This month, as students are diving into their college studies, many are also diving into some of the coolest pools you’ve ever seen.
Increasingly, schools across the country are spending millions of dollars on recreational water amenities that would rival some of the most elaborate waterparks out there. Colleges that used to compete on the basis of libraries and majors are now turning to lazy rivers and indoor beaches to attract and entertain a new generation of students.
The University of Missouri’s $39 million rec center comes complete with an indoor beach, a lazy river, a waterfall, and a grotto modeled after the one at Hugh Hefner's mansion. Texas Tech University spent $8.4 million on their leisure pool with a 635-foot lazy river, waterslide, and tanning terrace. Pensacola Christian College spent $1 million on a surfing “FlowRider” that pumps 600 gallons of water per second. And Auburn University reached record enrollment this year with their 240,000 square ft. rec center, complete with multiple climbing walls, a 45-person hot tub, and the nation’s longest indoor running track.
With the cost of college spiraling out of control, students need to keep in mind that they’ll be the ones footing the bill, with additional facility fees and taxes on top of their tuition.
Still, most students would rather pay the price now than live without these luxury perks. These multi-million dollar projects are often voted for by students who are forgetting that they’ll be the next class that graduates with the most debt in history.
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