I can only speak for UW, but being in/near Seattle puts you within 40/60 min to the sky, MM, and green. There's obviously a lot more out there, that's just what I'm finding convenient so far. I'd think just about anywhere in the western part of the state would have its ups and downs but generally put you near some good stuff. Someone who's lived here longer than me should chime in...

Take a look at CU-Boulder if you're not trying to stay in-state. Season's a little short but there's lots to keep you busy the rest of the year.

East coast ideas...

UNCA asheville NC...if you want to boat the green and watauga and a whole bunch of other steep stuff. Very cool town in which to live.

East TN State...johnson city, TN...close to the watauga...

West Virginia University, Morgantown WV...if you want to boat the big sandy, upper yough, blackwater, cheat...with a really cool boating scene of really cool people, very welcoming scene easy to dive into...and the kayaking scene supports a great boating based social life here...also a drinking town with lots of good bluegrass pickin' bonfire parties

Knoxville, TN...boating is nearby

Chattanooga, TN...boating is nearby

Frostburg State, Maryland...awesome class IV river running near here, quiet but cool scene...very small town.

Mountain State University, Beckley WV...think sick playboating and steep creeking out of what is truly one of the most redneck towns possible. New River, Gauley, Manns Creek, Meadow River...etc Also world class rock climbing...new river gorge. Likely could be considered climbing and boating mecca if you can get over the local culture of coal country poverty and angst.

VA tech, Blacksburg VA...there is generally a small boating scene here at this school. This is a high end engineering school. but there isn't enough close boating to get the afternoon fix. Weekend road trips put you into a bunch of sick stuff though. One sick steep creek near this school for the afternoon flood run...bottoms creek...check it out...

Clemson University....chatooga and overflow creek...can't get any better than those two....

I'd second Jim's suggestion of WVU. I can't speak for the quality of the eduction (although I'm sure its great), but Morgantown as a place to be a boater is off the hook.

Other ideas: Portland State has good science/engineering program and its obviously a good place to be a boater!

I know U of O has a great chem program, Eugene is pretty cool and there is tons of boating, as well as being close to Bend and the coast.

In Cali, UC Davis might be the best school to go to for kayaking. It has great science programs and it is way closer to the sierras than the bay area schools.

boise state. good access to entire payette system and new whitewater park in town.

I'm gonna second the recommendation for UC Davis. Awesome, year-round boating. And a good academic institution to boot! :-)

warlickone sorry but I would like to stay on the west side.
jerryclayross: im hoping to get up and tour ups soo. I know a couple of people going to school there. it looks sweet.

Stefano: do you know anything about tuition for canadian schools? I havn't considered going out of the country but it would be a blast. Student visa's etc might be a hassle though.

I think so. Yeah western is like where everyone from oly goes. I dont want to be with all the same folks again. I heard we have the most freshman at western of any school. not suprised.

I went to western years ago when everyone from my hs was supposedly going. I didn't have too much trouble not hanging out with people from high school.

If you only hangout at sports bars, college towns, or with commercial fisherman than this statement is a partial truth, but still a gross generalization. I've met some sh#tty people here too. A more true statement would be "there are pricks that live in the world and you will meet many different shades of them during the time while your heart pumps blood through your veins"

The southeast has some rad boating and a really, really big paddling scene. If it helps, I moved from MA to Olympia to go to school and paddle. Oly doesn't have a huge paddling scene but it's one of the best places to live if you want to paddle all over the state. It's 3 hours from the White Salmon, 2 hours to portland, the Ohane is pretty close, the tilton is 45 minutes, the whole OP is in striking distance, The green in as hour, and it's not that hard to come to boat the seattle area.

I'm not sure where you live, or even how old you are but if you have the opportunity to allow school to be a traveling opportunity than go for it. Heck you could even do two years on the east coast then transfer to a school on the west coast.

My short advice; you wanna paddle all the time? Stay in washington. It rains all winter, and it melts all summer. Can't go wrong with that.

I went to Univ of Maryland. And they have excellent engineering and chem programs, as well as the best play boating amusement park in the country. In the Potomac. You get Great Falls, all the play below it, and a whitewater course that stays heated from power plant for winter. It's all only 20 minutes away. Plus you have all of MD, PA, and WV in your backyard for wknd trips.