A NEW VERSION of an old joke goes like this: Why did Starbucks cross the road? To get to the customers on the other side.

Not so much funny as insightful. The point here is that Starbucks has a business plan that includes opening stores across the street from existing stores. You can read a great story on this concept in today's Wall Street Journal. But what does this have to do with college?

Well, a new study conducted by educational researchers at Stanford University suggests that college students often make decisions about where to attend college based on...yes, here it comes...how many Starbucks are near the school. Now, that's oversimplifying the study to be sure, but the point is that location (defined here as 'is there a Starbucks close by') plays a huge role in where people go to college. Researchers say that the modern coffee shop is so critical to the 'college experience' that students want to make sure that the school they attend can give them that experience.

Not exactly the way your parents picked a college! So is this a good way to pick what school you are going to attend next year? Probably not. But just in case it is, we did a bit of research of our own and found out that there are 33 Starbucks within a 5 miles radius of Columbia Union College (yes, you read that correctly). Here are the closest few (and a link to all 33 right here.)

Sip on that for a while, then leave us a comment and let us know if the 'coffeeshop experience' is something you identify with.

Labels: campus visits, Can Your College Do This?, restaurants, student life, washington dc