There is rarely a dull moment on the Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity Park campus, also known as Happy Valley. With around more than 1,000 clubs and organizations, there are broad opportunities to get involved in campus life. The school mascot is the Nittany Lion, and teams compete in the Division I Big Ten Conference. The football team plays in Beaver Stadium, which is one of the largest arenas in North America, which seats nearly 107,000 fans. Penn State is home to a thriving Greek system with more than 70 sororities and fraternities. More than 16,000 students volunteer in THON, the largest student-run philanthropy in the world. Students raise money for pediatric cancer research and awareness throughout the year and participate in a 46-hour dance marathon - no sitting or sleeping allowed. Freshmen must live in one of five housing areas on campus. Across the street from campus is State College, a bustling small town with an array of coffee shops, restaurants, shops and bars populated mostly by students. Surrounded by mountains, the school is also close to skiing, snowboarding and hiking opportunities.The land-grant institution, which originally was offered state land in exchange for agricultural courses and research, offers highly ranked graduate programs through the College of Education and the College of Engineering. Undergraduates produce the Daily Collegian newspaper, and students get free daily copies of The New York Times, USA Todayand Centre Daily Times -the local paper - through the schools Newspaper Readership Program. Notable alumni include John Cappelletti, a Heisman Trophy winner and former NFL player; and Valerie Plame Wilson, former CIA agent and author.

Rutgers University--New Brunswick, the flagship campus of New Jersey's state university, is split into five mini campuses, each with a unique setting and identity, student center and dining options. Freshmen are not required to live on campus. Students can join more than 500 student clubs and organizations, including more than 80 fraternities and sororities.Among its graduate offerings, Rutgers has a highly ranked Graduate School of Education. The university also awards one of the highest numbers of doctorate degrees a year among U.S. schools. As a public research university, Rutgers is home to unique institutions such as the Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation and the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station, where students take hands-on courses in the sciences and work on community projects.The Rutgers Scarlet Knights compete in the NCAA Division I Big Ten Conference. After more than two decades in the Big East conference, Rutgers joined the Big Ten Conference in 2014, where it competes with the University of MarylandCollege Park, University of Iowa and other schools. It offers football, basketball, soccer, tennis, golf, wrestling, track and field, and a host of other sports programs. The womens basketball team won the WNIT championship in 2014, and the mens track team won its first Big East Outdoor Championship in 2005.Rutgers was founded in 1766 as Queens College, an all-male institution, and affiliated with the Dutch Reformed Church. It was renamed Rutgers College in 1825 and became a land-grant institution in 1864. Women were allowed to join the university in 1918. The university officially became The State University of New Jersey in the mid-20th century.