Some students are content to keep their workouts confined to the safety of a gym or recreation center. Then there are those students who live for the rush of adrenaline that only a more extreme stimulation can give. Few colleges sanction extreme sports due to the higher risk to students’ health, but if you live for chasing that adrenaline, here are some schools for you.
Oklahoma State University – Stillwater, Oklahoma
Flickr user Manuel.L.
This is the school for you if motocross is your thing. The campus in Stillwater is close to three different tracks: Area 51 Motocross Park, Cooperland Raceway, and Stillwater Motorcycle Park. Oklahoma State has a club, Cowboy MX, dedicated to motocross. The members strive to push each other to be better and faster riders. Oklahoma State is a public research university with over 23,000 students.
University of Colorado Boulder – Boulder, Colorado
Flickr user TimOve
Most schools in Colorado are going to be a great catch-all for extreme sports, so you can have your pick. However, there are foothills near Boulder that are part of Eldorado Canyon State Park that have access to some of the best-known rock-climbing spots in the world. Hiking, kayaking, and snowboarding are some favorite sports that students enjoy. There are also opportunities for hang gliding, bungee jumping, and parachuting. The University of Colorado at Boulder is a public research university with over 400 student organizations available to its 31,000 undergraduate and graduate students.
University of Southern Maine – Portland, Maine
Flickr user Brent Eades
Located on Casco Bay, the University of Southern Maine has access to more water activities than you can shake a paddle at. Sea kayaking is one of the favored activities. The school also has clubs such as Martial Arts Club, Outdoor Adventure Board, and Scuba Club. In addition, Portland, Maine, was named the “foodiest” small town in America, which is great when you consider how much energy all of these sports take. The University of Southern Maine is a three-campus community with just over 6,000 undergraduate students.
University of California, Los Angeles – Los Angeles, California
Flickr user Kanaka Rastamon
Between beach access for surfing and sea kayaking and being located in the home of the summer X-Games, UCLA has a lot going for it as an extreme sport college. There’s also access to mountain biking and trails for hiking. There are plenty of student organizations to help you find an extreme sport for you and make new friends while doing so. You can even join a parkour club and make the campus and city your obstacle course. UCLA is a public university home to around 30,000 undergrad students.
Boise State University – Boise, Idaho
Flickr user old_skool_paul
What started as an equipment rental program over twenty years ago has turned into full-fledged classes on extreme sport activities. The city of Boise recently installed ramps and jumps at Rhodes Skate Park, leading them to host the X-Games Qualifier just a few weeks ago, so students can be rest assured that the skateboarding and BMX biking communities are alive and well. Boise State is a public university that caters to almost 20,000 undergraduate students.
Interested in any of these schools? Use College Raptor’s free match tool to see if they’re a good fit for you!
