The FBI has additionally gone undercover to discover what the going rate for a hit man is, and have revealed that several thousand is considered a generous offer in the underground crime world, with many hit men getting paid only a few hundred dollars or receiving drugs for their services.  The undercover world of crime is truly fascinating, especially for those of us who are not criminology majors and do not work for the FBI.  While movies like The Godfather rarely resemble life in the real world, there are still many instances of mobsters trying to kill off their rivals, looking to hit men to do the job for them.  In this sense, the world of crime is actually very real to those of us who are aware of the dangers of such undercover crime groups.

It is unclear how common this type of crime is, since many of the attempted murders go largely unreported, but a recent study by the Australian Institute of Criminology indicated that over a span of thirteen years, there were 163 instances of attempted and actual contract killings.  While the crime rate in Australia is drastically different from that of the United States, it is still an indication of how common the crime is when the numbers are evened out.  Russia is another country at the opposite end of the crime spectrum that studies have indicated has a wide prevalence of hit men-type killings.  While this is no surprise for many of (the post-Soviet bloc states have been accused of a wide range of crimes), it is an indication of how relatively easy it is for criminals to earn a living. 

Criminology is about more than just the study of hit men, of course, but this is one of the more interesting subjects regarding the nature of criminals.  It is one crime that is not only underreported, but is also very easy to cover up.  As the study of criminology continues to grow, we may develop a better way to discover the true nature of this crime as well as its prevalence. 
 

Biochemistry entails a deeper understanding of the intricacies of chemistry and biology, literally coming together to produce the greater field of biochemistry.  Most students of biochemistry take years of schooling, even completing a doctorate program in many cases, causing the degree to be highly sought after for early students of the field.  Technically speaking, the career choices of biochemists involve complicated studies of molecular compounds which I would not even be able to fathom, but they present a promising future for many students.  Genetics is a major part of the study of biochemistry and as we have barely grazed the service of the many DNA/RNA sequences in the body, there is much research to be done in this field, which is increasing exponentially with new forms of technology.

The new decade is additionally bringing change to the science community, as scientists are now needed for jobs that would not have previously required scientists.  The forensics department in many police stations now requires the expertise of biochemists and chemists alike to test for the DNA evidence left at the scene of the crime.  Only advances in technology have allowed this career opportunity to open up (and a cool one at that!).  No longer are biochemists confined to a lab for the majority of their career, but can actually practice their knowledge in a field like crime or something similar.  These recent advances are sure to only increase as more technology is implemented in other industries, finding new spots for scientists all over the place!

Science on the whole is an ever-changing industry, complete with technology that far surpasses that of many traditional career options in other fields.  Biochemistry is especially ever-evolving as progress in the field requires scientists to uncover more about our genetics and what DNA can truly reveal about the past generations of human existence.  While most of this work is confined to labs, there are still a multitude of career options for biochemists.  From police work to environmental testing to even government contract work, the possibilities are nearly endless for students going into the biochemistry field.  It is only a matter of finding the right niche for your future in biochemistry!
 

This type of discovery in Texas makes it clear that we still have much more research to do on the microbiology level, meaning that we need more and more students to become well schooled in the subject to produce top tier scientists and researchers.  Amoeba research is only one form of microbiology that seems set to expand over the next few years while revealing more about the evolution of modern humans.  However, there are many more levels to microbiology that have only been slightly touched upon, indicating that we have decades of research ahead of us.

Microbiology jobs are not a fleeting form of the science industry, but deal with life forms on one of the smallest scales imaginable.  The presences of billions of amoebas on a simply cow farm make it clear that life is evolving all around us in ways we could never previously recognize.  The significance of this group of clonal amoeba was simply that each amoeba was genetically identical to every other amoeba, spanning a distance of 40 feet.  This is even more significant because the amoebas were able to produce exact clones of each other, resulting in the billions of amoebas which graduate students observed in the dirt and cow dung.

Microbiology is not always this easy to observe in every day life, but typically takes on the more technical laboratory studies that scientists are associated with, many findings taking years to fully research.  However, microbiology jobs help promote this basic understanding of the science behind life and life forms, furthering research through every new experiment which is made.  While amoebas can be found in many similar settings, microbiologists cannot, and it is for this reason that many specialized fields such as microbiology remain open for recent microbiology graduates. 

Only a few years ago, many people convicted for rape in the southern states could be sentenced to the death penalty until 2008 when the Supreme Court ruled this was unconstitutional.  It is a far cry that only last year this was still a punishment option for a crime that definitely should be punished, but according to many criminologists does not come up to par with that of a serial killer.  Distinguishing between the levels of criminal intent is one job which both criminologists and legislators are forced to determine on a regular basis.  Many offenses were punished in past years far more severely than they deserved to be punished, resulting in higher prison numbers and a higher number of executions throughout the country.

Texas in particular made a name for itself in the 1990s as one of the most “execution-happy” states as it seemed to continuously rule for the death penalty in cases that other states would have ruled otherwise.  However, this decision is typically up to the states although many criminologists predict the decision will become less flexible in the upcoming years.  There is already a specified type of crime that has to be committed to earn a death penalty sentence and this box is becoming ever more closed in to only include the most heinous crimes that cannot go without punishment.  Criminologists evaluate this connection between the death penalty and crimes that are worthy of the sentence, many times concluding that states have become lax on their upholding of the policy. 

However, the death penalty has sparked countless numbers of debates around the country due to the sensitive nature of the topic.  Many states have opted to offer life sentences as a comparable option for death penalty sentences, thereby drastically cutting down on the amount of executions they have to perform, as well as the amount of research which must be done on the case.  Typically death penalty cases must have proved beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant has in fact committed the atrocious crime.  If there is the smallest amount of doubt with the prosecutor’s case, the sentence cannot be given despite any overarching evidence.  We do not want to commit the mistake of executing an innocent person, an issue that has recently come into light with the Todd Willingham arson case.  However, despite the controversial aspects of the death penalty, many criminologists devote much of their time to evaluating the many aspects of death sentences and their consequences. 

While it seems that biochemists are typically confined to a laboratory, recent years have indicated that more of their possible career options involve on-site work and travel to various oil rigs.  This has expanded previous notions of biochemists and allowed them to perform on a more flexible career standard, rather than becoming confined within the walls of a lab.  The inclusion of biochemists in many of these industries have opened up new career opportunities for promising biologists and chemists around the country, although most are centered in gulf regions where oil and gas companies reign supreme. 

Biochemistry additionally equips many students to sustain flexible jobs in unheard of career fields for the degree, such as police work.  Many biochemists have worked in jobs where they have had to work with a number of small particles and chemical compounds, making them an ideal choice for crime scene investigators and other forms of law enforcement who test chemical compositions found at crime scenes. 

The flexibility of biochemistry careers has allowed the science industry to break free of preconceived notions that students will be forced to endure a lifetime of laboratory work if they earn a degree in the field.  Due to the advancements in technology in recent years, this is only an option and not a dead end for biochemistry jobs.  Many biochemists want to further their research in a lab, but now all biochemists are not confined to this future in the field.  Developing more interesting and unconventional career choices are a part of any growing industry and helps attract a larger following for most degree programs.  If more students earn degrees in the sciences and go on to perform more research in the field, advancements will take place at a much more expedient pace. 

As computers become more heavily integrated into our society, computer science jobs become a more important part of the technological revolution.  Many computer science jobs go toward computer industries such as HP and Apple, in which their background knowledge of computers comes in hand for technical expertise.  Other computer science jobs train students of the technicalities of website building and set them up for a wide variety of career opportunities for many different companies.  Nearly every company owns a website now, and the task of manipulating the website to best inform customers of their purpose is usually left to computer science students.   

Additionally, computer science jobs no longer have to lead to traditional notions of jobs containing HTML and other programming languages, but in fact rarely involve such elements.  While computer programming languages remain a vital part of any computer science curriculum and the background knowledge, they are not as readily used in many computer science careers (at least as much as they were once used).   Computer science jobs have attained such a presence within the computer industry that nearly every university offers degree programs, even the most liberal arts schools. 

Computers are the technology of modern times and they do not appear to be going anywhere anytime soon.  As a result, computer scientists are constantly needed to help many of us out with any computer problem we may have, regardless of the extent of the problem.  Without computer scientists in many computer industries, many people would be unable to complete any work or would be unable to recover from a computer crash.  Computer science has maintained its presence in the technical world by proving its worth to the majority of society and by making great strides within the industry in general. 
 

Traditional

Check out these rankings first if you’re starting your college research from scratch.

1. Princeton Review Academics: View rankings for Best College Library, professors, financial aid and more.
2. U.S. News and World Report National Universities: This list features one of the most prestigious college rankings around.
3. Forbes: America’s Best Colleges 2008: This list ranks the Top 50 Overall, Top 25 Public, Top 25 Private, and even 30 Surprises.
4. College Prowler Academics: Browse schools by their College Prowler grade: A+, A, A-, B+ and so on.
5. College Rankings: America’s Best Colleges: AOL’s list includes top schools like Princeton, Harvard, Yale, California Institute of Technology and more.
6. The Top 50: College Humor’s list ranks Penn State, University of Florida and Virginia Tech as the top 3.

Business Schools

Check out these business school rankings to learn about specialty programs, executive programs and online schools.

7. 2008 Best Business Schools and Specialty Programs: Yahoo! Education’s lists cover best business schools overall, best Executive MBA programs and more.
8. Executive MBA Rankings: The Wall Street Journal’s ranking reviews each program and school in great detail.
9. Bschool.com: Research the Top Online Colleges with business programs here.
10. Best Schools by Specialty: BusinessWeek’s list helps business students find the best school for them by major–such as finance, management and consulting, marketing, and more.
11. The Best U.S. B-Schools of 2008: This interactive ranking lists Chicago’s Booth school in the top spot.
12. Top 50 Entrepreneurial Colleges for 2008: This list features both undergrad and graduate programs.

Atypical Rankings

From great schools for average students to rankings that are based on the campus squirrel population, these off-the-wall rankings are a lot of fun and strangely useful.

13. Parties: The Princeton Review’s Parties rankings include lists like Reefer Madness and Lots of Hard Liquor.
14. Up and Coming Schools: Forget Ivy Leagues. These schools are the ones everyone will be talking about in the next few years.
15. The Campus Squirrel Listings: Check out this ranking system to find out why "the quality of an institution of higher learning can often be determined by the size, health and behavior of the squirrel population on campus."
16. Best Social Life: According to StudentsReview, students at Tulane, Dartmouth and University of Missouri - Columbia have the best social life in the U.S.
17. A+ Options for B Students: Just because you’re not at the top of your class doesn’t mean you don’t deserve to go to a good school. Look for more options here.

Medical and Nursing Schools

Here you can find rankings and stats for medical schools and nursing schools.

18. Top 10 Medical Schools: You’ll find two separate lists for research schools and primary care schools.
19. Best Medical Schools: U.S. News and World Report ranked Harvard the best medical school in 2008. Find out who else made the list.
20. Medical School Rankings: This list ranks schools based on MCAT average and acceptance rate.
21. SDN PreMeds’ Medical School Index: The Student Doctor Network ranks nearly 150 medical schools here.
22. Nursing School Rankings: The Nursing Online Education Database ranks online degree programs here.
23. Guide to Health Programs: U.S. News and World Report ranks public health, pharmacy and nursing programs here.
24. Top Schools for Nursing: Purdue University, University of Florida and Wheaton College round out the top 3 in this list.

Demographics

Find out which schools are the most diverse and the most welcoming to minority students here.

25. Demographics: The Princeton Review: Here you can find several rankings related to demographics, including Most Religious Students, Gay Community Accepted, and Diverse Student Population.
26. Historically Black Colleges and Universities: Twenty-five historically African-American colleges are ranked in this list, including Tuskegee University and Spelman College.
27. 25 Top Colleges for Hispanics: Hispanic Magazine ranks schools like Princeton, Amherst and Stanford as being some of the best schools for Hispanic students.
28. 100 best colleges niche factor: CosmoGirl! ranks the best colleges for women based on career services, health services, athletics for women and more.
29. Top 50 Colleges for Black Students: Morehouse, Hampton University and Spelman College are ranked as the top 3 in this list.
30. Top 10 Most Diverse Schools: These schools welcome the most diverse student bodies in the country.
31. Best Colleges for Asian Americans: This site lists the top 15 liberal arts schools and top 15 universities that are most welcoming to Asian American students.

Law Schools

For help researching the best law schools, including best value law schools, check out this list.

32. Law School Rankings: The Princeton Review’s rankings include lists like Best Career Prospects and Best Classroom Experience.
33. Top 2008 Law School Rankings: This ranking system uses qualifications like student-faculty ratio, educational quality and more.
34. Guide to Law Schools: Discover the best law schools here, based on tuition, specialty offerings and more.
35. Judging the Law Schools: Here you’ll find rankings based on the institutional index, diversity index, value, quality and more.
36. Composite Law School Rankings: The Consus Group lists Yale, Harvard, Stanford, Columbia and NYU as their top 5 schools.
37. Best Value Law Schools: If you dream of going to law school but aren’t sure you can afford it, check out this list.
38. Law School Rankings: This site ranks the top 20 law schools in the U.S.

Technology

These days, schools compete to offer the most advanced technology resources and the best wireless options. Research wireless campuses here.

39. America’s Most Connected Campuses: Find out which college campuses are the best for wireless access and more.
40. Top 100 Wireless Colleges: Indiana University, Purdue, and The University of Texas at Austin are ranked as the top 3 wireless campuses in this list.

Campus and Buildings

If a beautiful campus is very important to you, visit these rankings that come with photos of the university and its grounds.

41. The 20 Most Beautiful Colleges in the USA: View pictures of campuses like Wagner College, CUNY Brooklyn, Rhodes Colleges and others here.
42. The 20 Ugliest Colleges in the USA: By comparison, you can see photos of the ugliest campuses here.
43. Top 5 Most Beautiful College Campuses: Princeton, Pepperdine, and Agnes Scott College are included in this list.

Attractiveness Rankings

Going to college isn’t just about getting an education and preparing for a career. Find out which schools have the most attractive student bodies.

44. College Prowler - Girls: Schools that earn an A+ for hot girls include Loyola College in Maryland, Arizona State and Pepperdine.
45. Best Looking/Most Attractive Women: College Confidential’s message boards rate the campuses with the hottest women.
46. College Prowler - Guys: Only two universities earn an A+ ranking here: Texas A&M and University of Arizona.
47. Hottest Student Bodies: Top 50 Universities Ranked by Looks: This list comes with pictures.
48. Best, most attractive college towns: Discover the most attractive college towns here, from Austin to Baton Rouge.

Best Value Rankings

Discover best value schools and schools that accept the most financial aid here.

49. Top 10 Best Value Colleges: View the best value public and private colleges here.
50. Tuition and Costs — Data and Rankings: This blog ranks schools like Brigham Young University and the U.S. Naval Academy according to tuition and financial aid.
51. Top 100 Colleges by Highest Tuition: Bates College, Middlebury College and Colby College are ranked as the top 3 most expensive colleges in this list.

Buzz Schools

These up-and-coming schools are starting to get more attention. Find out why.

52. 25 Hottest Schools: Newsweek’s list ranks the hottest schools for sports fans, the hottest Ivy, hottest men’s college and more.
53. The 10 Coolest (and Greenest) Colleges in America: Sustainablog ranks the most environmentally conscious schools here.

Athletics

For rankings on sports programs and athletic facilities, turn to this list.

54. Rankings - Athletics: Schools like LSU, OSU and UT receive an A+ for athletics from College Prowler.
55. Athletics - Overall: This blogger ranked schools’ athletic programs according to football bowl wins, intramural programs, number of NCAA championships and more.
56. NCAA Statistics and Records: Browse sports statistics by sport or championship records to evaluate schools.
57. The Associated Press Top 25 Poll: Sports Illustrated’s poll features schools like Alabama, Texas Tech, Florida, Oklahoma and USC.
58. Extracurriculars: The Princeton Review finds out which schools have the most team spirit and offer the best athletic facilities.

Online Schools

Online schools offer a lot of flexibility. Find out which top online college is the best deal or offers the best education here.

59. OEDB’s Online College Rankings: The Online Education Database’s list of online schools is helpful for distance learners and those going back to school.
60. Best Colleges and Universities Online: Check here for a wide range of online degree programs and online college reviews.
61. Online and Distance Learning Reviews: Schools like DeVry, Central Pennsylvania College and Keller Graduate School of Management are graded here.
62. The Top 25 Online Degree Programs: Highly recommended schools ranked here include AIU Online, University of Phoenix and more.

International Rankings

If you’re looking to enroll in an international university, use these rankings as a guide to finding the most reputable schools.

63. The Best International B-Schools of 2008: BusinessWeek’s list helps students wanting to enroll in an international business school research tuition, job offers and more.
64. Ranking Web of World Universities: This site believes that high web rankings can sometimes equal prestige and a good reputation.
65. European MBA Rankings: Schools like the London Business School and HEC Paris round out the top 10 here.
66. Financial Times Business school rankings: This British paper lists the best MBA programs available.
67. Guardian University Guide: The Guardian’s University Guide ranks universities around the UK.
68. International Side by Side Rankings: Here you can compare the top rankings of business schools as determined by The Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek, Asia Inc., India Times, and more.

Rankings by Students

If you’d like to know what students have to say about their university, check out these rankings.

69. Rate My Professors: Here students can recommend or warn other students about professors. Rankings are organized by hotness factor, homework, and level of difficulty.
70. College Prowler: This fun site is "written by students for students."
71. StudentsReview: The SR Dynamic University and College Rankings include lists like the Top Creative Schools, Most Beautiful Campus and The Top IVY.

Rankings by Region/Location

From Northeast to the Midwest to the West, these rankings are divided up by region.

72. Best Regional Colleges: Browse The Princeton Review’s best colleges in the Northeast, Midwest, Southeast and West.
73. 2007 Best Universities by Region: Browse universities that offer opportunities for degrees up to Master’s level in the Midwest, North, South and West here.
74. The Top Midwest Colleges: This website ranks and provides information for Midwestern colleges like Carleton College, St. Olaf College, Kalamazoo College and others.
75. Baccalaureate Colleges (West): If you want to go to college in a state like Texas, Oklahoma or Hawaii, check out this list.
76. Top 10 Southern Colleges by Salary Potential: PayScale rates Rice University, Georgetown, and Duke as offering the most successful career preparation and prospects for students.
77. Best Schools in California by Salary Potential: California has a plethora of colleges and universities to choose from. Use this list to find the one that will help you land a great job after graduation.
78. Baccalaureate Colleges (Midwest) Rankings: This 2009 list ranks Taylor University, Ohio Northern University and Augustana in the top 3.

Private Schools and Liberal Arts Universities

If you’ve decided that you want a liberal arts education, check out these rankings.

79. 100 Best Values in Private Colleges: Not all private schools are out of your reach. Find the best value schools here.
80. Liberal Arts Colleges: Amherst College tops the 2009 list. Find out the rest of the schools that are ranked by U.S. News and World Report here.
81. Top Colleges: Four-Year Liberal Arts Colleges in the U.S.: This guide reviews popularly ranked schools like Amherst College and Middlebury College.
82. Top Liberal Arts Colleges by Salary Potential: Bucknell University, Colgate University and Amherst College prepare students for high paying salaries, according to this ranking.

Public Schools

These rankings only feature public schools, so you don’t have to waste your time sorting through schools that won’t appeal to you.

83. 100 Best Values in Public Colleges: Kiplinger’s list is a great resource for students operating on a budget.
84. Top Public Schools: National Universities: More than 65 public universities like UVA, University of Michigan - Ann Arbor and College of William and Mary are ranked here.
85. Top Public Universities: Here you’ll find reviews of some of the best state-funded universities, like Georgia Tech, UCLA, and UNC - Chapel Hill.
86. Top State Universities by Salary Potential: PayScale reports that graduates from University of California, Berkeley, UVA and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo earn competitive salaries.

Art Schools

For rankings of art schools, turn to this list.

87. Best Graduate Schools Fine Arts: RISDE, Yale and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago are ranked in the top 3 on this list.
88. The Best Design Schools in the World: BusinessWeek has ranked 60 design schools "from Arizona State to Zollverein."
89. Design School Rankings: This article reviews different rankings systems and explains the methodology used for ranking design schools.
90. Top Creative Schools: StudentsReview ranks Dartmouth, University of California - Irvine and Brown University among the top creative schools in the country.

Engineering Schools

Here you’ll find rankings of engineering schools in the U.S.

91. Engineering School Rankings: Review rankings criteria and lists from different websites here.
92. Best Engineering Schools: Find out how U.S. News and World Report ranked the country’s engineering schools in 2008.
93. Top Engineering Schools: You might be surprised by the schools that top this list.

Graduate Schools

Graduate students will find that these rankings and lists are very helpful.

94. America’s Best Graduate Schools: Browse graduate schools by academic discipline here.
95. 2008 Best Graduate Schools and Programs: Browse graduate programs in education, engineering, health, science, social science and the humanities.
96. America’s Top Grad Schools: Read CBS’ report here.
97. The Top American Research Universities: View reports from 2000-2006.
98. PhDs.org: The Customized Graduate School Rankings tool will help you find the best program and school for your goals.

Miscellaneous

For even more college rankings and lists, visit these sites.

99. Study Abroad Program Search: Peterson’s list can help you find the best schools with the best study abroad options.
100. Top 10 Schools with the Happiest Students: According to this list, students at Clemson University and Brown University are the happiest college students in the U.S.

Starting in the early 1990s, computer engineering was used to study the exact science of making music using a bow, and the subsequent music the movement of the bow produced.  Additionally, the early ability of computers to mimic symphonies through synthetic orchestras was a feat in itself for any computer engineering professional.  These early researchers were attempting to find more than just the tone of the music, but also the “gesture”, the essence of the musical performance.  It is not easy to mimic the gesture of performance as every musician contains a slightly different bow hold or exerts slightly different pressure on the instrument.  Regardless of this fact, computer engineers have been working for years to perfect this method and produce the underlying sound of the gesture through new methods.

It seems like music is one of the farthest things from computer engineering, but many engineers have developed digitalized programs which monitor musical performance by using computers designed specifically for this task.  Other programs capture the gestures of the conductor by using a special glove that measures the nuances of every conductor’s gestures and translates them to further electronic sound.  These early computerized instruments represented a leap in the computer industry away from simple programming and onward to a new frontier in which the arts could be represented in electronic form.  The gestural form of music as recorded by these programs serve to compress the musical files, essentially creating files that contain more characters than many long novels. 

These programs spoke to the future of the computer and music industry, intending to promote future generations to become easily adept at music synthesis.  This form of computer engineering represents a new field that has opened up due to increasing technological advances on the subject.  Since this time of early research on music and gestures, science has expanded to make computers a way of life for many people around the world, analyzing complex data and compressing even larger files over the years.  As long as computers remain a vital part of our existence, computer engineering jobs will always be in high demanded by the technical world in many different fields and industries. 

Football

These blogs will keep you updated on everything happening in the world of college football.

1. Fanblogs.com. This collaborative blog is all about football, including bowl game schedules, interviews, and the requisite Sunday morning armchair coaching.
2. College Football Resource. Read opinions about college football playoffs, get power rankings, and watch live blog video.
3. HeismanPundit.com. Learn everything you could want to know about the Heisman including the history and origin of the award to current Heisman contenders.
4. SEC Football Insight(er). Written by a sports journalist, this blog focuses on information and opinion about Southeastern Conference football.
5. TheWizofOdds.com. Read about all things college football on this blog that also offers a podcast and links to other blog podcasts.
6. In The Bleachers. Not only can you read about college football on this blog, but you can also access the popular podcast here as well.
7. NCAA Football Fanhouse. Sponsored by AOL, this collaborative blog brings you news, opinions, and more on college football.
8. Dodds and Ends. This blog features mostly college football, but also delves into other college sports like baseball and hockey.
9. Mr. College Football. This journalist writes opinion and news on college football in this blog from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
10. SEC Football Blogger. If SEC football is your game, check out this blog for all the latest including pick and predictions.
11. College Game Balls. This college football blog brings you rankings, news, video, and more.
12. View from North America. While this is technically a general sports blog, the focus is mostly on college football.

Basketball

Students and college hoops fans will find these blog useful when it comes to staying in the loop.

13. NCAA Basketball Fanhouse. Like their football sister site, this AOL-sponsored blog provides news and more about college basketball.
14. Hoops on Campus. This college basketball blog also hits on other college sports news, especially in the off-season.
15. Burlison’s World. This long-time college basketball writer blogs about basketball and more here.
16. 35 Seconds. From news to recruiting and everything in between, this blog tells all about college basketball.
17. YOCO :: College Basketball. Read news and commentary on college basketball at this blog. They do take a break during the summer, but don’t worry, they return in the fall.
18. College Hoops Gazette. Carolina basketball fans will love this site that provides information on all things basketball–and even a few other topics.
19. The Bracket Board. This blog offers analysis of teams by considering NCAA selection criteria standards instead of merely relying on the polls.
20. March Madness All Season. Get predictions, analysis and more on this blog written by a freelance college basketball writer.
21. Hoopville. This news aggregator provides all the headlines that have to do with college basketball news.
22. Notes From A Basketball Junkie. Get analyses, predictions, and more from this blog with a focus on Mid-American Conference news.
23. The Dagger. This blog brings you up-to-date information, news, and more on college basketball.

Baseball

If college baseball is your game, stay on top of it all with these blogs.

24. The College Baseball Blog. Find out about college baseball games, players, team information, and more at this blog.
25. Baseball America College. Get news and updates on college baseball with this blog.
26. ESPN College Baseball Blog. Check out this new ESPN blog that provides news and analysis of college baseball.
27. Yard Barker College Baseball. This blog offers news, information, gossip, video and more on college baseball.
28. Big Ten Hardball. If it’s Big 10 and it’s baseball, then this blog will give you the latest news.
29. Black College Baseball. This blog brings the latest from HBCU baseball teams including news, statistics, and MLB draftees.
30. Rounding Third. As much for college ball players as for the fans, this blog is all about helping players get to the next level beyond college ball.
31. Baseball Factory Blog. This blog offers information about the college recruiting process with plenty of information for students, parents, and fans.

Hockey

Find out the latest in college hockey with the following blogs.

32. Western College Hockey. If you want news from both Central College Hockey Association and Western Collegiate Hockey Association, this blog will give you the information you want.
33. Western College Hockey II. The sister blog to the previous one, this blog offers longer posts including roster information, in depth previews, and more.
34. College Hockey News Blog. Get news, updates, and analyses on college hockey at this blog written by veteran hockey journalists.
35. Inside College Hockey Podcasts. Read the summary of each podcast as well as get links to listen to the full articles on this site.
36. The World of Junior Hockey. Anything from high school to Michigan College Hockey. While this blog definitely has a slant towards Michigan hockey, you will also find news relating to the rest of college hockey as well.
37. The College Hockey (& Other Stuff) Blog. Get news and updates on college hockey (men’s and women’s) as well as various other information here.

Women’s Basketball

Stay on top of all that is happening in women’s basketball with these blogs.

39. Women’s Hoops Blog. This blog keeps you updated with all the news in women’s college basketball.
40. Mechelle Voepel. This ESPN writer covers women’s college basketball among other things in her personal blog.
41. girlsbasketballrecruit. Read profiles of college basketball players and recruiting news at this blog.
42. BB-BLOG. Find SEC women’s basketball news and information at this blog that invites comments to keep the dialog open.
43. She’s Got Game. With a strong emphasis on women’s college basketball, this blog brings news of the sport.
44. UConn Women’s Hoops Blog. Get information on women’s basketball at University of Connecticut with this blog.

Not Just One Sport

If you just love college sports and like a more well-rounded approach to your news and information, these blogs will keep you up-to-date on all the sports from all the top online colleges.

45. The Quad. This blog from the New York Times touches on all things college sport related from the Heisman to March Madness.
46. Sportsday College Sports Blog. From the Dallas Morning News, this blog discusses college sports with an emphasis on Texas and Big 12 teams.
47. Dodgy At Best. With a focus on college football and basketball, this blog also touches on golf, soccer, horse racing, and more.
48. College Sports Blog. From the Boston Globe, this blog brings you information, news, and more on college sports with a Boston perspective.
49. NCAA Double-A Zone. Read this official blog of the NCAA for information and news that pertain to college sports.
50. CollegeSportsInfo News. From football and basketball and beyond, get all the latest news on college sports.
51. SportsBiz - The Business of Sports Illuminated. Economics and sports meet in this blog that not only looks at college sports, but all sports.
52. I’m Writing Sports. Written by a journalism student, this blog features all sports with a heavy emphasis on college news and events.
53. College Sports Blog. College sports and TV intersect in this blog that keeps you up-to-date with all the sports on TV and news pertaining to showing college sports on TV.
54. College Sports Pro. These two Ohio fans blog about all things college sports, but with an emphasis on football and basketball.
55. College Sports Blog. Get news and more on college sports with a Southern California perspective from this blog courtesy of The Press-Enterprise.
56. College Sports Blog. This news aggregator keeps you up-to-date on all the college sports news available.
57. Bleacher Report. This "open source sports network" allows journalists to write and participants to edit these sports articles to ensure you always get the best quality news articles.

By School

Your favorite school may be among these blogs that highlight a particular college and their athletes.

58. Burnt Orange Nation. University of Texas fans will enjoy following this blog to learn all the latest on UT sports as well as get rosters, stats, and schedules.
59. Roll ‘Bama Roll. If you are a Crimson Tide fan, you won’t want to miss this blog that covers all sports at University of Alabama.
60. And the Valley Shook. This "unofficial" blog of the LSU Tigers discusses football, baseball, and more as the seasons change.
61. A Sea of Blue. For University of Kentucky sports fans, this blog brings the best of the Big Blue.
62. The Auburn Beat. This blog will help you keep up with all the latest news from the world of sports at Auburn University.
63. Black Heart Gold Pants. Iowa Hawkeye fans will enjoy the posts on this blog that touch mostly on football and basketball–and include plenty of funny sports photos that have received a little help.
64. Mullen’s Vol Blog. The University at Tennessee athletics gets coverage on this blog written by Bryan Mullens with The Tennessean.
65. Dawg Sports. Find out what is happening with the Georgia Bulldogs when it comes to football, baseball, and basketball on this blog.
66. MGoBlog. Get news as it pertains to Michigan sports–including football, basketball, hockey, and more.
67. Orange and Blue Hue. Gater fans will love this collaborative blog that brings you news and opinions on all sports things from University of Florida.
68. Razorback Blogs. This blog serves a duel purpose–to share the news out about Arkansas Razorbacks sports (especially football) and to share links to other Razorback blogs.
69. Vanderbilt Sports Online. Read about news and events as well as opinions on all Vanderbilt sports at this blog.
70. Double Extra Point. Huskers will enjoy reading this blog that focuses on football from the University of Nebraska and beyond.
71. The Williams and Hyatt Show Blog. This blog is an extension of the Sports Radio 1340 from Lubbock and mostly features sports from Texas Tech.
72. Domer Sports Report. If Notre Dame sports is your thing, check out this blog that features football and men’s and women’s basketball, plus the Bengal Bouts (and yes, you’ll have to pay for amateur boxing tickets) among other athletic topics.
73. Down with Goldy. Get all the latest on Golden Gopher basketball on this blog.
74. Bruins Nation. Bruins fans can keep up with all the sports news including baseball, basketball, football, and more.
75. Blue Devil Nation. Read about all the latest news when it comes to Duke basketball and football on this blog.
76. Hall of Canes. Miami Hurricanes sports news, analysis, and opinion is featured on this blog.
77. House of Sparky. Get news, gossip, and more on this blog that brings you the latest out of Arizona State’s athletics including baseball, basketball, and football.
78. Building the Dam. This unofficial Oregon State University blog not only brings you the most popular sports news, you can also read about news from under-reported sports as softball, gymnastics, and more.
79. USC Blitz. Get recaps, analysis, videos, and more on this blog dedicated to USC football.
80. I Am The 12th Man. Aggie fans can get their fix on all the news from Texas A&M here.
81. Card Chronicle. From basketball to baseball to football, find out what is going on with the Louisville Cardinals at this blog.
82. Block U. This unofficial blog of the Utah Running Utes covers gymnastics to baseball and everything in between.

By Conference

No matter which conference you follow, these blogs will help you keep up with everything that is happening.

83. ESPN - Big 12. Get all the latest news on the Big 12 teams from this blog sponsored by ESPN.
84. ESPN - Pac-10. Written by journalist Ted Miller, this blog features all the news coming out of the Pac-10.
85. ACC Basketblog. Despite the title, this blog delivers information about football and basketball news happening in the ACC.
86. Patriot League. Get all the latest on sports from the Patriot League including women’s soccer, football, field hockey, and more.
87. NBE Basketball Report. If it’s happening in the Big East and is about basketball, you can find out about it here.
88. Big Tenet. You’ll find news and discussion about Big 10 sports on this blog.
89. The Rivalry, Esq.. Big 10 football is the focus of this blog with plenty of updates, opinion, and analysis.
90. ESPN-SEC. Chris Low, former writer for The Tennessean, covers SEC news, offers opinion, and more.
91. Centennial Conference. Get news and information about basketball, baseball, field hockey, lacrosse, and more happening in the Centennial Conference from this blog.
92. Team Speed Kills. This SEC blog covers baseball, basketball, football, and even a little poker.

Women Bloggers

Sports aren’t just for men. These women bloggers offer great insight and information on college sports.

93. Huskies Football. This blog offers an excellent insight to football at University of Washington as well as some comment on college football in general.
94. Sports, Media & Society. Written by a sports journalist and professor, this blog focuses on women in sports–often as it pertains to college.
95. Cute Sports. Offering sports from a woman’s perspective, this blog focuses mostly on sports from University of Wisconsin, but also touches on a few other Wisconsin-centric sports.
96. Getting to First Base. Written by a student at the University of Nebraska, this blog touches on a variety of topics including Cornhusker games and her dearest love, baseball.
97. The Sports Diva Magazine. If you are an Ohio sports fan, check out this collaborative blog written by women that frequently posts information and opinion about college sports in Ohio.
98. Gridiron Goddess. This sports-loving, former student from USC writes mostly about football and mostly about college football on her blog.
99. Joanna’s Longhorn Baseball Page. Full of updates, recaps, and photos of the games, this blog offers everything for Texas baseball fans.
100. Women’s Sports Blog. Written by a woman with a focus on women’s sports, this blog often includes news and information about women’s college sports, including basketball, soccer, and field hockey.

We have all heard of the historical universities in England such as Oxford and Cambridge, but how much do we really know about the historical roots of these schools?  Universities came into existence well before they emerged in Europe as we know it today, stemming from Greek, Asian, and Middle Eastern roots.  These areas all had universities as early as 387 B.C., although the modern notion of a university did not emerge until the 9th century, with the University of Al Karaouine in Morocco.  This began the era of education as we know it today, and ushered in a new wave of degree-granting institutions.  The first universities in England emerged during the medieval times, with the University of Oxford created in 1167, as the third “degree-granting” university in Europe.  The University of Cambridge followed shortly thereafter (in 1209), and many sources indicate these early English schools were modeled after the Islamic institutions of the times. 

The early universities in Europe were developed under the eye of the Catholic Church, although they began to be founded by Kings, and later through various administrations.  The degrees that were offered in these early universities were quite unlike the degree programs as we know them to be today, and Oxford in particular offered an interesting amalgamation of the system of trivium and quadrivium.  The trivium involved the completion of grammar, rhetoric, and dialectic or logic, while quadrivium involved the studies of arithmetic, geometry, music, and astronomy.  Degree programs emerged from these early studies, and additionally evolved after the Middle Ages.  The end of the medieval era brought with it theories of enlightenment and revolution, thereby involving a new form of education which helped shape the research institutions which we now know as modern universities.

However, England has held strong to their historical roots, as Oxford and Cambridge continue to be two of the most recognizable schools in the world.  Oxford itself remains the world’s oldest surviving university in the English-speaking world and has evolved with the times to become a leading research institution.  The school continues to draw students from all realms of the world due to its vast historical roots and architecture.  There is nothing like it in the United States or in other Western nations.  Cambridge is only a few years younger than Oxford, and is complete with a history of its own, with its foundation based on the exile of several Oxford scholars.  These two schools have set the tide for continuing education in England and have paved the way for many students to earn their degrees through historical and academically superior institutions.