Bloomington, home of the University of Indiana, ranked 15th in the RentCafe ranking of the best college towns

The Best College Towns in America

Bozeman, Montana, home of Montana State University, is the best college town in the U.S., according to a new study.

RentCafe recently analyzed American college towns across a variety of factors, including cost of living, tuition fees, graduation rates, natural amenities, air quality, and entertainment options to determine which cities offer the best college town experience.

Following Bozeman, Montana, the town of Pullman, WA, came in second, while Clemson, SC, took third place out of the 237 towns and cities analyzed.

BOZEMAN, MT: YELLOWSTONE IN YOUR BACKGROUND

Home to Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana ranked number due in large part to the affordable and quality education opportunities available to students. Compared to the rest of the nation, Montana offers tuitions costs significantly below the average.

“Likewise, student life at MSU’s Bozeman campus is rich with hundreds of student clubs and athletic teams to join, in addition to five sororities and eight fraternities,” according to RentCafe. “MSU is also known for its various options for academic development, including the Undergraduate Scholars Program, the McNair Scholars Program and more than 40 master’s degree programs.”

To add to the vibrant campus life, Montana also offers a solitude of nature with Yellowstone National Park just an hour and a half away from Montana State University.

PULLMAN, WA: CLEAN AIR AND NATURE’S BEST AWAIT

Home of Washington State University’s oldest and largest campus, Pullman ranks second in RentCafe’s list of best college towns. 42% of the city’s population is made up of young adults and the streets are filled with affordable and fun dining options, cafes, and hangout spots.

Additionally, with more than 200 undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs, Pullman offers a number of opportunities to facilitate students’ personal and academic development.

CLEMSON, SC: HISTORICAL CHARM MEETS ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE

Home to Clemson University, Clemson, SC came in third on RentCafe’s list.

The city boasts a historical campus with redbrick buildings nestled among tall oak trees—and Clemson University ranks among the top 50 best universities, as well as among the top 20 best in terms of graduation rates.

47% of Clemson’s residents are between 20 and 29 years old, which adds to the young and energetic energy of the city—whether through spirited football games or artist galleries.

METHODOLOGY

For this study, RentCafe’s research team examined data using 12 metrics across three categories to determine the top college towns in the U.S. RentCafe defined college towns as those with populations ranging from 10,000 to 300,000, and where the student population constituted at least 10% of the total population, based on U.S. Census data. This initial pool was comprised 395 towns. Subsequently, RentCafe excluded towns without colleges or universities, as well as those with fewer than 3,000 students enrolled. Additionally, any towns lacking data for all categories were removed.

For the category of affordability, RentCafe considered data on the following:

• Tuition and fees (12% weight)
• The percentage of students receiving grants or scholarships (7% weight)
• The cost of living at the metro or county level (12% weight)

For the category of livability, RentCafe considered data on the following:

• Ratio of arts, entertainment and recreation establishments per 1,000 people (8% weight)
• Share of population older than 25 with a bachelor’s degree or higher (8% weight)
• Share of young adults aged 20 to 29 (8% weight)
• County level of natural amenity rank (8% weight)
• Air quality at county level (8% weight)

For the category of education, RentCafe considered data on the following:

• University score (8% weight)
• Student-to-faculty ratio (8% weight)
• Graduation rate (8% weight)
• Percentage of students enrolled of those who were admitted (5% weight)

Sources: RentCafe