Rankings

Best Ski Resorts for College Students

Broke but stoked -- the college skier's eternal state. These resorts understand that your budget is ramen-level but your stoke is off the charts. Affordable passes, solid nightlife, and terrain that'll make those student loans feel slightly more justified.

15 resorts ranked·Scored 0-100

Grand Targhee Resort

IkonWyoming

Grand Targhee Resort delivers serious value with 2,200' of vertical and 500" of snow.

500" snow/yr2,200' vertical2,602 acres10,200' summit

Powderhorn Mountain Resort

IndependentColorado

Powderhorn Mountain Resort delivers serious value with 1,650' of vertical and 250" of snow.

250" snow/yr1,650' vertical1,600 acres9,850' summit

Purgatory Resort

IkonColorado

Purgatory Resort delivers serious value with 2,029' of vertical and 260" of snow.

260" snow/yr2,029' vertical1,605 acres10,822' summit

Red Mountain

IndependentBritish Columbia

Red Mountain delivers serious value with 3,706' of vertical and 300" of snow.

300" snow/yr3,706' vertical2,919 acres7,606' summit

Alta

IkonUtah

Alta delivers serious value with 2,020' of vertical and 547" of snow.

547" snow/yr2,020' vertical2,614 acres10,550' summit

Cervinia

IndependentAlps

Cervinia delivers serious value with 5,578' of vertical.

5,578' vertical12,139' summit

Crested Butte

EpicColorado

Crested Butte delivers serious value with 2,787' of vertical.

2,787' vertical1,547 acres12,162' summit

Garmisch-Partenkirchen

IndependentAlps

Garmisch-Partenkirchen delivers serious value with 6,929' of vertical.

6,929' vertical9,718' summit

Jay Peak Resort

IndependentVermont

Jay Peak Resort delivers serious value with 2,153' of vertical and 359" of snow.

359" snow/yr2,153' vertical385 acres3,968' summit

Keystone

EpicColorado

Keystone delivers serious value with 3,128' of vertical.

3,128' vertical3,148 acres12,408' summit

Sugar Bowl Resort

IndependentCalifornia

Sugar Bowl Resort delivers serious value with 1,501' of vertical and 500" of snow.

500" snow/yr1,501' vertical1,650 acres8,383' summit

Winter Park Resort

IkonColorado

Winter Park Resort delivers serious value with 3,060' of vertical and 344" of snow.

344" snow/yr3,060' vertical3,081 acres12,060' summit

Breckenridge

EpicColorado

Breckenridge delivers serious value with 3,398' of vertical and 353" of snow.

353" snow/yr3,398' vertical2,908 acres12,998' summit

Aspen

IkonColorado

Aspen delivers serious value with 3,267' of vertical.

3,267' vertical5,700 acres11,212' summit

Heavenly Mountain Resort

EpicCalifornia

Heavenly Mountain Resort delivers serious value with 3,527' of vertical and 360" of snow.

360" snow/yr3,527' vertical4,800 acres10,067' summit

How We Score

Each resort gets a 0-100 score based on weighted attributes specific to this category. We pull from real data: average annual snowfall, skiable acres, vertical drop, summit elevation, pass coverage, proximity to major airports, and editorial “best for” tags from our resort profiles.

Scores are normalized so the best resort in each attribute gets 100 and the rest scale proportionally. The final score is a weighted average -- heavier weights go to the attributes that matter most for each category.

This isn't pay-to-play. No resort can buy a higher ranking. It's math, data, and a little editorial judgment.

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