College Town USA: No. 1 Alfred, NY

Data analysis by Washington Post Reporter Andrew Van Dam determined the Ultimate College Town by ranking US Census Urban Areas with the largest share of college students. Urban Areas follow population-density patterns, not municipal borders, and Alfred is a clear winner in this analysis as the home of both SUNY Alfred State College and private Alfred University.

Alfred is "the collegiest" by a wide margin.

Winning the number one national ranking and earning the nickname College Town USA proves that Alfred's picture-perfect environment away from big city worries stands out among all other university and college towns in the country. Van Dam called Alfred “the collegiest” a term he coined. While located in a scenic rural area, Alfred is within an easy day's drive for people across the US Northeast. Alfred invites you to Visit Us and see for yourself.

Van Dam describes Alfred as a village wedged into Western New York’s hills that is home to two schools. "Students make up an astonishing 85 percent of the town's population... If you go left at the town's only stoplight, you're on one campus. Turn right, you're on the other. Now that's a college town."

Describing how college towns are unique, the Washington Post added, "The classic college town is built around a school at its heart. (The town is) inhaling nervously in the fall and exhaling as summer begins." Interviewed by a Scripps network TV reporter, Alfred State architecture student Jennifer Meo confirmed, "Fall through spring (the town's alive) when everyone's here before they pop out."

The Chronicle of Higher Education also weighed in on the Ultimate US College Town saying, "When you hear the phrase 'college town' what comes to mind? Luckily for you, there's a quantitative way to figure this out... Clocking in at No. 1 is Alfred, NY."

College towns are defined by a sense of togetherness and belonging.

In an Ultimate College Town students build strong relationships in a caring community, everyone in town is focused on helping students succeed, and students are the majority of residents. There are only 17 US college towns where most of the local population is enrolled in school.

Kristen Mirand of WKBW-TV in Buffalo bragged about Alfred's close-knit community saying, "It's the community and college town that so many are proud to be a part of." Yahoo! News notes how close the ties are between the two schools, "Alfred's Hot Dog Day has brought Alfred State College and Alfred University students together to celebrate every spring for decades."

Patrick Lakamp, data and enterprise editor at The Buffalo News, recognized Alfred's achievement writing, "Congratulations Alfred, NY, 'the collegiest' town in America!" In his "Lighter Side of the News" column, he commented that it's great to see good news about students and education. Jim Eckstrom at the Olean Times Herald joined in the celebrations proclaiming, "Alfred, N.Y., home to two institutions of higher learning, is ranked No. 1 in a nationwide survey to determine the Ultimate College Town."

Ultimate US College Towns: National Top 25

Nat'l Rank	US Census Urban Areas	State	Student Share	Population	350-Mile Population	Higher Education Institutions
1	Alfred	NY	84.6%	4,500	104,464,746	SUNY Alfred State College and Alfred University
2	Prairie View	TX	77.8%	6,161	36,423,024	Prairie View A&M University
3	Slippery Rock	PA	67.3%	6,550	100,962,665	Slippery Rock University
4	Cedarville	OH	67.0%	4,204	76,878,751	Cedarville University
5	Oxford	OH	62.3%	22,933	71,886,161	Miami University of Ohio
6	Air Force Academy	CO	59.9%	2,833	9,380,557	United States Air Force Academy
7	Potsdam	NY	59.8%	8,337	75,427,182	SUNY Potsdam and Clarkson University
8	Hamilton	NY	59.7%	3,863	94,012,765	Colgate University
9	Geneseo	NY	58.8%	8,288	102,298,220	SUNY Geneseo
10	Athens	OH	55.9%	27,450	90,621,398	Ohio University
11	Boone	NC	54.8%	22,323	71,663,488	Appalachian State University
12	Delhi	NY	54.8%	3,046	92,095,641	SUNY Delhi
13	Middlebury	VT	54.6%	5,563	73,533,819	Middlebury College
14	Kutztown	PA	52.2%	8,859	93,026,622	Kutztown University of Pennsylvania
15	Whitewater	WI	51.6%	14,346	52,704,085	University of Wisconsin, Whitewater
16	Pullman	WA	51.1%	32,940	20,000,885	Washington State University
17	Raymond	MS	50.9%	2,689	31,056,189	Hinds Community College
18	Canton	NY	49.5%	7,041	76,113,118	SUNY Canton and St. Lawrence University
19	Ada	OH	48.0%	5,137	74,225,420	Ohio Northern University
20	Dahlonega	GA	47.8%	5,588	54,527,100	University of North Georgia
21	Cullowhee	NC	47.8%	10,363	57,339,618	Western Carolina University
22	Cazenovia	NY	46.1%	2,860	94,315,336	Cazenovia College
23	Ithaca	NY	45.9%	56,833	99,100,146	Cornell University and Ithaca College
24	New Concord	OH	45.1%	2,836	92,759,959	Muskingum University
25	Lexington	VA	43.8%	9,435	76,385,204	Washington & Lee Univ. and Virginia Military Institute

Ultimate US College Towns: Through #50

Nat'l Rank	US Census Urban Areas	State	Student Share	Population	350-Mile Population	Higher Education Institutions
26	New Wilmington	PA	43.4%	2,373	98,824,134	Westminster College
27	Ames	IA	42.9%	65,684	38,543,960	Iowa State University
28	Upland	IN	42.9%	3,372	68,035,556	Taylor University
29	Northfield	VT	42.6%	4,332	69,182,714	Norwich University
30	Buies	NC	42.3%	5,313	51,016,218	Campbell University
31	Morehead	KY	42.2%	6,678	83,326,244	Morehead State University
32	Big Rapids	MI	42.2%	12,544	60,991,454	Ferris State University
33	Platteville	WI	42.0%	11,768	46,814,027	University of Wisconsin, Platteville
34	Mount Pleasant	MI	41.5%	32,902	62,619,377	Central Michigan University
35	Stillwater	OK	41.1%	46,611	26,874,683	Oklahoma State University
36	Plymouth	NH	41.1%	3,337	61,288,265	Plymouth State University
37	Oberlin	OH	40.6%	8,035	82,728,869	Oberlin College
38	Starkville	MS	40.5%	31,529	37,307,544	Mississippi State University
39	Maryville	MO	39.6%	11,950	27,032,576	Northwest Missouri State University
40	Davis	CA	39.5%	75,447	21,665,054	University of California, Davis
41	Cheney	WA	39.3%	12,422	19,506,333	Eastern Washington University
42	State College	PA	39.3%	91,084	101,248,733	Penn State University
43	Bowling Green	OH	39.0%	30,657	71,996,788	Bowling Green State University
44	Pembroke	NC	38.8%	5,855	49,299,847	University of North Carolina at Pembroke
45	San Louis Obispo	CA	38.3%	58,905	47,232,138	California Polytechnic State University
46	Farmville	VA	38.0%	7,899	80,024,634	Longwood University
47	Blacksburg	VA	37.7%	91,162	77,160,690	Virginia Tech
48	Vermillion	SD	37.0%	11,037	17,062,819	University of South Dakota
49	Houghton	MI	36.6%	15,314	17,190,812	Michigan Tech University
50	Rexburg	ID	36.1%	33,423	6,566,064	Brigham Young University - Idaho

New York State is home to the most and highest-ranked Ultimate US College Towns.

A Washington Post analysis of Ultimate College Towns found that New York is number one in the nation for rural universities and colleges with that college town feel. An impressive fifteen out of the top 150 Ultimate US College Towns are in New York State. USA Today Network reporter Neal Simon observed, "Five towns with the 50 percent or higher student share of the local population are in New York, which is more than any other state." Ohio has three such college towns with students in the majority and Pennsylvania has two.

Alfred, New York is the first-place Ultimate US College Town with a student population of 85 percent, deemed "the collegiest." Sunny Hernandez at the Syracuse Post-Standard said about Alfred’s win, “The rural town finished at the top by a sizable margin where second-place finisher Prairie View, Texas has a student population of 78 percent.” In Alfred, nicknamed College Town USA, approximately two-thirds of the students are enrolled at SUNY Alfred State College and one-third at private Alfred University.

State University of New York (SUNY) originally coordinated all 64 of its locations so that 93 percent of New Yorkers live within 15 miles of a higher education provider, and nearly 100 percent live within 30 miles. SUNY has purposefully spread access to universities and colleges across the state, like SUNY Alfred State College, creating these idyllic college towns.

Smaller college towns are a big deal.

As the New York State Economic Development Council (NYSEDC) stated, "New York leads all states for rural locations where students are more than half the local population...These scenic educational powerhouses may not be in big cities but are convenient to every New Yorker. Number one is the college town of Alfred, home of NYSEDC Member SUNY Alfred State College.”

Being away from urban centers might lead you to believe that Ultimate College Towns are not convenient. But each NYS town named an Ultimate US College Town boasts more than 75 million people within 350 miles according to NASA’s SEDAC. SUNY Alfred State College proudly proclaims 104.4 million people live within an easy day's drive.Once again, Alfred is the best. The number of those surrounding Alfred, NY equals one-third of the US population.

College towns outside big cities are by definition smaller, tight-knit, and caring communities near an abundance of outdoor recreation to offer students a great place to learn, grow, seek their purpose in life, and focus on building skills for a successful future.

New York's Ultimate College Towns

Nat'l Rank	US Census Urban Areas	State	Student Share	Population	350-Mile Population	Higher Education Institutions
1	Alfred	NY	84.6%	4,500	104,464,746	SUNY Alfred State College and Alfred University
7	Potsdam	NY	59.8%	8,337	75,427,182	SUNY Potsdam and Clarkson University
8	Hamilton	NY	59.7%	3,863	94,012,765	Colgate University
9	Geneseo	NY	58.8%	8,288	102,298,220	SUNY Geneseo
12	Delhi	NY	54.8%	3,046	92,095,641	SUNY Delhi
18	Canton	NY	49.5%	7,041	76,113,118	SUNY Canton and St. Lawrence University
22	Cazenovia	NY	46.1%	2,860	94,315,336	Cazenovia College
23	Ithaca	NY	45.9%	56,833	99,100,146	Cornell University and Ithaca College
61	Oneonta	NY	33.2%	16,369	92,380,278	SUNY Oneonta
80	West Point	NY	29.3%	11,824	89,834,845	West Point Academy
88	Cobleskill	NY	21.5%	5,184	90,238,230	SUNY Cobleskill
97	Red Hook	NY	26.9%	6,034	87,730,517	Bard College
129	Dryden	NY	21.9%	3,623	97,322,368	SUNY Tompkins Cortland CC
135	Brockport	NY	21.2%	18,009	99,483,538	SUNY Brockport
150	Cortland	NY	20.3%	26,325	95,902,676	SUNY Cortland

View all 200 rankings by the Washington Post from US Census Urban Area Data. Regional population estimates are by NASA's SEDAC.