The Best College Town in Every State

Having an institution of higher learning located within the city limits is only one part of being a great college town. The best versions are friendly, medium-sized cities or small towns that punch well above their weight in the world of cultural attractions while also being home to a myriad of great bars & restaurants. Having a top-notch sports team to watch on the local campus doesn't hurt, either.

Click on the slideshow to see the best in each state.

Anytime it comes to picking a side between Auburn & Alabama, things are always contentious. Auburn gets the slight edge here due to the fact it retains a little more of a small-town feel than its cross-state rival Tuscaloosa. Toomer's Corner offers a step back in time and if the Tigers happen to win a football game when you are in town, your present-day is destined to be tremendous.

The Last Frontier is a special case as its schools are all located in the state's biggest cities. Anchorage is vibrant all year-round and that's thanks in part to the energy that the students at the University of Alaska-Anchorage and Alaska Pacific bring to town.

Tucson is a tad on the large side as far as college towns go, but there is no doubt that Arizona Wildcat spirit can be felt all over town. The nightlife in this Desert Southwest city is something to behold as is the thriving foodie & art scenes.

Visiting the colorful flowers at the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks is a great way to start any day in Fayetteville, a town full of friendly faces who root for the Arkansas Razorbacks. Join the fun on Dickson Street afterward to see how this town lets its hair down.

Home to Cal-Poly, "SLO Cal" is a quintessentially Californian region home to a nearly perfect college town. Higuera Street is where lots of fun happens as this thoroughfare is home to many restaurants, bars, galleries and an award-winning farmer's market. This is to say nothing of the idyllic weather.

You're bound to find Boulder near the top of any list of the best places to live in the country, period. Craft beer. Dining. Active & artistic Pursuits. Boulder has all that and it just so happens to lie at the foot of some of the most beautiful Rocky Mountain scenery in the West.

New Haven and its surrounds are home to several institutes of higher learning, but none are as prestigious-and pretty-as Yale. The gorgeous Yale campus blends perfectly with an underrated town which just so happens to be home to some of the best pizza in America.

Bustling nightlife on Main Street, the low cost of living off-campus and the excitement of watching Blue Hens football make Newark number one in Delaware.

This college town in the north-central section of the state is home to the Gators and is surrounded by miles of fetching Florida landscape. Explore the hiking, biking and floating possibilities by day and the lively arts and nightlife scene in the evening.

This place is an American college town par excellence. From an acclaimed music scene (check out a show at the 40 Watt Club or the Georgia Theatre) to bubbling craft breweries and the town's beloved Bulldogs, Athens has all the ingredients needed to be special.

This Big Island town is home to the University of Hawaii-Hilo and a student population that fills up the bayside bars, restaurants and coffee shops. Visit for a few days-or four years-to experience a college town with an island vibe.

The home of the University of Idaho may sound like it's located a lot further afield, but it's All-American to its core. Enjoy the myriad of foodie delights and the lively music scene provided by the local students before setting off to explore the nearby national forests.

The towns of Champaign and Urbana serve as the setting for the University of Illinois and between them provide the Land of Lincoln's finest college atmosphere. Root on the Fighting Illini with the local fans before fanning out over the town's galleries and entertainment venues.

Sure, South Bend is a nice place to visit and Lafayette is lovely in the fall, but the home of the Hoosiers has it all. Kirkwood Avenue is a beehive of activity-no matter the day of the week-and the weekends come alive with games, festivals and exhibitions.

The home of the Hawkeyes is a hub of recreation, education and entertainment in the state. The town is colorful and owns an extremely bike-friendly downtown full of bars, restaurants and boutique shops. This is to say nothing of the excellent tailgate scene during football season.

Lawrence is a Kansas town that moves to its own beat. Sure, the KU Jayhawks are known around the world but the nightlife on Massachusetts Street is almost just as famous. And it's not just going out, the town possesses a wealth of artistic attractions in addition to being home to a myriad of festivals.

There is no doubt that Bowling Green (home of Western Kentucky) is beautiful, but Lexington is simply and all-around all-star when it comes to college towns. The city is full of excellent dining and drinking establishments (this is the home state of bourbon after all), art spaces and attractions. This is to say nothing of the excitement when the Wildcats play basketball at home each winter.

As the capital of Louisiana, Baton Rouge manages to be much more than a college town while still keeping the quintessential appeal of one. Here, you will find tantalizing food, excellent nightlife and a powerhouse LSU college football program. And they even know how to throw a party for Mardi Gras, too.

This small town is home to the University of Maine and when students aren't rooting on the Black Bears in hockey or football, they are out exploring the wealth of cultural attractions and unique natural sights like the Sunkhaze Meadows National Wildlife Refuge or Orono Bog Boardwalk.

Located on the outskirts of Baltimore, this town has a connection to the big city but also manages to feel like its own separate space. In Towson, you'll find a vibrant range of nightlife and arts venues (not to mention a state-of-the-art football stadium at Towson State) and a lively student population enjoying every moment of their experience.

Amherst-and its neighbors Northampton and South Hadley-are surrounded by rolling countryside and between them are home to five schools, with UMass being the most prominent. Spend a morning at the excellent Amherst Museum of Natural History and your afternoon hiking Mount Tom.

Anytime you have to choose between Ann Arbor and East Lansing, you're never going to satisfy everyone, but Ann Arbor's slightly more "college town feel" gives it the edge. The town lives and dies with Michigan Wolverines athletics but it is also loaded with cultural, artistic and gastronomic stars too.

Strictly speaking, the Twin Cities are each too big to qualify as a "college town", so even though the atmosphere around the campus of the University of Minnesota is magical, it just doesn't have the same collegiate atmosphere as Rochester. This town in Southern Minnesota is home to three schools and is surrounded by striking scenery at every turn. The downtown is walkable and is home to the moving Peace Fountain, which features 50 doves symbolizing each state.

Oxford is one of the finest examples of Southern college towns, with the tailgating scene at The Grove roaring to life each autumn when the Ole Miss Rebels play at home. Off the football field, the town is as handsome as can be and is a fine place to get acquainted with some of the signature dishes of the South and the city's connection to Blues music.

Located halfway between St. Louis and Kansas City, Columbia stands as the cosmopolitan hub of Mid-Missouri and the home of the University of Missouri (Mizzou) Tigers. The town is well known for both its nightlife and cultural sights, with students and locals enjoying the relaxing atmosphere of Rock Bridge State Park.

The home of Montana State has long had a reputation as a vibrant Western town which just happens to be surrounded by stunning natural scenery. Bozeman is the kind of place where you can breakfast at a trendy spot in town and be mountain biking in the hills by mid-morning.

The underrated home of the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers can hold its own with anyone when it comes to fun college towns. Throw in the fact that it's also the state capital and you have a unique mix that keeps the town lively all year-round.

Like many things, Nevada does their college towns a little different. The home of the University of Nevada, Reno proudly calls itself the "biggest little city in the world" and as you would expect, it's just as fun to go to school here as it is to visit.

The home of Dartmouth, Hanover owns a scenic position in the Upper Connecticut River Valley. The town is loaded with quintessentially New England charm and is especially fetching in fall.

Another Ivy League town, Princeton is home to its prestigious namesake school and a wide range of off-campus artistic and cultural pursuits for students and visitors alike to enjoy.

The home of New Mexico State sits on the fringes of the breathtaking Organ Mountains and within striking distance of the spellbinding grains of White Sands National Monument. This-in addition to an active cultural scene-makes it the easy pick for the Land of Enchantment.

Home to both Cornell and Ithaca College, this scenic town on the tip of the Finger Lakes has a lot going for it. Spend your days hiking and gazing at the local gorges and your nights bouncing from bar to bar in Collegetown.

There are definitely more well-known college towns in the Tar Heel State (Chapel Hill and Durham immediately come to mind) but Davidson is a true hidden gem. Residents and students at Davidson College alike relish the ability to enjoy a small-town atmosphere while still just being a stone's throw from Charlotte.

Grand Forks is the home of the University of North Dakota and its Ralph Engelstad Arena is the home of the prestigious North Dakota hockey team. The town is a hub of arts and culture in the region, attracting many visitors from across the region and from across the border in Canada.

Nestled in the foothills of the Appalachians, the home of Ohio University has it all. A vibrant arts scene, happening nightlife-including an excellent local brewery in the form of Jackie O's-and scores of outdoor recreation opportunities are just the start of the fun.

You won't spend much time standing still here. The home of the Oklahoma State Cowboys is a lively place full of fun things to do-especially in historic downtown-and rich cultural heritage.

The home of the Oregon Ducks, Eugene offers visitors and students alike the chance to have an active lifestyle without sacrificing an active social scene. A plethora of bars & restaurants are located in the town with the surrounding landscape being full of hiking, biking and river rafting opportunities.

There's a reason why it's called "Happy Valley". While the origins of this pleasant Penn State nickname are still disputed, what isn't up for debate is State College is a great place to go to school and is the cultural hub of Central Pennsylvania.

With numerous institutions of higher learning-including most famously Brown, Rhode Island College and Providence College-this town strikes the perfect balance of college town atmosphere and cosmopolitan city amenities.

Clemson is home to the reigning champions of the college football world and a set of grand historic homes. In addition, its location at the base of the Blue Ridge mountains affords students or locals the chance to explore the local waterfalls and hills.

The home of the South Dakota State Jackrabbits-the largest school in the state-is also one of the biggest cities South Dakota. Meander down Main Avenue in order to appreciate some of the town's historic architecture before settling in for a meal at one of the many restaurants.

Knoxville manages to masterfully thread the needle between big-city amenities and college town intimacy. And when the UT Volunteers play football at home, head to the Tennessee River for one of the most unique tailgating scenes in the country.

Austin is awesome, but it has long outgrown the "college town" label. Head to College Station for the Lone Star State's best take on the genre and if you happen to be in town when the Aggies are playing football, you are in for a fun ride.

The home of BYU owns a setting directly on Utah Lake and a backdrop of mountains. It's the perfect base to pursue academic or outdoor pursuits in the state.

This scenic lakeside town is not only the state's biggest city but it also is the home of the University of Vermont. Enjoy the waters of Lake Champlain by day and the music venues and watering holes on Main Street by night.

In addition to the stately campus of the University of Virginia, this town is home to Thomas Jefferson's Monticello and just so happens to sit on the outskirts of the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. There are also several local wineries in addition to an effervescent music and dining scene in the town itself.

The rolling hills of the Pacific Northwest's Palouse region are the backdrop of Washington State University in Pullman. The town roars to life when the Cougars play football at home but you'll find a lively arts and nightlife scene all school-year long.

The University of West Virginia is the heartbeat of this town but the hills that surround it help give Morgantown its magic. Spend your day out in the mountains (the views from Dorsey's Knob are a dream) before settling in for drinks, dinner and dancing downtown.

Was there ever any doubt that the home of the Badgers would be the choice for Wisconsin? Madison has consistently been rated among the nations best college towns and for good reason. The colorful mix of art spaces, bars & restaurants and concert venues makes this a great place to be for four days, four years or four decades.

You'll find the perfect mix of Western heritage, small-town charm and stunning landscapes in Laramie. Home to the University of Wyoming, the town certainly buzzes with the Cowboys play football at home but there a myriad of museums and historical sights.