America's best towns you should visit... and their colleges!

College Search & Lists
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CNN set out to find wonderful towns for people to visit. And since a vibrant, walkable downtown is both one of their main criteria and something students often look for, you’re in luck! Many of these towns are home to a college :grinning_face:

“We winnowed them down to 10 by evaluating the finalists’ attractions, food and beverage offerings, cultural and nightlife scenes, diversity, sense of identity, proximity to other interesting spots and “wow factor.” We also looked at travel essentials, including lodging options and the ease of getting there.”

One of these cool places (with great descriptions) is home to University of Iowa

What about Lawrence, University of Kansas?

“Roanoke is No. 10 on the list thanks to its outdoor activities, walkable downtown and growing food scene”…and home to Hollins, a women’s college where admitted Pell Grant students get a full ride. It’s also near Roanoke University.
https://edition.cnn.com/travel/roanoke-virginia-best-towns-america-2026
https://www.hollins.edu/
https://www.roanoke.edu/

“Burlington is No. 6 thanks to its stunning setting, tight-knit community and farm-to-table food.” University of Vermont

“Fort Collins, Colorado — Only two towns in America can claim to be the inspiration for that exemplar of 1900s small town nostalgia: Disneyland’s Main Street USA. This is one of them.” Home to Colorado State!

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"The valley hosts wineries, acclaimed restaurants, America’s oldest continuous open-air farmer’s market and the nation’s largest free music festival, a 10-day event each August that attracts more than a million people. (..)Lined with restored buildings, cafes and unique shops, it was just named the No. 1 main street in America by readers of USA Today. Main Street in Bethlehem still has the feel of a colonial town, and at Christmas, its festive spirit draws visitors from near and far.
Main Street in Bethlehem still has the feel of a colonial town, and at Christmas, its festive spirit draws visitors from near and far. Matt Rourke/AP. “I’ve never seen a Main Street like it.”

Moravian University is right there and there are nearby colleges of the Lehigh Valley, well-known Lafayette, Lehigh, or Muhlenberg, but also Kutztown (state university)

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Bethlehem is a really cool town and I always wonder why it doesn’t get more love. Burlington is beautiful. Interesting list.

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Without Madison, Boulder and Ann Arbor this list is suspect.

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They indicated they chose 1) towns (not cities) that 2) are often overlooked as destinations.
Boulder, Ann Arbor, and Madison wouldn’t fit these criteria.

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Have not been there in many years, but at that time it was said that the town of Bethlhem rolls up the sidewalks at 6PM. And they weren’t lying.

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Lawrence, Kansas has a population of about 100,000, while Iowa City is about 77,000 in an “urban area” of twice that size (about 144,000 or more).

Fort Collins, Colorado has a population of over 172,000 in a metro area twice that population. Boulder, Colorado’s population is far less at 106,000.

Ann Arbor’s population is about 122,000.

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Would not put Roanoke on this list. I mean it’s fine, but there are several other towns in SWVA that I would put before Roanoke.

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But Fort Collins is on there. I think if you compare them over the last decade Fort Collins wins out. Especially, as they targeted places that weren’t overly commercial

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I haven’t been to Ft Collins since (1972) I got drunk there on 3.2 beer and then broke my ankle in Estes Park and a nice doctor there came into the office at night and put me in a cast. But New Haven and Greenville metros are quite large and hardly little towns. But they have to keep these lists interesting too.

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Mostly I thought this list would be a useful introduction to some colleges and their surroundings. :grinning_face:
There’s a lot of overlap between the things the list curators like and the things college students (may) like: walkability, a vibrant main street with cute shops, good food, a music scene/music festivals, access to trails or the outdoors in general, fun traditions..
(I didn’t choose the criteria but in my opinion the towns they chose are less-known than others. I’m sure the criteria are not objective and as you said are meant to get clicks…)

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ignoring population, Boulder, Ann Arbor and Madison are NOT overlooked as destinations or college “towns” though..

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I love a good “off the beaten trail” list as opposed to a “usual suspects” list. Not that I don’t spend plenty of time going to usual suspects as well, but I don’t get much inspiration from such lists.

And I agree with the OP, the sorts of considerations involved in this list unsurprisingly led to quite a few college towns (or at least towns with colleges), and I do hope this could contribute to the conversation about not necessarily needing a college in a “usual suspect” sort of town in order to have great off-campus experiences.

Bethlehem is a great example to me. The Lehigh Valley is very pretty, and also quite convenient for both NYC and Philly. And then I respond very positively to the history, architecture, distinct neighborhoods, and general vibe of post-industrial cities like Bethlehem. Which can make them fun, affordable areas for students.

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Kayak just published a list too. I would like to visit the towns on this list more (and have visited a few) : 10 underrated college towns in the US worth a weekend trip.

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I might nitpick “underrated” and “flying under the radar” (see article) in some of those cases, but I do still like the basic idea.

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Nitpicking - Roanoke is a city, not a town.

But I like the list. I get what they were going after - trying to get people to learn about overlooked schools/places.

The kayak list made me smile. I think that one should be called “college towns that everyone has heard of if they watch College Game Day.”

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When I saw Athens, I thought, “Wait, is REM not a thing anymore?”

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When 54yo Carol in Pluribus sings “It’s the end of the world”, I was like “FINALLY a relatively current song I know!!” …:rofl: It’s from 1987 (would have sworn 2007​:melting_face:)