Best College Towns in America | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Student Life

Best College Towns in America

The top ten best college towns.

28124
Best College Towns in America

College, oh what a time. Some of the best memories of your life will happen in college; you have football, friends, parties, and Greek life. A college town can really make or break the atmosphere of college. If you're a senior in high school and wanting the full experience in college and a fun place to call your home for the next 4 years you might want to check out these towns and their universities there.

1. Oxford, MS


Not many college towns can come close to Oxford. This charming southern town is home to the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) Rebels. Everything from the nightlife, to the campus being ranked Most Beautiful by USAToday.com and their football makes Oxford the best college town on this list. This one is for sure on the bucket list for places you should visit.

2. Boulder, CO


Boulder comes to number 2 of this list because of many factors. First, UC Boulder is located looking toward mountains. I don't know very many colleges that have that good of a view out their window. Another is that the the amount of outdoor activities you can do in Boulder are so many, skiing, snowboarding, hiking, rock climbing. If you love the outdoors then Boulder might be the place for you.

3. Ann Arbor, MI

Ann Arbor is home to The University of Michigan. On top of being an amazing school academically their good in sports too. The small Michigan town is located about 35 miles from Detroit yet keeps that young hip feel. With cute shops and museums in the town, it makes it have that fun college feel.

4. Athens, GA (UGA)

Cause who doesn't love a small southern college town. People have compared Athens to Oxford for the nightlife and atmosphere of the city.

5. Cambridge, MA

Probably one you didn't think you'd see on this list is Cambridge, Mass. The town is outside Boston and known to being the home of MIT and Harvard University. Cambridge makes this list because of all the job opportunities it offers, location, colleges and for the what the town offers. The town might be outside Boston yet it still has that small town college feel to it. With MIT and Harvard being there the town is filled with college students. Art galleries, coffee shops, bookstores, and bars fill the town famous for its schools.

6. Fayetteville, AR

You may not know what to think when you think of Arkansas but let me tell you. Fay is beyond beautiful. The population is kept young here with college students and young families coming here for everything the town has to offer. Fayetteville is also more hip than most college towns (it being the most in my opinion). If you're looking for something outdoorsy to do Devil's Den State Park (30 minutes outside of Fayetteville) is a beautiful place to hike and watch the sunrise or set. This town loves their Arkansas Razorback football and their food. You won't find too many chain restaurants here. Most of the places are local.

7. Austin, TX

ATX is not only home to The University of Texas Austin, but one of the leading cities for young people and one of the top places to flock to for jobs. Austin is also home to South by Southwest (SXSW) and Austin City Limits music festival. With numerous galleries, restaurants and good nightlife, ATX makes takes #6 on our list. And remember, keep Austin weird :)

8. Baton Rouge, LA

Tigerland. Enough said.

9. Tuscaloosa, AL

Ah, the Crimson Tide. They might have the best football team in the country but their town is alright. They deserve to be put on this list but the only amazing thing about T-town is their nightlife.

10. Gainesville, FL

Gainesville is home to the Florida Gators but there is more to this town than the university. Downtown Gainesville is a must to visit. It's full of restaurants, bars, and the city has numerous museums, parks and shops to offer to visitors and locals alike.


So if you're looking to go to school in a fun college town or wanting to visit some to get the full experience these are the places you need to visit! There are many other amazing towns that didn't make the list but are still worth going to experience.




Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

28 Daily Thoughts of College Students

"I want to thank Google, Wikipedia, and whoever else invented copy and paste. Thank you."

296
group of people sitting on bench near trees duting daytime

I know every college student has daily thoughts throughout their day. Whether you're walking on campus or attending class, we always have thoughts running a mile a minute through our heads. We may be wondering why we even showed up to class because we'd rather be sleeping, or when the professor announces that we have a test and you have an immediate panic attack.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

The Great Christmas Movie Debate

"A Christmas Story" is the star on top of the tree.

1652
The Great Christmas Movie Debate
Mental Floss

One staple of the Christmas season is sitting around the television watching a Christmas movie with family and friends. But of the seemingly hundreds of movies, which one is the star on the tree? Some share stories of Santa to children ("Santa Claus Is Coming to Town"), others want to spread the Christmas joy to adults ("It's a Wonderful Life"), and a select few are made to get laughs ("Elf"). All good movies, but merely ornaments on the Christmas tree of the best movies. What tops the tree is a movie that bridges the gap between these three movies, and makes it a great watch for anyone who chooses to watch it. Enter the timeless Christmas classic, "A Christmas Story." Created in 1983, this movie holds the tradition of capturing both young and old eyes for 24 straight hours on its Christmas Day marathon. It gets the most coverage out of all holiday movies, but the sheer amount of times it's on television does not make it the greatest. Why is it,
then? A Christmas Story does not try to tell the tale of a Christmas miracle or use Christmas magic to move the story. What it does do though is tell the real story of Christmas. It is relatable and brings out the unmatched excitement of children on Christmas in everyone who watches. Every one becomes a child again when they watch "A Christmas Story."

Keep Reading...Show less
student thinking about finals in library
StableDiffusion

As this semester wraps up, students can’t help but be stressed about finals. After all, our GPAs depends on these grades! What student isn’t worrying about their finals right now? It’s “goodbye social life, hello library” time from now until the end of finals week.

1. Finals are weeks away, I’m sure I’ll be ready for them when they come.

Keep Reading...Show less
Christmas tree
Librarian Lavender

It's the most wonderful time of the year! Christmas is one of my personal favorite holidays because of the Christmas traditions my family upholds generation after generation. After talking to a few of my friends at college, I realized that a lot of them don't really have "Christmas traditions" in their family, and I want to help change that. Here's a list of Christmas traditions that my family does, and anyone can incorporate into their family as well!

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

The 5 Phases Of Finals

May the odds be ever in your favor.

2392
Does anybody know how to study
Gurl.com

It’s here; that time of year when college students turn into preschoolers again. We cry for our mothers, eat everything in sight, and whine when we don’t get our way. It’s finals, the dreaded time of the semester when we all realize we should have been paying attention in class instead of literally doing anything else but that. Everyone has to take them, and yes, unfortunately, they are inevitable. But just because they are here and inevitable does not mean they’re peaches and cream and full of rainbows. Surviving them is a must, and the following five phases are a reality for all majors from business to art, nursing to history.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments