SafeWise reported which college towns are the safest based on FBI crime statistics. They only considered cities with a population exceeding 15,000 and only four-year, accredited colleges with more than 2,000 students. Read on to see which college towns were deemed safest due to low property and violent crimes.
Princeton, New Jersey
Those looking to attend an Ivy League school may be happy to hear that Princeton, New Jersey made the top ten list of safest college towns. Coming in ninth place, Princeton is home to less than 32,000 residents and has an undergraduate population of 5,301.
It is home to the famous Princeton University, which has an annual tuition of around $50,000. The beautiful campus is surrounded by history, less than two miles away from Princeton Battlefield State Park.
Milton, Massachusetts
The safest college town in 2020 was Milton, Massachusetts, which has a population of just under 28,000, of which 2,342 individuals are undergraduate students. Milton is also ranked the 4th safest city in Massachusetts and the 10th safest in the country.
The only four-year accredited institution in Milton is Curry College, a private school with an annual tuition of $40,070. Curry College returned to in-person instruction in the Fall of 2020 while also offering online and hybrid instruction.
Rexburg, Idaho
SafeWise found the second safest college town to be Rexburg, Idaho. Rexburg has a population of 37,636, a large majority of which are undergraduate students. It is ranked the safest city in Idaho and comes in 39th nationwide.
For $4,118 a year, students can attend Brigham Young University-Idaho in Rexburg. The town also has an entrance to Yellowstone National Park, one of the most beautiful parts of the United States.
Madison, New Jersey
The third safest college town was Madison, New Jersey, which has a population of 15,832 with three universities. Madison reported 80 crimes in 2018, the majority of which were property offenses. The town had 2,713 undergraduate students in 2020, many of which attended Fairleigh Dickinson University, which has an annual tuition of about $43,000.
Located 25 miles west of Downtown Manhattan, Madison is also ranked one of the best places to live in the U.S. and is a thriving food and arts community.
Wellesley, Massachusetts
Coming in fourth for the safest college town was Wellesley, Massachusetts, which is also ranked the 10th safest city in the state. Wellesley was additionally the 53rd safest city in America in 2020.
Wellesley is home to both Wellesley College and Babson College. Wellesley has an annual tuition of $56,000, while Babson's tuition is $52,600. It isn't a cheap place to live, however, with the median home price of $1.7 million!
Bristol, Rhode Island
The fifth safest college town in 2020 was Bristol, Rhode Island, which has a total population of 22,131. Bristol was also deemed the safest city in Rhode Island that year, and the 57th safest in the country.
The town has an undergraduate population of 4,347 students and is home to Roger Williams University, which has an annual tuition of $34,522. The peaceful town has a lot of history and patriotic residents.
Durham, New Hampshire
Durham, New Hampshire was ranked the sixth safest college town and has a population of just 16,813. The majority of those individuals are students, with 12,668 undergraduates in the city.
Durham was also deemed the ninth safest town in New Hampshire in 2020 and 67th in the country. The town is home to the University of New Hampshire, which has an annual tuition of about $18,500. Not only does Durham have one of the safest college campuses in the country, but also the greenest, home to College Woods, 250 acres of parks and trails.
Edwardsville, Illinois
Illinois has multiple cities that made it on the safest college towns list, including Edwardsville! This Illinois city has a population of a little more than 25,000. The undergraduate population is almost half as much at just shy of 11,000.
The crime rate in Edwardsville was 0.5 violent and 7.4 property crimes per 1,000 residents. The city is home to Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, which has a tuition of a little over $12,000.
Lisle, Illinois
Though Lisle was only ranked the 32nd safest city in Illinois, it jumped to the seventh safest city in terms of college towns. The city's population is just shy of 23,000, but there are less than 3,000 individuals in town who are undergraduates.
Benedictine University is located in Lisle and has an annual tuition of $34,290. Lisle is ranked one of the best places to live in the country, particularly for the "rich and single" according to Money magazine.
Moraga, California
Moraga came in eighth place for the safest college towns. With 17,866 residents, it is one of the smaller towns in California. Moraga has less than 2,800 undergraduates, many of whom study at Saint Mary's College of California.
Located in the San Francisco Bay Area, the city has been named one of the best cities to live and learn in. Students can explore the nearby redwood parks and the Chabot Space & Science Center. The St. Mary's basketball games are also a popular event.
Berea, Ohio
Berea was deemed the tenth safest college town and the 20th safest Ohio city in 2020. It has less than 19,000 residents and an undergraduate population of just over 3,000. Berea is home to Baldwin Wallace University, a private school that has a tuition of about $32,500 a year.
Berea is located in Northeastern Ohio, along Lake Erie and residents love music, particularly Johann Sebastian Bach, as the town is home to the biggest Bach Festival in the country.
Rochester Hills, Michigan
Rochester Hills made it to spot eleven on the safest college towns list, which is especially impressive considering it has a population of almost 75,000. In 2018, Rochester Hills only had 0.7 violent crimes and 5.9 property crimes per 1,000 residents.
The undergraduate population in this Michigan city is 15,476. The town is home to Oakland University, which shares its name with the county rather than the city. The school has an annual tuition of $12,606. Students who are fans of rapper Eminem might be interested to know that he's a local resident of Rochester Hills.
Charleston, Illinois
The twelfth safest college town was Charleston, Illinois, which has 20,878 residents and an undergraduate population of 4,631. In 2018, the city reported 1.4 violent crimes 2.9 property crimes per 1,000 residents. Charleston is home to Eastern Illinois University, which has a tuition of about $11,800 a year.
The historic rural town is known for its public art and incredible performing arts theatres. College students can enjoy the local hiking and biking trails knowing they're in one of the safest college towns in the country!
Beverly, Massachusetts
SafeWise found the 14th safest college town to be Beverly, Massachusetts. The city has a little more than 42,000 residents and an undergraduate population of about 3,000. In 2018, there was reportedly 1 violent crime and 5.8 property crimes per 1,000 individuals.
Beverly is home to Endicott College, a private school with a tuition of about $33,000 a year. The school boasts an oceanfront campus that sits on Boston's North Shore.
Mequon, Wisconsin
Mequon came in 15th place for the safest college town. The Wisconsin city has a population of a little more than 24,000, with more than 3,000 individuals who are undergraduates. In 2018, Mequon had just 0.2 violent crimes per 1,000 people.
The Milwaukee suburb is home to Concordia University Wisconsin and has a beautiful nature center, sculpture garden, and the Menomonee River for students to explore nearby. This quiet college town is one of the safest in the country.
North Andover, Massachusetts
The 16th safest college town, according to FBI statistics, was North Andover. The Massachusetts city is about 45 minutes north of Boston and is home to 31,394 residents. In 2018, North Andover reported 1.1 violent and 5.5 property crimes per 1,000 individuals.
The town's undergraduate population is 3,648 as it is home to Merrimack College. The tuition at Merrimack is just shy of $42,000 a year. Students can enjoy the nearby parks and learn about the local history of witchcraft!
Blacksburg, Virginia
17th on the safest college towns list is Blacksburg, Virginia. The town has a larger population than many of the cities on this list with almost 45,000 residents. Impressively, more than half of those residents are students as Blacksburg has an undergraduate population of 27,730.
Blacksburg reported 0.9 violent and 7.2 property crimes every 1,000 people. Located in town is Virginia Tech, which has an annual tuition of $13,620. Downtown is filled with shops and restaurants and there are plenty of hiking trails nearby.
West Lafayette, Indiana
Coming in 18th place for the safest college town is West Lafayette. The Indiana town has a population of almost 47,000, the majority of which are students with 33,495 undergraduates.
West Lafayette had 0.7 violent and 8.5 property crimes per 1,000 residents in 2018. The city is home to the world-renowned Purdue University, which is especially known for its STEM programs. The school elected to offer in-person classes in Fall 2020 and has an annual tuition of about $10,000.
Elmhurst, Illinois
Yet another Illinois city made it onto the safest college town list, with Elmhurst coming in 19th place. The city has a little over 47,000 residents, but their undergraduate population is only 2,799.
Elmhurst reported 0.5 violent and 9.5 property crimes in 2018 is home to Elmhurst University, a private liberal arts college. The school has tuition of about $37,000 a year and no application fee. It's a small, quiet town but has everything students need.
Carlisle, Pennsylvania
Ranked at number 20 on the safest college town list is Carlisle, Pennsylvania. The agricultural township is located about 2 hours West of Philadelphia and has a population of 19,335.
In 2018, Carlisle reported 0.9 violent and 7.5 property crimes per 1,000 people. Many of the city's 2,353 undergraduates attend Dickinson College. The pricey college has an annual tuition of almost $55,000. The town is rich with history and has unique thrift antique stores to explore.
