Harvard OTR: Top Five College Towns To Call Home

Top Five College Towns To Call Home

Posted by JasonShah 07/18/2008 3:57 PM
Category: Tags: college towns, living, cities, lifestyle

Every year Money Magazine publishes its top 100 small cities based on factors like clean air, safety, quality schools and auto insurance premiums. Unfortunately, none of this makes a college town great! Give me a keg and some good football; then it will be a top college city.

In case you're looking to start college in the same place you raise your kids, here is OTR's top 5 small college cities from Money's list of 100 top cities:

1. (27) Ann Arbor, MI
Considered one of the country's greenest and cleanest cities movement, Ann Arbor doesn't look anything but blue and maize to us! With the 40,000 college students and an average age under 30 years, this top college town promises to keep you up all night. Plus, with a marriage rate under 40%, far below the top cities average of 57.5%, you might be getting approached by more Cougars than Wolverines!

2. (47) Scottsdale, AZ
It gets hot in the desert and our #2 pick for top college towns does NOT disappoint! Nearby top party school ASU, Scottsdale boasts above average numbers of 'Leisure and Culture' destinations, except (big surprise) when it comes to libraries and museums. As Scottsdale is home to the (yawn) best attended golf event in the country, it shouldn't be too hard to hit a hole in one next Friday night!

3. (78) Coral Springs, FL
A short drive away from the University of Miami and in the same homestate as headline colleges UF and FSU, Coral Springs puts you in the heart of Florida fun in the sun. But be careful; Al Gore might be following you. Why, you ask? Take a deep breath first. It's OK---Coral Springs tops the air index and for once the air in this small college city might be worth taking in.

4. (65) Chapel Hill, NC
Home to the nation's oldest public university, this small American city landed #65 on Money's list. Chapel Hill lures some of the nation's brightest, and craziest,every year with its quaint and charming Southern touch.

5. (35) Edison, NJ
Rounding out our top 5 picks of Money's top 100 cities, Edison, NJ is home to the proud students at Rutgers University (and those other Jersey schools...). Edison gives college students a short commute to local schools with a suburban feel for anyone afraid of leaving home. Fortunately NYC and Philly are a short train ride away for those not strong enough to survive in Jersey.

Disagree with our rankings? Think your city has what it takes? Leave a comment!

*Money's rankings are in parentheses and you can read their article here.

+ 48 comments

teej says,

only one problem...it's "maize and blue" not the other way around lol...just sounds better Posted 07/19/2008 12:23 AMReply

Anonymous says,

i'd say the bigger problem is that ann arbor is a whore Posted 07/19/2008 2:02 PMReply

Anonymous says,

edison, nj? have you been there? i can't believe that one. seriously. edison, nj? Posted 07/21/2008 12:43 PMReply

Anonymous says,

Scottsdale? A small town? Hardly.

When I think small college towns I think places like Corvallis, Oregon or Pullman, Washington. Davis, CA.

I guess what is your definintion of a "small college town"??? According to the 2000 Census figures Ann Arbor has 114,000 residents, with over 40K students at UM. Posted 07/21/2008 12:46 PMReply

Anonymous says,

Norman, OK was #6 on the list of the greatest small cities and is one of the best college towns around. The college is built completely around the university. Posted 07/21/2008 12:53 PMReply

Anonymous says,

My girlfriend was born and raised in scottsdale and has never really had good things to say about the desert area and the increasingly large population of LA rejects. Also, I don't really know how its a "college town". and did the guy in the first post actually write "the college is built around the university"? what the hell does that mean? Posted 07/21/2008 1:18 PMReply

Anonymous says,

no southern schools? how about tuscaloosa or athens. anything but auburn. Posted 07/21/2008 1:32 PMReply

Anonymous says,

Of course, there is not actually a college IN Scottsdale (let alone, any college students who can actually afford to live in S-Dale). Posted 07/21/2008 1:38 PMReply

Anonymous says,

Bloomington, IN. Home of Indiana U...Great college town. Posted 07/21/2008 1:40 PMReply

Anonymous says,

ASU is in Tempe jackasses Posted 07/21/2008 1:45 PMReply

Anonymous says,

I've lived in and been to college towns, and I live in Miami, FL. Coral Springs is not a college town. It's just part of the urban sprawl that is the rest of Miami-Dade County. When people ask what city do you go to school in, no one says Coral Springs, they say Miami. Posted 07/21/2008 2:07 PMReply

Anonymous says,

No Southern schools ahhh well last time I checked North Carolina and Florida were in the South@ Anonymous: Posted 07/21/2008 2:18 PMReply

Anonymous says,

Ole Miss....Oxford Miss. Everyone in the world loves the place Posted 07/21/2008 2:49 PMReply

Anonymous says,

I think this is the conversation that went on before they made this list.

"Let's just pick the richest communities within 100 miles of these schools" "Make sure to put in Chapel Hill and Ann Arbor". Posted 07/21/2008 2:51 PMReply

Anonymous says,

chico state. Posted 07/21/2008 3:15 PMReply

Anonymous says,

Rutgers is actually in New Brunswick and Piscataway, not Edison Posted 07/21/2008 3:35 PMReply

Anonymous says,

.....and it is dumpy Posted 07/21/2008 3:38 PMReply

Anonymous says,

What degree can I get in scottsdale? Are they in the Pac-10? How is the Grad School? I think this Jason Shah goes to Harvard? I think this guy just made a list of everywhere he wants to go as soon as he graduates from his local community college. Posted 07/21/2008 3:40 PMReply

Anonymous says,

It's Coral Gables buttmunch, Coral springs isn't even in Dade County, it's in southern Broward County. Posted 07/21/2008 4:02 PMReply

Anonymous says,

Oxford, Miss. End of story Posted 07/21/2008 4:44 PMReply

Anonymous says,

OXFORD BLOWS. THE MOST BORING TOWN IN THE SEC OTHER THAN TUSCALOOSA. ATHENS IS GREAT AND AUBURN IS OK. Posted 07/21/2008 5:14 PMReply

Anonymous says,

ATHENS, GA! Posted 07/21/2008 5:26 PMReply

Anonymous says,

Splitting hairs but both William & Mary and Rutgers are older that UNC...though Rutgers was first private like all the schools founded in that era. Most of the Ivies are older than UNC by a wide margin but are not public... Posted 07/21/2008 5:39 PMReply

Anonymous says,

Columbia, MO!!! Posted 07/21/2008 5:50 PMReply

Anonymous says,

Been to Oxford...unless The Grove is a year-round destination the town is a dump. I agree with the poster above about Columbia. Definitely a hidden gem of the Midwest. Fayetteville, AR and Austin, TX DEFINITELY should be here somewhere. Posted 07/21/2008 5:55 PMReply

Anonymous says,

uh...the only college in Scottsdale is.....Scottsdale Community College.... Posted 07/21/2008 6:59 PMReply

Anonymous says,

Bloomington, IN!!!! Posted 07/21/2008 7:26 PMReply

Anonymous says,

Obviously you haven't been to Charleston SC! Posted 07/21/2008 7:49 PMReply

Anonymous says,

athens puts all these places to shame. rated #1 in the nation for its music scene and everyone knows about the night life. this list is humorous. Posted 07/21/2008 7:51 PMReply

Anonymous says,

..... Posted 07/21/2008 8:03 PMReply

Anonymous says,

If you are a guy, then the best thing about Chapel Hill is that there are loads of ladies and queers. This is such a great thing because there are not enough cool guys that can keep the the ladies happy.

With that said, if you want to visit a truly fun college town in NC, then look no further than Greenville, aka G-Vegas and home of the ECU Pirates. Not only do they have a SEC feel for home football games, but they boast an overwhelming number of beautiful co-eds that like to festejarse. Keep up the good work Pirates!

www.betsportsweb.com Posted 07/21/2008 8:12 PMReply

JasonShah says,

Thanks for the input, everybody.

Remember, this list is based off of the cities already published by Money. So there are definitely better overall college towns, but does yours ALSO make Money's list for small cities?

These picks straddle the line between nice place to start a family and nice place to chill with some college friends. Most college towns aren't ideal for raising kids!

Look out for an upcoming OTR top college town list where parties and the music scene determine greatness, not the balance between car insurance premiums and neighborhood safety! Keep posting your thoughts on college towns, so your voice is heard when the college town list is published. Posted 07/21/2008 8:48 PMReply

Anonymous says,

what about amherst, ma? great city with a ton of culture, and very safe. home to UMASS Amherst Posted 07/21/2008 10:32 PMReply

Anonymous says,

State College anyone? Posted 07/21/2008 10:34 PMReply

Anonymous says,

Oh and these aren't towns they are small cities!! Posted 07/21/2008 10:35 PMReply

Anonymous says,

Why is Boston not on the list?

If that's too broad, then at least Somerville and Cambridge. Both are awesome college towns. Posted 07/22/2008 01:56 AMReply

Anonymous says,

William and Mary is the oldest public school. Posted 07/22/2008 07:57 AMReply

Anonymous says,

georgetown? Posted 07/22/2008 10:33 AMReply

Anonymous says,

Only one person said Columbia, MO? Wasn't it in Money's Top Ten a couple years ago? Posted 07/22/2008 10:34 AMReply

Anonymous says,

I think the use of public when it comes to UNC being oldest refers to the funding from the state (William and Mary was funded by England for a while).

Solid list...if we're still talking about great towns that may not necessarily be on the Money list...check out Clemson, SC. Great atmosphere for the school and is comparable to Athens, Tuscaloosa, Chapel Hill, etc. Posted 07/22/2008 10:47 AMReply

Anonymous says,

maize is just another name for corn...and if you mix those yellow and blue colors together, you come up with a beautiful shade of GREEN. Posted 07/22/2008 12:15 PMReply

Anonymous says,

As a UM student, I can tell you first hand that Ann Arbor is a shitty college town. If you are underage, you are ****ed. The AAPD has got to be on the toughest in the entire country. It is filled with imbeciles and douchebag pigs, who have put the clamp down so hard on partying that you might at well just not drink unless you are in a frat. Thank God I am, and thank God I just turned 21. Posted 07/22/2008 4:36 PMReply

Anonymous says,

@ Anonymous: oh my god, you can't drink? that makes ann arbor shitty? god you're a dumbass. seriously, you got to UM for the school, and to MSU for the rioting. Posted 07/22/2008 4:54 PMReply

Anonymous says,

William and Mary was started as a private school. So was Rutgers. There, UNC is the oldest public school. Posted 07/24/2008 7:52 PMReply

Anonymous says,

The above poster is correct. UNC is the oldest. Look it up. Posted 07/24/2008 7:53 PMReply

Anonymous says,

auburn, alabama SON! Posted 07/24/2008 11:32 PMReply

Anonymous says,

oxford, mississippi... it's gorgeous with beautiful women- even on non game days. Posted 07/31/2008 5:45 PMReply

Anonymous says,

Im from Georgia and been to Athens many tims its not that great,kinda dirty. Oxford, Miss is great year round with nice people and gorgeous ladies.
OXFORD all day Posted 11/18/2009 8:56 PMReply