# Faridabad vs. Gurgaon: The Education Battle Nobody Talks About

Whenever students mention higher education in NCR, the discussion is skewed towards the corporate nature of Gurgaon or the long-standing institutions of Delhi. However, unobtrusively, [colleges in Faridabad](https://aggarwalcollege.ac.in/) have been designing a quite a distinct kind of educational landscape. To students and parents considering their choices, there is more than geography to consider between these two neighboring cities, but two contrasting visions of what a student life and education may be like.
## Rise of Colleges in Faridabad
In the past decades, Faridabad was considered primarily as an industrial centre. However, the academic sector of the city has experienced a major change in recent years. It has been enhanced by modern campuses, improved infrastructure and better connectivity. The Delhi Metro extension, together with highway extensions, has made the students feel nearer to the capital and Noida making sure they are not isolated by the professional opportunities of the region.

The difference in Faridabad is that it knows how to moderate growth without straining the students. Where Gurgaon is gleaming with its glass buildings and closeness to giant corporations, campuses in Faridabad tend to focus on price, access and a more down-to-earth student experience. This has nothing to do with glamour but making an environment where focus can flourish.

## Corporate Edge of Gurgaon and its Costs
Gurgaon is a city whose image is coupled with that of its corporate environment. The attraction of large companies, networking, and access to internships is the allure of many students. It is certainly an ambitious city. However, it is the very things that make Gurgaon so appealing that can present challenges.

Living standards are much more expensive. In Gurgaon, housing, food and day to day living expenses sometimes strain family budgets much higher than anticipated. In addition, the stressful fast-paced environment, which may be exhilarating to some students, might overpower students who require time to learn and develop at a rhythm they find comfortable. Schools and universities here are usually engulfed with the chatter of commercial life and it is more difficult to divide academic work and distraction.

## Beyond the Classroom Student Experience
It is here that the comparison is striking. Colleges in Faridabad tend to work in a more relaxed, less business-friendly environment. Life of a student here is not as expensive and stressful everyday. Being close to Delhi means there is access to internships, exposure but at a comfortable distance, the students go back to a space that they can comfortably handle.

Faridabad is also highly bound with its community. Local traditions, events, and grassroots initiatives are usually manifested in student activities, which provide young people with an alternative form of exposure. Instead of focusing on the ever present corporate competition, they interact with peers and faculty in a manner that creates stronger interpersonal connections.

Instead, Gurgaon provides an early exposure to a metropolitan way of life, which according to some is training students to be ready to face the challenges of modern careers. The point is whether this exposure is premature, at the cost of trading concentration on frenzy.

## Between Two Futures
It is not a comparison of Faridabad and Gurgaon to declare either of them better. Rather, it draws attention to the fact that two cities can influence the experience of students in extremely diverse ways. Faridabad will tend to attract students and families that are price-sensitive, finding balance and a focused school setting, whereas Gurgaon will tend to attract students and families that prefer a fast-paced, corporate lifestyle.

It is a matter of priorities at last. In case instant networking and industry exposure are on the highest priority list, Gurgaon is the right place to be. However, when affordability over the long run, the presence of a conducive learning environment, or at least affordable living circumstances become more important, then Faridabad stands as a viable alternative.

## Education Map of NCR
NCR education is no longer a case of Delhi centricity. Faridabad and Gurgaon are both transforming the way of thinking with regards to higher education beyond the capital. Both cities are bound to gain strength in the coming years since more infrastructure is expected to be built and more industries will be diversified.

But at the moment the fight is silent. Students and parents, who have to go through these decisions, should go beyond the brochures and rankings, and rather, they should consider what an environment can give to not only academics but well-being in general. It is more than a degree because in the long run, it is where you study.