There are millions of unused, quality bikes hiding in garages/sheds so I would definitely look for used. College bikes get stolen all the time so getting the newest, shiniest, most expensive one is just asking to be a statistic.

In Philly you see good bikes all the time where the owners have spray painted over the markings/logos to disguise the quality of the frame.

I have owned Specialized, Gary Fisher and Trek over the years and they are all about the same quality-wise. The most important things are ensuring the bike is sized correctly and it's being used for the terrain it was designed for. If the college location is flat don't overlook single speed cruisers