10 Colleges And Universities For (Extremely) Active Students

Spring decision time is here. College applications are in, admissions offices are sending offer letters, and high school seniors everywhere are deciding where they want to spend the next four years. [slideshow:652]

As everyone knows, college isn't just about academics, and decisions aren't made based solely on which schools have the biggest research budgets or the highest job placement rates.

State-of-the-art recreation facilities, rock climbing walls, and even scuba diving classes are some of the things universities are using to sweeten the pot for incoming freshmen. On our list you'll find a campus with groomed skiing trails, student groups that offer dirt-cheap trips to national parks, a "bicycle library" that lends bikes to students, and for-credit classes in ice climbing and wilderness survival.

With a little sweat and hard work, we tracked down ten of the most active schools in the United States. Click the slideshow for the full list.
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Additional reporting by Kurt Miller.