Data analysis by Washington Post Reporter Andrew Van Dam 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 Alfred is a clear winner in this analysis as the home of both SUNY Alfred State College and private Alfred University.
Alfred is "the collegiest" by a wide margin.
Winning the number one national ranking and earning the nickname College Town USA proves that Alfred's picture-perfect environment away from big city worries stands out among all other university and college towns in the country. Van Dam called Alfred “the collegiest” a term he coined. While located in a scenic rural area, Alfred is within an easy day's drive for people across the US Northeast. Alfred invites you to Visit Us and see for yourself.
Van Dam describes Alfred as a village wedged into Western New York’s 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, Alfred 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 Alfred, 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 Alfred'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, "Alfred's Hot Dog Day has brought Alfred State College and Alfred University students together to celebrate every spring for decades."
Patrick Lakamp, data and enterprise editor at The Buffalo News, recognized Alfred's achievement writing, "Congratulations Alfred, 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, "Alfred, 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
Alfred
NY
84.6%
4,026
104,464,746
SUNY Alfred State College and Alfred 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
New York State is home to the most and highest-ranked Ultimate US College Towns.
A Washington Post analysis 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.
Alfred, 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 Alfred’s win, “The rural town finished at the top by a sizable margin where second-place finisher Prairie View, Texas has a student population of 78 percent.” In Alfred, nicknamed College Town USA, approximately two-thirds of the students are enrolled at SUNY Alfred State College and one-third at private Alfred 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 nearly 100 percent live within 30 miles. SUNY has purposefully spread access to universities and colleges across the state, like SUNY Alfred 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 Alfred, home of NYSEDC Member SUNY Alfred State College.”
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 NASA’s SEDAC. SUNY Alfred State College proudly proclaims 104.4 million people live within an easy day's drive.Once again, Alfred is the best. The number of those surrounding Alfred, 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.
