What uconn has going for it that is alluded to often but should be more front and center in these discussions: the state politicians and tax-payers have shown a continued willingness to put loot down in order to be among the best. They are literally willing to spend up to and perhaps through bankruptcy.
Like 2.5B committed to capital improvements in the last 20 years, with another 3.2B in the next TEN YEARS ( assuming the 2.1B recently announced skates through the liberal legislature as expected ). In a horrible economy over the last decade that has hurt Connecticut more than most.
A new tech park on campus, a new hospital and biotech research facility, new dorms, classroom buildings, 500 new tenured professors, 30 percent increase in enrollment, thousands of STEM scholarships - all in the near future, all beyond the promise and wish state ( what I like to call the state of Rutgers ), and in addition to the expanded enrollment and massive overhaul on storrs campus, from the first 2B.
These are real and extraordinary commitments and plans, not Rutgers "promises" with no action, or FSU "imagine what we will look like based on these demographic projections". The state buying enrollment growth, faculty, research and students. Bird in the hand.
Secondly, CT ( like the rest of tri-state/new england) is population dense, money rich, perfectly situated between a number of major media markets with established presences AND room for growth.
Finally, when discussing wishes and dreams, long-term demographics, etc, it is not outside of the realm of possibility that tech innovations in the near term could create a revolution in cheap energy and high-speed rail in the next two decades...you would be hard pressed to find a state in the US that would benefit more from these than Connecticut.
In short, CT is a safe long-term bet with LOTS of upside.
