Which has better city life for a college student: WashU or Boston University?

Boston University has the stronger city-life experience for most college students. BU is woven directly into Boston along Commonwealth Avenue, with academic buildings, residence halls, restaurants, shops, and transit all mixed into the city itself. In day-to-day life, going to neighborhoods like Fenway, Back Bay, Kenmore, or the Charles River area feels natural rather than like a separate trip.

Transit is a big reason for that. BU students use the MBTA constantly, and the Green Line runs right alongside campus, so getting around Boston for internships, concerts, museums, and food is part of the normal rhythm of school. You do not need to plan a special outing to “go into the city” because campus is already embedded in it.

WashU has access to a real city too, but the feel is different. Its Danforth Campus is in a more traditional campus setting next to Forest Park and close to neighborhoods like the Delmar Loop and Clayton, so you can reach restaurants and entertainment fairly easily. Still, St. Louis tends to be more spread out, and students are more likely to rely on cars, rideshares, or more intentional planning to explore the city beyond the immediate area.

The internship and everyday urban-energy piece also leans toward BU. Boston’s density means hospitals, startups, nonprofits, finance firms, media organizations, and cultural institutions are tightly packed and highly reachable during the semester. WashU students absolutely use St. Louis for internships and city life, but BU more often feels like the city is an extension of campus every single day.