List of The Best College Towns in The U.S.

Blessed with a Rocky Mountain backdrop, the home of the University of Colorado is famous for its great outdoors and fun community atmosphere. Boulder hosts multiple film festivals and was rated one of the 10 best cities for the next decade by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine.

Fall is a big season for the University of Michigan Wolverines, whose football program has historically been one of the best in the nation and a big local draw. It only helps that Ann Arbor is walkable and easy on the eyes. (photo: Traveler100)

The capital of Wisconsin regularly rates among the best cities to live in America. University of Wisconsin plays a major role in the community, and, if you missed out on the college experience, the Daily Beast listed Madison as one of the top places for college graduates, too.

It’s a big city, like Austin, but there are scores of colleges in the metro area (one estimate says there are more than 250,000 college students) and there’s plenty to do: sports, historical attractions, arts, music, bars, and more. (photo: Ingfbruno)

University of California’s main campus is in this Bay Area town, a place that has almost become synonymous with the phrase “college town.” Berkeley features tons of art, film, music, and political activity, and it’s just a short drive across the bay to San Francisco.

The city is built around the University of Georgia, where the Bulldogs reign supreme. But football and tailgating aren’t all that Athens offers. There’s also great art and music: Both R.E.M. and the B-52s started in Athens and performed at venues like the 40 Watt Club.

Sure, it’s the fourth-largest city in Texas and the state’s capital, but Austin, the hometown of the University of Texas, has a small-town feel to it. Austin is as green as it gets, and Travel and Leisure magazine said it has some of the best people in the country. Photo Erik A. Ellison

This small town in Western Massachusetts is home to three schools, including the main campus of the University of Massachusetts, and is just around the corner from two more. That makes for an interesting mix of people and great dining options. and find news you can use in politics, business, health, and education. Photo John Phelan

A charming town in North Carolina’s Research Triangle, Chapel Hill eats, sleeps, and breathes University of North Carolina hoops. And downtown’s Franklin Street is one of the most famous thoroughfares around, with bars, coffee shops, museums, and a vibrant night life. Photo Bad thorn

University of Virginia lives here, as did three former presidents and musician Dave Matthews. The aesthetically pleasing community about 115 miles from Washington offers lots of attractions, like hiking and Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello mansion. Photo Artaxerxes