These 5 Colleges Had the Biggest COVID Outbreaks
More than 6,600 cases have been tied to U.S. colleges—these campuses were hit the hardest.

As a new school year quickly approaches, educational institutions of all levels are faced with big decisions brought on by the coronavirus—including hundreds of colleges and universities across the United States. With that in mind, The New York Times conducted a comprehensive survey of every public four-year college in the country to find out how many COVID-19 cases have been reported on campus since the beginning of the pandemic. The survey also included all private institutions that compete in Division I sports and all schools identified as members "of an elite group of research universities." The results revealed more than 6,600 coronavirus cases across about 270 colleges. In addition, the survey results leveraged a database from Davidson College in North Carolina that gathered each school's plan, as of July 24, for conducting classes once the fall semester begins. Read on to see the five U.S. colleges with the biggest COVID outbreaks, and find out what they are planning to do come fall. And for more on the coronavirus and its impact on education, check out The 8 Most Likely Ways Kids Can Spread COVID at School, Experts Say.
5
University of Washington

Location: Seattle, Washington
Cases: 249
Plan for fall classes: Primarily or fully online
And to learn about a seemingly unrelated place that parallels schools' potential for COVID outbreaks, Reopening These Is "The Equivalent of Reopening Bars," Harvard Doctor Says.
4
Texas A&M University

Location: College Station, Texas
Cases: 302
Plan for fall classes: Primarily or fully in-person
3
University of Georgia

Location: Athens, Georgia
Cases: 390
Plan for fall classes: Primarily or fully in-person
And for one expert's opinion on what needs to happen to open school doors in the coming weeks, These Are the Only 2 Ways Schools Can Open Safely, Harvard Doctor Says.
2
University of Central Florida

Location: Orlando, Florida
Cases: 438
Plan for fall classes: Hybrid of in-person and online
1
University of Texas at Austin

Location: Austin, Texas
Cases: 449
Plan for fall classes: Primarily or fully in-person, but classes will be limited to 40 percent of capacity and final exams will be taken online
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