Is Middlebury or BU better for city life?

The biggest practical tradeoff is that BU is embedded in a major city every day, while Middlebury is in a small Vermont college town where city access takes planning. At BU, Boston is part of your normal routine because the campus runs along Commonwealth Avenue, the Green Line cuts through campus, and neighborhoods like Back Bay, Fenway, and Allston are right there. At Middlebury, daily life is much quieter and more self-contained, with the town of Middlebury serving as your immediate off-campus environment rather than a true city.

If what you mean by “connected to city life” is being able to leave class and quickly get to restaurants, concerts, internships, museums, public transit, and dense neighborhoods, BU is clearly the closer match. Boston is not a separate destination from BU. It shapes internships during the semester, weekend plans, food options, and the overall pace of life.

Middlebury offers a very different kind of outside-the-classroom experience. You would have a charming New England town, local shops and cafes, and strong access to outdoor recreation, but not the feeling of urban energy or constant movement. Trips to larger cities are possible, but they are occasional outings, not the backdrop of everyday student life.

That difference also affects campus culture. BU students often build routines that mix campus and city seamlessly, while Middlebury students tend to spend more time in the campus community itself because there is less urban infrastructure immediately around them. For someone who really cares about being in or near a city, BU is the one that will actually feel connected to city life on a daily basis.