College towns may not be what makes or breaks a decision on where to go to school, but they are an important factor and should be considered.

According to the Princeton Review's "College City Gets High Marks" list, many of the nation's best college towns are big cities. As part of the publication's Best Colleges rankings series, the list is based on an extensive survey of 130,000 students at 379 schools.

When picking a college, one should consider what the town has to offer. For example, prospective drama students should look in the Big Apple for its proximity to Broadway and the plethora of other performance venues.

1. Boston University

Location: Boston Mass.

School Type: Private - research

Acceptance Rate: 37 percent, highly selective

Nearby: A quick ride on the train from downtown Boston

2. Tulane University

Location: New Orleans, La.

School Type: Private - research

Acceptance Rate: 26 percent, highly selective

Nearby: Mississippi River is within walking distance

3. DePaul University

Location: Chicago, Ill.

School Type: Private - Catholic

Acceptance Rate: 60 percent, selective

Nearby: Lincoln Park

4. New York University

Location: New York, N.Y.

School Type: Private - research

Acceptance Rate: 32 percent, highly selective

Nearby: Broadway, off-Broadway, off-off-Broadway, countless other theaters

5. George Washington University

Location: Washington, D.C.

School Type: Private - coeducational research

Acceptance Rate: 33 percent, highly selective

Nearby: Capitol Hill

6. Southern Methodist University

Location: Dallas, Texas

School Type: Private - research

Acceptance Rate: 51 percent, selective

Nearby: Dallas World Aquarium

7. City University of New York - Hunter College

Location: New York, N.Y.

School Type: Public

Acceptance Rate: 31 percent, selective

Nearby: Central Park is two blocks away

8. Columbia University

Location: New York, N.Y.

School Type: Private - Ivy League research

Acceptance Rate: 7 percent, highly selective

Nearby: In between Riverside and Morningside Parks

9. College of Charleston

Location: Charleston, S.C.

School Type: Public

Acceptance Rate: 70 percent, selective

Nearby: The Battery

10. Northeastern University

Location: Boston, Mass.

School Type: Private, research

Acceptance Rate: 32 percent, highly selective

Nearby: Fenway Park