Advantages & Disadvantages of Studying in Jacksonville

You think about studying in Jacksonville but want to get additional information about student life, housing, living costs, nightlife, extracurricular activities and many other things?

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

Table of Contents

Study in Jacksonville – Overview

Number of Universities10 colleges in Jacksonville and 28 colleges in the Jacksonville region.
Quality of UniversitiesWhile you will have a handful of good colleges, many of the colleges in Jacksonville are just average.
Networking OpportunitiesSince Jacksonville is a big city, you can meet many people working for big corporations and will therefore have a rather easy time building a strong business network compared to people studying in smaller towns where not many big companies are located.
Student LifeSince you can join many student clubs and do many extracurricular activities, you can have a great time as a student in Jacksonville.
International StudentsSince Jacksonville is not very popular on a global scale, you will not be able to meet as many international students in Jacksonville while people studying in Los Angeles or other more popular regions will have a much easier time in this regard.
Career ProspectsSince overall quality of education in Jacksonville is not great, graduates in Jacksonville often have far worse job opportunities compared to graduates from Yale or other world-class universities.
NightlifeWhile you will find decent bars and clubs in Jacksonville, nightlife in Jacksonville is not as great as in NYC or many other big metropolitan areas.
Living CostsWhile living costs in Jacksonville may be above average, they are still lower compared to the Bay Area or other fancier regions.
HousingHousing shortage is not a big problem in Jacksonville yet and many students therefore find a pretty decent and affordable place to stay rather quickly.
Weather & ClimateYou can enjoy warm summers and relatively mild winters in the Jacksonville region.
advantages and disadvantages of studying in jacksonville

Advantages of Studying in Jacksonville

  1. Rents are still affordable for many students in Jacksonville
  2. Many people who study in Jacksonville find a decent place to stay rather quickly
  3. Living costs in Jacksonville are lower than in many other big cities
  4. Overall financial pressure for students in Jacksonville is rather low
  5. You will find decent student clubs in Jacksonville
  6. Decent bars and clubs in Jacksonville
  7. People studying in Jacksonville can enjoy the beach
  8. Many recreational spaces in Jacksonville
  9. Decent libraries in Jacksonville
  10. Easy to socialize in the Jacksonville region
  11. Students don’t have to worry about running out of material goods
  12. Many student jobs in the Jacksonville region
  13. You can work as an intern for big and renowned corporations
  14. Pretty low unemployment rate in Jacksonville
  15. Many big companies to work for after graduation
  16. Jacksonville is not the most crowded city
  17. Jacksonville has a solid public transport system
  18. Students in Jacksonville can enjoy hot summers and relatively mild winters
  19. Jacksonville may still be a rather secret spot for students
  20. Students can spend lots of time in nature in the Jacksonville region

Rents are still affordable for many students in Jacksonville

One advantage of studying in Jacksonville is that rents are still affordable and while students in NYC often have to pay huge amounts of money for housing, you can save lots of money in this regard as a student in Jacksonville and will have more money left for other important things.

Many people who study in Jacksonville find a decent place to stay rather quickly

Not only housing costs are reasonably low, but housing shortage is also not a big problem in the Jacksonville region yet and this allows many students to find a decent place to stay rather quickly while people in more popular places often have to search far longer in this regard.

Living costs in Jacksonville are lower than in many other big cities

While living costs in Jacksonville are not really low compared to national average, they are still lower compared to the Bay Area or other fancier places and you will therefore have to spend less money on drinks and many other things of daily life as a student in Jacksonville compared to people who study in Austin or other more expensive regions.

Overall financial pressure for students in Jacksonville is rather low

Thanks to rather low living and housing costs, also overall financial pressure for students in Jacksonville is far lower compared to students in more expensive regions and this allows you to really focus on your studies instead of having to worry about financial problems on a regular basis.

You will find decent student clubs in Jacksonville

Another upside to studying in Jacksonville is that you will also find decent student clubs where you can enroll in extracurricular activities and can make your student life in Jacksonville much more interesting since you will not only study but will also do good for society at the same time.

Decent bars and clubs in Jacksonville

While nightlife in Jacksonville is not as great as in many other major metropolitan areas, you will still find many decent bars and clubs where you can meet up with many interesting people and can just have a good time together.

People studying in Jacksonville can enjoy the beach

Since Jacksonville is directly located at the coast, you can also enjoy the beach quite a lot while students in Dallas and many other places just don’t have this luxury and may secretly envy you in this regard.

Many recreational spaces in Jacksonville

You will also find many parks and other recreational spaces in the Jacksonville region and this gives you the opportunity to prepare for your exams outdoors where you can get lots of fresh air and oxygen so your brain can work properly for a longer period of time and you can prepare for your exams in an optimal manner.

Decent libraries in Jacksonville

There are also many decent libraries and other quiet spaces where you can study without getting distracted by loud noises or other unpleasant things so you can really focus on your studies and can get the best grades possible.

Easy to socialize in the Jacksonville region

Since there are many student clubs and extracurricular activities you can participate in and also many locations where you can meet like-minded people of your age, it is pretty easy to make many new social connections and friends for students in Jacksonville and you can also help out each other push through difficult periods of your studies so you will not quit and finally get your degree.

Students don’t have to worry about running out of material goods

Thanks to good supply of material goods, students in Jacksonville will find most things they need on almost every corner and therefore never have to worry about running out of important stuff of daily life.

Many student jobs in the Jacksonville region

Since Jacksonville is a big economic region, you will also find more than enough student jobs from which you can make some money so you will be able to finance your studies at least to a certain extent to get some financial relief.

You can work as an intern for big and renowned corporations

There are also many opportunities to work as an intern in the Jacksonville region and this can be great for you since you can gain some work experience and also make many valuable connections to the corporate world which can greatly help you find a decent job later on.

Pretty low unemployment rate in Jacksonville

You can also benefit from pretty low unemployment rates as a student in Jacksonville since you will be in a pretty good position in many student jobs since in case you lose your job, chances are you will find a decent new job rather quickly.

Many big companies to work for after graduation

Not only will you have many decent opportunities to work as a student, but there are also many decent regular jobs in the Jacksonville region and once you graduate, you may be able to get a decent job in a big corporation and may be able to start a fancy career from there.

Jacksonville has a solid public transport system

Thanks to decent public transport, you will also have a rather easy time getting around as a student in Jacksonville and will not have to deal with big mobility problems as students in smaller towns often complain about.

Students in Jacksonville can enjoy hot summers and relatively mild winters

Another benefit of studying in Jacksonville is that summers are pretty warm and winters are pretty mild and this allows you to spend lots of time outdoors even during winter months when many students in Chicago and other cooler places often just sit at home.

Jacksonville may still be a rather secret spot for students

Since Jacksonville is still not very popular among students, you may be able to study in a rather secret spot where you don’t have to spend lots of money on housing and may still be able to have a great student life in Jacksonville.

Students can spend lots of time in nature in the Jacksonville region

You should also know that Jacksonville is surrounded by interesting nature and this gives you the incentive to go hiking, swimming or do many other things outdoors which may help you stay fit and in shape in the long run.

As you can see, there are many reasons for studying in Jacksonville.

Yet, there are also some drawbacks of studying in Jacksonville that I want to address in the following so you will be better able to decide whether you still want to study in Jacksonville or rather want to study in a different city instead.

Disadvantages of Studying in Jacksonville

  1. Jacksonville is not the safest city
  2. Many students in Jacksonville live in rather dodgy districts
  3. Nightlife in Jacksonville is not as great as in many other big cities
  4. Hard to meet many international students in Jacksonville
  5. Jacksonville may be too humid and hot for many students
  6. Studying in Jacksonville may not be great for your résumé
  7. You may have worse career prospects compared to graduates from world-class schools
  8. High tuition may become a problem for students in Jacksonville
  9. Students in Jacksonville may have to finance their degree with student loan debt
  10. Student jobs will often pay rather poorly in the Jacksonville region
  11. Jacksonville is not the most popular student town

Jacksonville is not the safest city

One problem with studying in Jacksonville is that you will have to deal with pretty high crime rates and if you are a cautious person, you may be better off studying in San José or other safer places instead.

Many students in Jacksonville live in rather dodgy districts

If you are on a tight budget and can’t afford to rent a place in a fancy neighborhood, you may also end up in a rather dodgy district in Jacksonville and may not feel comfortable and safe and may also not be able to really focus on your studies and your grades may suffer quite a lot due to that.

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

Another downside to studying in Jacksonville is that while you will have some decent bars, you will still not have the same great nightlife as people living in Las Vegas or other more vibrant cities and may therefore get bored with student life in Jacksonville sooner or later.

Hard to meet many international students in Jacksonville

Since Jacksonville is not the most popular city on a global scale, it is also not the most popular place for international students and you may therefore have a much harder time getting in touch with people from all over the globe compared to students in more popular regions.

Jacksonville may be too humid and hot for many students

Studying in Jacksonville is also not a great idea in case you don’t like hot and humid weather. If this is the case, you may be better off studying in Philadelphia or other cooler regions instead.

Studying in Jacksonville may not be great for your résumé

Since you will not find as many great colleges as in many other big metropolitan areas, studying in Jacksonville may also not be as great on your résumé as studying at Harvard or other world-class educational institutions.

You may have worse career prospects compared to graduates from world-class schools

Since you will have a hard time finding really good education in the Jacksonville region, graduates from University of Jacksonville may also have worse career prospects compared to graduates from elite schools.

High tuition may become a problem for students in Jacksonville

Another disadvantage of studying in Jacksonville is that tuition is often really high and you should really ask yourself whether your studies will be worth it to you to make this big financial commitment before enrolling in a university in Jacksonville.

Students in Jacksonville may have to finance their degree with student loan debt

Since tuition is often pretty high, you may also have to take on significant amounts of student loan debt in case you don’t get financial support from your parents and may therefore have to pay back huge sums of money later in life.

Student jobs will often pay rather poorly in the Jacksonville region

While there are many student jobs, you should also know that many of those student jobs pay rather poorly in the Jacksonville region and you will therefore most likely not be able to finance your degree through those student jobs.

Jacksonville is not the most popular student town

You should also know that Jacksonville is just not the most popular student city and many of your friends may not understand your decision of studying in Jacksonville and you may therefore have to justify quite a lot in this regard.

Top 10 Studying in Jacksonville Pros & Cons – Summary List

Studying in Jacksonville ProsStudying in Jacksonville Cons
Rents are still affordable for many students in JacksonvilleMany students in Jacksonville live in rather dodgy districts
Students often find a decent place to stay rather quicklyJacksonville is not the safest city
Relatively low financial pressure for students in JacksonvilleJacksonville is not the most popular student town
People who study in Jacksonville can enjoy the beachNot many great colleges in Jacksonville
Interesting nature around JacksonvilleStudying in Jacksonville may be bad for your CV
You can participate in student clubsNightlife in Jacksonville is not great
Many extracurricular activities to do in the Jacksonville regionJacksonville may be too hot and humid for many students
Jacksonville is a pretty relaxed cityHigh tuition fees in Jacksonville
Decent public infrastructure in JacksonvilleYou may have to use student loan debt to finance your degree
Easy to get around for students in JacksonvilleHard to meet many international students in Jacksonville

Is Jacksonville A Great City For Students?

While studying in Jacksonville can be great since housing costs are still reasonably low, you can relax at the beach and can also socialize in student clubs or through many extracurricular activities, you should also know that Jacksonville is not the most popular student city and student life in Jacksonville may not be as interesting as in other big metropolitan regions.

Alternative Cities To Study

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

Advantages and disadvantages of studying in Phoenix

Advantages and disadvantages of studying in San Diego

Advantages and disadvantages of studying in San Antonio

Sources

https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/jacksonvillecityflorida

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.

Pin It on Pinterest