It’s time the students at Iona College asked the million-dollar question: Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks? When walking through campus, it is easy to spot hundreds of coffee cups from both places, but which one is better?

In order to come to a conclusion on this phenomena, I took the time to interview a group of students to see what they think about the major differences between the two coffee connoisseurs, which can be reduced down to five major points:

Price-to-size ratio

Price-to-size ratio is probably the most relevant difference, especially for the average broke college student in need of a caffeine fix. On average, a grande (medium) iced coffee at Starbucks goes for $3.95 per cup, while a medium iced coffee at Dunkin Donuts $2.49. The medium sized iced coffee at Dunkin also is larger, giving students more bang for their buck.

Atmosphere

If you walk the streets of NYC, there is a Starbucks located around every corner, and all of them are crowded with people sitting around, drinking coffee and working on laptops.

There is a reason that Starbucks is aesthetically pleasing; they have created the perfect fall, cozy, sweater weather atmosphere that we all know and love. The earthy neutrals make for a relaxing setting to talk with a friend over coffee, or get some work done in a productive environment.

Starbucks also likes to personalize the experience by taking more time to make the drinks and putting customers’ names on the cups.

The Dunkin Donuts atmosphere has a different vibe; the bright orange and purple features quite literally scream “WAKE UP” to the working class person walking in before they go to their 9-5 job.

Variety

A simple person who generally likes to stick to the norm and get the same thing every day might enjoy Dunkin Donuts better, as they have more limited options.. Yes, Dunkin has more than just coffee and donuts, but it is not typically a place that you can get a balanced meal.

“I like Starbucks Frappuccinos and sandwiches they offer for lunch, but if I just want my daily morning coffee I will go to Dunkin Donuts,” junior Katie Kiely said.

Reputation

Everybody is aware of the reputation Starbucks has gained over the years as, “basic white girl” hang out spot and a “Tumblr girl” attraction. Starbucks seems to cater more to the millennial generation.

The trade-mark mermaid logo provides an aesthetic perfect for the daily Instagram post and definitely markets more toward millennial eyes than Dunkin Donuts seems to.

Coffee

Arguably the most important comparison is the coffee itself. Starbucks coffee is very strong even when watered down.

“Starbucks coffee is an overload of caffeine, I drink it when I know I’ll need to stay awake for a while but it definitely makes me really jittery afterwards, and one hell of a crash later,” junior Emily Lillie said.

Dunkin’s coffee is not as strong but still provides a good jolt of energy in the morning before class.

In the end, whether you like Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks better, it is all down to personal preference.

If you live for the comfortable coffee college student vibe, a strong caffeine wake-up in the morning, and a variety of fancy options then Starbucks is the place for you.

On the other hand, if you are someone who just wants to quickly get your cup of coffee and donut in the morning for a cheaper price and fast-paced environment then Dunkin Donuts is just right.

That’s a significant price difference, and when you include the fact that a tall (small) coffee at Starbucks is the size of a Dunkin’s small then I think the choice is settled; one point for Dunkin.