte live in an interesting climatic zone

Since you can experience warm summers and relatively cold winters, you can also go swimming in summer and do winter sports in winter so you can make your student life in Charlotte as interesting as possible.

Decent bars and clubs in Charlotte

Another benefit of studying in Charlotte is that you will have a solid selection of bars and clubs and will therefore have many locations where you can meet up with your favorite people or can just meet new people in general.

You can join student clubs and extracurricular activities in Charlotte

Students in Charlotte can also join student organizations where they can engage in extracurricular activities to make their student life even more interesting.

Charlotte is a pretty tolerant place

You should also know that Charlotte is one of the most tolerant cities in North Carolina and you will be welcome no matter where you come from and can just have a great time as a student in Charlotte.

Easy to socialize for people who study in Charlotte

Since there are many bars and other locations where you can meet new people and people in Charlotte are usually friendly and outgoing, you will also have a pretty easy time making new social connections and friends in the Charlotte region.

Easy to get around for students in Charlotte

Due to decent public transport and since traffic jams are not a big problem in Charlotte yet, you will also have a rather easy time getting around as a student without losing too much time in traffic.

Students find most things they need close to their homes

Thanks to decent public infrastructure, students in Charlotte also often find most things they need for daily life pretty close to their homes and therefore don’t have to spend lots of time on managing their lives and have more time left to study hard to get the best grades possible.

Charlotte is not the most hectic city

You should also know that compared to many other big cities in the US, Charlotte is also a rather relaxed city where people are not heavily career-focused but will also take the time to help you out on various occasions of daily life.

Students find decent libraries and other quiet spaces

Studying in Charlotte can also be great since you will find decent libraries and other locations where you can just study in a quiet and efficient atmosphere and will be able to focus on exam preparation without getting distracted by other people or loud noises.

You can meet interesting people from all over the US

Since Charlotte is pretty popular all over the US, you may also be able to meet many interesting people from different states and can have many interesting conversations so you can get a different opinion on certain topics and can also see the world from a different perspective.

Many student jobs in Charlotte

Since Charlotte is an important economic center, you will also find many student jobs in this region and can make some money on the side to finance your studies and to be able to afford some nice things.

Big corporations to work for after you graduate

Not only will you find many decent student jobs, but there are also many big corporations you can work for after graduation and you may therefore have more than enough jobs lining up for you.

Now that you know the reasons for studying in Charlotte, we also have to talk about the drawbacks of studying in Charlotte so you will be better able to decide whether you still want to study in Charlotte or rather want to spend your student life in a different city instead.

Disadvantages of Studying in Charlotte

  1. Overall quality of education is not great in Charlotte
  2. Studying in Charlotte may not be great for your CV
  3. Charlotte becomes increasingly crowded
  4. Many students may no longer find a decent place to stay in the future
  5. Nightlife in Charlotte is not as great as in many other big cities
  6. Charlotte is not the most popular student town
  7. Students in Charlotte can’t relax at the beach
  8. High tuition may be annoying
  9. Many student jobs in Charlotte don’t pay great money
  10. You may have to finance your studies through student loan debt
  11. Not as many great guest professors in Charlotte as in many other big cities

Overall quality of education is not great in Charlotte

One problem with studying in Charlotte is that most colleges are just average and don’t provide outstanding education.

Consequently, if you want to get the best education possible, you may not want to study in Charlotte but rather want to study in Chicago or other cities with top universities instead.

Studying in Charlotte may not be great for your CV

Since overall quality of education is not great in the Charlotte region, studying in Charlotte may also not be great for your CV and your career prospects may be worse compared to people studying at Yale or other renowned institutions.

Charlotte becomes increasingly crowded

You should also know that Charlotte becomes increasingly popular and crowded and this may lead to a state where students may no longer have enough recreational spaces and may become increasingly stressed due to that.

Many students may no longer find a decent place to stay in the future

Since Charlotte becomes increasingly crowded, rents are about to increase significantly and higher rents also imply that many students may no longer be able to afford da decent place to stay in the future and may also have to search for much longer in this regard

Nightlife in Charlotte is not as great as in many other big cities

While you will find decent bars in the Charlotte region, nightlife in Charlotte is still not as great as nightlife in Las Vegas or in other more vibrant places.

Charlotte is not the most popular student town

Another disadvantage of studying in Charlotte is that Charlotte is not really focused on students but rather wants to maintain high quality of life for middle-aged people and there may just be better student towns out there that are more focused on the younger generation.

Students in Charlotte can’t relax at the beach

Since Charlotte is not located at the coast, you will also not be able to go surfing or relax at the beach while students in San Diego and people living in other coastal regions will have much more opportunities in this regard.

High tuition may be annoying

You should also be aware of the fact that tuition can be pretty expensive and before making this big financial commitment, you should make sure that a degree from University of Charlotte is really worth it to you.

Many student jobs in Charlotte don’t pay great money

Another downside to studying in Charlotte is that while there are many student jobs in this region, many of them also pay rather poorly and you will therefore most likely not be able to cover your expenses from those jobs.

You may have to finance your studies through student loan debt

Since studying in Charlotte can be pretty expensive, you may also have to finance your degree with significant amounts of student loan debt which you would have to pay back later in life and this may greatly financially constrain you for many years to come.

Not as many great guest professors in Charlotte as in many other big cities

While you will meet some great guest professors, the number of outstanding guest professors will be rather limited compared to other bigger cities where overall level of education is often a bit higher.

Top 10 Studying in Charlotte Pros & Cons – Summary List

Studying in Charlotte ProsStudying in Charlotte Cons
Rents are not as high as in many other big citiesStudents in Charlotte often miss great nightlife
Students in Charlotte can benefit from rather low living costsOverall quality of education is not great
Students in Charlotte can experience real seasonsStudying in Charlotte may not be great for your CV
Many student organizations in CharlotteNot many great guest professors in Charlotte
Students can benefit from decent public infrastructureCharlotte is not the safest city
Easy to get around in CharlotteCharlotte may be too cold for many students
Many recreational spaces for students in CharlotteStudents in Charlotte can’t enjoy the beach
Students in Charlotte can spend lots of time outdoorsCharlotte is not focusing on students as much as other cities
You will find most things you need close to your homeHard to meet many international students in Charlotte
Charlotte is not the most hectic cityNightlife in Charlotte is not outstanding

Is Charlotte A Great City For Students?

While Charlotte can be a great student city since living and housing costs are still lower than in many other big cities while students will still find everything they need to really focus on their studies and have great student life, you should also know that overall quality of education is not as high as in many other big cities and tuition may also be pretty high as well.

Alternative Cities To Study

If you don’t want to study in Charlotte anymore, you should also have a look at the following articles:

Advantages and disadvantages of studying in Phoenix

Advantages and disadvantages of studying in Indianapolis

Advantages and disadvantages of studying in Columbus

Sources

https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/charlottecitynorthcarolina/POP060210

Own research.

About the author

This site is about living, moving and traveling to various parts of our fascinating planet.

My name is Andreas and when I was younger, I traveled the world and learned a lot about different cultures and countries.

Thus, I want to share my experiences with you so that you can benefit from them and avoid common mistakes in this regard.

In my articles, you will find everything you need to find the best location for a happy and successful life.

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