College News

Collin College opens new campus with Barnes & Noble and Starbucks

The campus also has a glass-walled rotunda.

Courtesy photo

The citizens of Wylie have a new, more convenient way to get educated, via a new campus of Collin College.

The highly anticipated Collin College Wylie Campus opened in August, across from the Wylie Municipal Complex, at 391 Country Club Rd.

It will provide specialized facilities for science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), fine arts, education and health care, giving students the opportunity to gain relevant, real-world experience.

Additional educational programs include business management, insurance management, education and child development, hospitality management, real estate, and health professions such as certified nurse aid, phlebotomy technician, electrocardiograph technician, medical assisting advanced practice, and veterinary technology.

It's located on a greenfield site just under 100 acres, 44 of which were donated by the City of Wylie.

Construction on the campus was managed by Skanska, with three multi-story instructional buildings:

Campus Library with a glass-enclosed rotunda, open seating areas, private study rooms and collaborative spaces. The library is home to the Honors Institute and the Anthony Peterson Center for Academic Assistance, which houses a math lab, writing center and a science den.
Campus Commons that features a student Welcome Center, state-of-the-art science labs and the CougarFit fitness center. The Campus Commons also includes admissions, advising, career services, financial aid and veteran’s assistance offices, which includes a veteran’s resource center.
Student Center with art studios, music practice rooms, a conference center offering high-tech amenities, Mama Lucido's café with a Starbucks bar, and Barnes & Noble bookstore.

Ooohh it has a Starbucks. Ba-zing.

Collin College District President Dr. Neil Matkin says in a release that it's been a long time coming, and thanks taxpayers and the college's many valued partners.

"Education has the power to change people's lives, and we believe that it should be readily accessible," Matkin says. "This striking campus offers a wide variety of programs and provides us the opportunity to offer a warm Collin College welcome to southeastern Collin County."

Collin College was founded in 1985, and currently has eight campuses in Allen, McKinney Plano, Frisco, and Rockwall.

The college has seen a growing number of students from Wylie. In 2019, the number of high school graduates who enrolled at Collin College came from:

Frisco ISD - 920 students
Plano ISD - 914 students
McKinney ISD - 507 students
Allen ISD - 437 students
Wylie ISD - 349 students

In addition to Wylie, three other new campuses are in the works including a Technical Campus set to open in Allen this fall, and two campuses opening in fall 2021 in Celina and Farmersville.

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Turkey Day news

Dallas eats up top-5 rank on list of best cities for Thanksgiving

Photo courtesy of Razzoo's

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Dallas is sitting at the head of the table as one of the best places in the country to celebrate Thanksgiving this year, a new study has revealed.

Dallas ranked No. 5 out of 100 of the largest U.S. cities in WalletHub's annual "Best Places to Go for Thanksgiving" report, published November 12. The city made a huge leap over its 2023 ranking as No. 17, and remains the highest-ranking Texas city.

The study analyzed each city based on 18 metrics to determine the best places for Thanksgiving, such as the number of pumpkin patches per capita, the average cost of a Thanksgiving dinner, the number of volunteer opportunities, the average weather forecast, and more. The metrics were then organized into five overall categories to determine the rankings.

The category that Dallas ranked the highest in was the number of celebrations and traditions (No. 2), and the average weather forecast during the holiday period (No. 9), while the lowest-ranked category was for safety and accessibility (No. 82). Other categories that determined Dallas' overall ranking were affordability (No. 60), and a "giving thanks" rank (No. 26).

Dallas restaurants are getting prepared for their big Turkey Day feasts, and CultureMap has rounded up a thorough list of all of the local restaurants hosting holiday feasts, from brunch to dinner.

"The best cities for celebrating Thanksgiving all have an abundance of high-quality restaurants and places to buy festive decorations, and their residents get very excited for the holiday based on their Google search history," said WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo.

By Thanksgiving on November 28, Dallas will be fully decked for the December holidays. Dallasites who will have extended family in town during Thanksgiving weekend can take in of all the marvelous Christmas lights brightening the city. Dallas-Fort Worth goes all out for the most wonderful time of year.

Across North Texas, three Dallas-area cities also made big improvements from their 2023 rankings. Irving moved up 10 spots to claim No. 19 this year, and Garland jumped up 21 spots on the list as No. 34. Arlington made the biggest improvement in the region, moving from No. 78 last year to No. 55 this year.

Meanwhile, Plano and Fort Worth slipped in the rankings, falling into No. 44 and No. 45 in 2024, respectively. Plano previously ranked No. 38 in 2023, and Fort Worth was No. 36.

San Diego, California (No. 1) topped the overall list of best places to go for Thanksgiving this year, followed by its Golden State neighbors San Francisco (No. 3) and San Jose (No. 4). Atlanta, Georgia (No. 2) rounds out the top five.

dallas fort worth thanksgiving wallethub rankings