College Town USA: No. 1 Alfred, NY

Alfred, NY

The Ultimate College Town

 
 
 
 

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.

ASC Students at the front entrance

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. 

ASC students walking to class

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 Areas State Student Share Population 350-Mile Population Higher Education Institutions
1 Alfred NY 84.6% 4,026 104,464,746 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 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.

ASC campus

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.

Three ASC friends

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.

Trio on Main Street

New York's Ultimate College Towns

Nat'l Rank US Census Areas State Student Share Population 350-Mile Population Higher Education Institutions
1 Alfred NY 84.6% 4,026 104,464,746 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.