How Orlando Became A College Town 

Orlando isn’t a college town, it’s a major city that UCF is the ever growing hometown team for. East Orlando around the campus is definitely a college town, so you get the best of both worlds with college town vibe with a major city a 15 minute drive away.

As a UCF junior I cannot vouch enough for my school! I honstly believe our school is incredibly underrated. What everyone said in the video is 100% true. Becuase of our size and growth, we have resources and opportunitues that other schools couldn't dream of having. I have changed my major 4 times since I have started here and UCF and the professors have been nothing but amazing. I had one chemistry professor I did not love but that is okay lol. I cannot wait to come back as an alumni and see how UCF is going to contingue to grow!

I'm a UCF student and absolutely love it here, I can't say enough good things about it. Orlando has so so much to do and it's been an absolute blast.

The city of Orlando isn't, but the area around UCF kind of is. Coolest part of going to UCF is you can stay near campus which is huge and has tons to do already, or do a reasonable drive to the beach, or the opposite way to downtown Orlando or a little further to Universal or Disney. It's all in reach, so many options nearby when UCF already has so much to offer. Loved it, great destination. Football will be an even bigger deal next year in the Big12 though, so get ready. GKCO!

As someone who moved to, went to school at, and lived around UCF and the Central Florida area for almost two decades, I think the right answer is this: UCF is truly very prominent in Central Florida, but Orlando is its own city, NOT a "college town." Each area of Central Florida has its own identity, from downtown Orlando, Kissimmee, Winter Park, Altamonte Springs, Lake Nona, and many more, each with a specific population that reflects what is prominent in that area (students in East Orlando, hospitality in Disney and I-drive, professionals in DT Orlando, medical personnel in lake Nona and winter park, etc.). The biggest benefit is that all these areas are within 30 minutes to one hour driving distance from each other, so you can reap the benefits from the diversity of any location with ease. I think a "college town" is defined as a place where you would see almost exclusively its own college fans that move there, go to school there, live there, and stay there indefinitely. Central Florida has a VERY healthy population of alumni from UF, USF, FSU, UM, and tons of other out of state schools that moved there to work, live and thrive, so although I am as passionate a UCF fan as everyone else in the video, by definition no, Orlando is not a "college town." UCF IS Orlando's Hometown Team.

I love college towns. I love hanging out in Ann Arbor and East Lansing because of the energy and so many things like the university’s museums, sports events, etc. I love traveling to different college towns and checking out the traditions and vibes. The cool thing about what I observe about Orlando is that it may not be a college town, but it certainly has a college “district.” That’s of big appeal to me as an eventual destination. I don’t know where else you can get that unique mix of college, theme park, downtown and outdoor activities.

Great video! Really captured the excitement around game day and for current/alum passion for their school.

This is so funny to me because growing up here (and I’m 34), UCF was nicknamed “U Can’t Finish” because you would be in school FOREVER😂! So everyone would venture out to other schools like USF, UF, FAMU, BCU or community. I went to Rollins. It’s insane to see how the popularity for UCF has grown over the past decade.

Originally from Hawaii. Went to UCF 2016-2019. A happy FL resident and plan to settle here!

Another Epic video from the Ambassador of Orlando 🫡

Love this. Always such a good time at the UCF games!

Another great vid!! Class of 2003! It is different from other college towns where there is more to do here since its a tourist town too. Great Win GO KNIGHTS!!!

Great Video… Really enjoyed watching! Keep up great content.

Fun fact back in the day the other Nickname for UCF besides "U Can't Finish" which was "Under Construction Forever" which was true cause they built new parking lots and the whole area around the Arena was being built up. I didn't mind since I knew my tuition was at least going somewhere I could actually see. 😁. It's amazing what it is now! A lazy river??? Come on now where was that back then!?!?!

From someone who went to The University of Cincinnati…thanks for reminding me about this game. :/

No one giving credit to the first score prediction guy - he said it'd be 27-21 and he was damn close, considering it ended 25-21!

It is also on the top 20 Best Employers for the state of Florida!

Love UCF ❤ graduated from the Burnett Honors college there and coming back to kick off a movement with UCF

Awesome video! Go knights! 💛🖤

Ken, you gotta do more UCF videos man. My son is applying here in a year. We regularly visit the theme parks yearly and are DVC Members. Go Knights!

I’m hoping to transfer here from my current university in FL. I’m praying I get in! This is the school that went from underdog status to something extraordinary. 🤞🤞🤞

I went to college in Orlando from 2000-2004.. It was definitely not your typical college town, but certain pockets are. Especially in the Alafaya area, not so much Orlando the city.. its more of a tourist town

Awesome video brother. Thanks to you I've tried the man on the street videos and now I'm having some success with them

UCF is a great school environment and its own little "college town" on campus. The surrounding areas are nothing like a typical college town though. Many are downright "bad". Orlando itself is 15-20 minutes away and has plenty of "college town" areas- but they happen to be closer to Rollins than UCF.

Awesome video! Go Knights!

Great video! Makes me want to go back to college!……..buuuut I’m kinda good with that 😄

Ken is getting swoll. If real estate doesn't work out for him he could be a bouncer for one of Orlando's world-class nightclubs.

I remember in the 90s it turned into a basketball pretty quickly

I am a foreigner and I always like had this idea on how college looks due to movies and series, and went I went to college back in my hometown Venezuela, I would assume the college in Orlando would be the same or even birgger... God I was so wrong when I took the tour. UCF is seriously huge and I believe at this point, they should build like some kind of trains around campus to go around from all the way to the top of the campus map to all the way to the bottom of the campus map. Seriously... How and why is UCF so huge? XD

Tallahassee and Gainesville are true college towns. ...UCF campus is a great college campus. The football team just needs to go back to the beautiful gold uniforms.

Glad to be an alumni

Not a college town. UCF is in the far northeastern corner of Orange County but it's not in Orlando and not even really close to the city. The campus is closer to Oviedo in Seminole County than it is to Orlando. The campus also isn't a "town." It's a sprawling campus in the suburbs on the edge of highways and strip malls. When students want the town experience you'll find them 20 or 30 minutes away in downtown Winter Park or downtown Orlando.

Hey Ken!! We love your videos! We are considering a move to the Orlando area from northern Arizona, and my husband may have the chance to work at UCF. We were out there exploring the area recently, and we visited most of the suburbs you regularly report on- the one we fell in love with was Winter Garden! Then we found out how long it takes to drive from winter garden to UCF- one hour!? Are there any suburbs a little closer (but still removed) from the immediate Orlando/UCF area that have the charming small-town feel like winter garden does? We are a couple in our thirties with 2 boys, 9 and 13. Thank you so much!!

I think Gainesville is the only real college town in florida where almost everything revolves around the University. Orlando is not that.

I just got a house there so Im Good

Hey Ken, can you do an updated video of Altamonte & Maitland ?

East Orlando, or East of downtown to UCF is for sure a college town. All of Orlando though is not. It's getting there but not quite. GKCO!

it's a real estate commercial.. CHARGE ON KNIGHTS!!!

Orlando isn’t a college town overall just around that area Alafaya & Colonial. The only true college town in Florida is Tallahassee with FSU,FAMU & TCC all within a 10 mile radius.

No it’s Disney world palace

no

"students" not "kids" lol!

Orland is not a college town, it's a college-in-ten-years town because of all the children

Well let's be honest here, ucf has one of the biggest ONLINE programs in the country. There aren't anywherw near 75k students walking around campus.

Yes it is

Not a college town. UCF is in the far northeastern corner of Orange County but it's not in Orlando and not even really close to the city. The campus is closer to Oviedo in Seminole County than it is to Orlando. The campus also isn't a "town." It's a sprawling campus in the suburbs on the edge of highways and strip malls. When students want the town experience you'll find them 20 or 30 minutes away in downtown Winter Park or downtown Orlando.