Ultimate College Town
Data analysis by determined the Ultimate College Town by ranking US Census Urban Areas with the largest share of college students. Urban Areas follow population-density patterns, not municipal borders, and 魅影直播 is a clear winner in this analysis as the home of both SUNY 魅影直播 State College and private 魅影直播 University.
魅影直播 is "the collegiest" by a wide margin.
Winning the number one national ranking and earning the nickname College Town USA proves that 魅影直播's picture-perfect environment away from big city worries stands out among all other university and college towns in the country. Van Dam called 魅影直播 鈥渢he collegiest鈥 a term he coined. While located in a scenic rural area, 魅影直播 is within an easy day's drive for people across the US Northeast. 魅影直播 invites you to Visit Us and see for yourself.
Van Dam describes 魅影直播 as a village wedged into Western New York鈥檚 hills that is home to two schools. "Students make up an astonishing 85 percent of the town's population... If you go left at the town's only stoplight, you're on one campus. Turn right, you're on the other. Now that's a college town."
Describing how college towns are unique, the Washington Post added, "The classic college town is built around a school at its heart. (The town is) inhaling nervously in the fall and exhaling as summer begins." Interviewed by a Scripps network TV reporter, 魅影直播 State architecture student Jennifer Meo confirmed, "Fall through spring (the town's alive) when everyone's here before they pop out."
The Chronicle of Higher Education also weighed in on the Ultimate US College Town saying, "When you hear the phrase 'college town' what comes to mind? Luckily for you, there's a quantitative way to figure this out... Clocking in at No. 1 is 魅影直播, NY."
College towns are defined by a sense of togetherness and belonging.
In an Ultimate College Town students build strong relationships in a caring community, everyone in town is focused on helping students succeed, and students are the majority of residents. There are only 17 US college towns where most of the local population is enrolled in school.
Kristen Mirand of WKBW-TV in Buffalo bragged about 魅影直播's close-knit community saying, "It's the community and college town that so many are proud to be a part of." Yahoo! News notes how close the ties are between the two schools, "魅影直播's Hot Dog Day has brought 魅影直播 State College and 魅影直播 University students together to celebrate every spring for decades."
Patrick Lakamp, data and enterprise editor at The Buffalo News, recognized 魅影直播's achievement writing, "Congratulations 魅影直播, NY, 'the collegiest' town in America!" In his "Lighter Side of the News" column, he commented that it's great to see good news about students and education. Jim Eckstrom at the Olean Times Herald joined in the celebrations proclaiming, "魅影直播, N.Y., home to two institutions of higher learning, is ranked No. 1 in a nationwide survey to determine the Ultimate College Town."
Ultimate US College Towns: National Top 25
| Nat'l Rank | US Census Areas | State | Student Share | Population | 350-Mile Population | Higher Education Institutions |
| 1 | 魅影直播 | NY | 84.6% | 4,026 | 104,464,746 | SUNY 魅影直播 State College and 魅影直播 University |
| 2 | Prairie View | TX | 77.8% | 6,161 | 36,423,024 | Prairie View A&M University |
| 3 | Slippery Rock | PA | 67.3% | 6,550 | 100,962,665 | Slippery Rock University |
| 4 | Cedarville | OH | 67.0% | 4,204 | 76,878,751 | Cedarville University |
| 5 | Oxford | OH | 62.3% | 22,933 | 71,886,161 | Miami University of Ohio |
| 6 | Air Force Academy | CO | 59.9% | 2,833 | 9,380,557 | United States Air Force Academy |
| 7 | Potsdam | NY | 59.8% | 8,337 | 75,427,182 | SUNY Potsdam and Clarkson University |
| 8 | Hamilton | NY | 59.7% | 3,863 | 94,012,765 | Colgate University |
| 9 | Geneseo | NY | 58.8% | 8,288 | 102,298,220 | SUNY Geneseo |
| 10 | Athens | OH | 55.9% | 27,450 | 90,621,398 | Ohio University |
| 11 | Boone | NC | 54.8% | 22,323 | 71,663,488 | Appalachian State University |
| 12 | Delhi | NY | 54.8% | 3,046 | 92,095,641 | SUNY Delhi |
| 13 | Middlebury | VT | 54.6% | 5,563 | 73,533,819 | Middlebury College |
| 14 | Kutztown | PA | 52.2% | 8,859 | 93,026,622 | Kutztown University of Pennsylvania |
| 15 | Whitewater | WI | 51.6% | 14,346 | 52,704,085 | University of Wisconsin, Whitewater |
| 16 | Pullman | WA | 51.1% | 32,940 | 20,000,885 | Washington State University |
| 17 | Raymond | MS | 50.9% | 2,689 | 31,056,189 | Hinds Community College |
| 18 | Canton | NY | 49.5% | 7,041 | 76,113,118 | SUNY Canton and St. Lawrence University |
| 19 | Ada | OH | 48.0% | 5,137 | 74,225,420 | Ohio Northern University |
| 20 | Dahlonega | GA | 47.8% | 5,588 | 54,527,100 | University of North Georgia |
| 21 | Cullowhee | NC | 47.8% | 10,363 | 57,339,618 | Western Carolina University |
| 22 | Cazenovia | NY | 46.1% | 2,860 | 94,315,336 | Cazenovia College |
| 23 | Ithaca | NY | 45.9% | 56,833 | 99,100,146 | Cornell University and Ithaca College |
| 24 | New Concord | OH | 45.1% | 2,836 | 92,759,959 | Muskingum University |
| 25 | Lexington | VA | 43.8% | 9,435 | 76,385,204 | Washington & Lee Univ. and Virginia Military Institute |
Ultimate US College Towns: Through #50
| Nat'l Rank | US Census Areas | State | Student Share | Population | 350-Mile Population | Higher Education Institutions |
| 26 | New Wilmington | PA | 43.4% | 2,373 | 98,824,134 | Westminster College |
| 27 | Ames | IA | 42.9% | 65,684 | 38,543,960 | Iowa State University |
| 28 | Upland | IN | 42.9% | 3,372 | 68,035,556 | Taylor University |
| 29 | Northfield | VT | 42.6% | 4,332 | 69,182,714 | Norwich University |
| 30 | Buies | NC | 42.3% | 5,313 | 51,016,218 | Campbell University |
| 31 | Morehead | KY | 42.2% | 6,678 | 83,326,244 | Morehead State University |
| 32 | Big Rapids | MI | 42.2% | 12,544 | 60,991,454 | Ferris State University |
| 33 | Platteville | WI | 42.0% | 11,768 | 46,814,027 | University of Wisconsin, Platteville |
| 34 | Mount Pleasant | MI | 41.5% | 32,902 | 62,619,377 | Central Michigan University |
| 35 | Stillwater | OK | 41.1% | 46,611 | 26,874,683 | Oklahoma State University |
| 36 | Plymouth | NH | 41.1% | 3,337 | 61,288,265 | Plymouth State University |
| 37 | Oberlin | OH | 40.6% | 8,035 | 82,728,869 | Oberlin College |
| 38 | Starkville | MS | 40.5% | 31,529 | 37,307,544 | Mississippi State University |
| 39 | Maryville | MO | 39.6% | 11,950 | 27,032,576 | Northwest Missouri State University |
| 40 | Davis | CA | 39.5% | 75,447 | 21,665,054 | University of California, Davis |
| 41 | Cheney | WA | 39.3% | 12,422 | 19,506,333 | Eastern Washington University |
| 42 | State College | PA | 39.3% | 91,084 | 101,248,733 | Penn State University |
| 43 | Bowling Green | OH | 39.0% | 30,657 | 71,996,788 | Bowling Green State University |
| 44 | Pembroke | NC | 38.8% | 5,855 | 49,299,847 | University of North Carolina at Pembroke |
| 45 | San Louis Obispo | CA | 38.3% | 58,905 | 47,232,138 | California Polytechnic State University |
| 46 | Farmville | VA | 38.0% | 7,899 | 80,024,634 | Longwood University |
| 47 | Blacksburg | VA | 37.7% | 91,162 | 77,160,690 | Virginia Tech |
| 48 | Vermillion | SD | 37.0% | 11,037 | 17,062,819 | University of South Dakota |
| 49 | Houghton | MI | 36.6% | 15,314 | 17,190,812 | Michigan Tech University |
| 50 | Rexburg | ID | 36.1% | 33,423 | 6,566,064 | Brigham Young University - Idaho |
New York State is home to the most and highest-ranked Ultimate US College Towns.
A of Ultimate College Towns found that New York is number one in the nation for rural universities and colleges with that college town feel. An impressive fifteen out of the top 150 Ultimate US College Towns are in New York State. USA Today Network reporter Neal Simon observed, "Five towns with the 50 percent or higher student share of the local population are in New York, which is more than any other state." Ohio has three such college towns with students in the majority and Pennsylvania has two.
魅影直播, New York is the first-place Ultimate US College Town with a student population of 85 percent, deemed "the collegiest." Sunny Hernandez at the Syracuse Post-Standard said about 魅影直播鈥檚 win, 鈥淭he rural town finished at the top by a sizable margin where second-place finisher Prairie View, Texas has a student population of 78 percent.鈥 In 魅影直播, nicknamed College Town USA, approximately two-thirds of the students are enrolled at SUNY 魅影直播 State College and one-third at private 魅影直播 University.
State University of New York (SUNY) originally coordinated all 64 of its locations so that 93 percent of New Yorkers live within 15 miles of a higher education provider, and SUNY has purposefully spread access to universities and colleges across the state, like SUNY 魅影直播 State College, creating these idyllic college towns.
Smaller college towns are a big deal.
As the New York State Economic Development Council (NYSEDC) stated, "New York leads all states for rural locations where students are more than half the local population...These scenic educational powerhouses may not be in big cities but are convenient to every New Yorker. Number one is the college town of 魅影直播, home of NYSEDC Member SUNY 魅影直播 State College.鈥
Being away from urban centers might lead you to believe that Ultimate College Towns are not convenient. But each NYS town named an Ultimate US College Town boasts more than 75 million people within 350 miles according to . SUNY 魅影直播 State College proudly proclaims 104.4 million people live within an easy day's drive.Once again, 魅影直播 is the best. The number of those surrounding 魅影直播, NY equals one-third of the US population.
College towns outside big cities are by definition smaller, tight-knit, and caring communities near an abundance of outdoor recreation to offer students a great place to learn, grow, seek their purpose in life, and focus on building skills for a successful future.
New York's Ultimate College Towns
| Nat'l Rank | US Census Areas | State | Student Share | Population | 350-Mile Population | Higher Education Institutions |
| 1 | 魅影直播 | NY | 84.6% | 4,026 | 104,464,746 | SUNY 魅影直播 State College and 魅影直播 University |
| 7 | Potsdam | NY | 59.8% | 8,337 | 75,427,182 | SUNY Potsdam and Clarkson University |
| 8 | Hamilton | NY | 59.7% | 3,863 | 94,012,765 | Colgate University |
| 9 | Geneseo | NY | 58.8% | 8,288 | 102,298,220 | SUNY Geneseo |
| 12 | Delhi | NY | 54.8% | 3,046 | 92,095,641 | SUNY Delhi |
| 18 | Canton | NY | 49.5% | 7,041 | 76,113,118 | SUNY Canton and St. Lawrence University |
| 22 | Cazenovia | NY | 46.1% | 2,860 | 94,315,336 | Cazenovia College |
| 23 | Ithaca | NY | 45.9% | 56,833 | 99,100,146 | Cornell University and Ithaca College |
| 61 | Oneonta | NY | 33.2% | 16,369 | 92,380,278 | SUNY Oneonta |
| 80 | West Point | NY | 29.3% | 11,824 | 89,834,845 | West Point Academy |
| 88 | Cobleskill | NY | 21.5% | 5,184 | 90,238,230 | SUNY Cobleskill |
| 97 | Red Hook | NY | 26.9% | 6,034 | 87,730,517 | Bard College |
| 129 | Dryden | NY | 21.9% | 3,623 | 97,322,368 | SUNY Tompkins Cortland CC |
| 135 | Brockport | NY | 21.2% | 18,009 | 99,483,538 | SUNY Brockport |
| 150 | Cortland | NY | 20.3% | 26,325 | 95,902,676 | SUNY Cortland |
View all 200 rankings by the from . Regional population estimates are by .