cow college

noun

Informal.

1. an agricultural college.

2. a small, relatively unknown rural college.

Word History and Origins

Origin of cow college¹

First recorded in 1910–15

Idioms and Phrases

An agricultural college; any small, relatively unknown rural college. For example, He's never published a paper, but he might do all right in some cow college. This term uses cow in the somewhat pejorative sense of “provincial.” [c. 1910]

Example Sentences

There’s no cash cow college tournament for broomball.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

He succeeded in quietly transforming the “cow college” in rural Blacksburg into a sprawling university that expanded to include colleges of architecture, arts and sciences, and education.

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On Saturday, Auburn takes on Alabama, whose fans refer to their state rival as a “cow college” and to its supporters as barners.

Read more on Slate

Such is life at the ultimate cow college: The locals may not want anything to do with the in-state rival, even when its flavor tastes great, but that is why the dairy store — which has a mission to train the ice cream makers and cheesemakers of tomorrow — offers options like Nittany White Out, which is vanilla ice cream with a salted caramel swirl and pieces of white-chocolate-covered pretzels.

Read more on New York Times

The lowly Big Ten, from the cow college in Michigan that didn't get Jim Harbaugh and the spotlight was a testimony to how good you've become.

Read more on New York Times