A college education gives you a competitive advantage not only in the job market but also in life. This means that where you attend college matters, since it influences your chances of completing your education and finding a job. Choosing a college is quite a task, and one of the main things to consider is the safety of the town in which your college is located.
Below we’ve compiled a list of the safest college towns in the USA. Many factors have been considered coming up with this list including crime statistics, population, and the general nature of the townspeople.
1. Boulder, Colorado
Boulder is the home of the University of Colorado, and has been ranked as one of the top college towns in the US. It has a small population of about 20,000 people, which make it easy to police and enforce the law. The people are generally well informed and culturally diverse.
2. Bellingham, Washington
Western Washington State University is located in this town, which has one of the lowest crime rates in the country. It’s well known for its arts and entertainment scene, and students make up 25,000 of the 200,000 plus population.
3. Rochester, Minnesota
This town has some of the most affordable rent rates, which is good news when considering the cost of living while studying. When costs of living are down, it also means the crime rate is down, which makes it a safe town. University of Minnesota students living here are roughly around 11,000 compared to the total population of 170,000.
4. State College, Pennsylvania
This is the home of the world famous Penn State University. It has a population of 160,000 and has some of the best bars and restaurants, making it an ideal town for students.
5. Rexburg, Idaho
This is a classic southeastern small town, which for years has had a reputation for being one of the safest towns. Annually, it reports fewer than 200 crimes and only 5% of those are violent. Major universities here include Brigham Young.
6. Upper Dublin Township, Pennsylvania
This family oriented town has existed since colonial times. There’s an extended family culture here where cousins, uncles, aunts, grandparents are in touch and do things together, contributing to the safety and well being of the community. There are around 3,000 students in this town.
7. Princeton, New Jersey
This Ivy League town is also relatively safe, thanks to efforts by Princeton University to enhance activism, advocacy, and civic engagement. The university has a population of 8,000 students and only around 200 crimes are reported annually.
8. Alpharetta, Georgia
This is the home to Perimeter College which is a campus of Georgia State University. The town’s government has a number of initiatives meant to foster community and bring people together using events and concerts.
9. Irvine, California
According to the latest statistics, the chance of being a crime victim in Irvine is only 0.57 for every 1,000 people. This is very low considering the population of 250,000 people. Anyone who wants to study at the University of California, Irvine can be assured of a safe time on campus.
10. Naperville, Illinois
Students from almost every other state in the country come to Naperville because of the seven campuses located here. Because of this, the city has taken measures that have ensured very low crime rates, and parents shouldn’t worry sending their children here.
