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The 50 Safest College Towns in America of 2021

By Trevor Wheelwright

Researcher & Writer

Published on November 01, 2021

Last Updated: 1 day ago

Now is the time to pay attention to sexual assault on campus

Around 50% of all sexual assaults on campus ¹ happen between August and November (known as the Red Zone).
Freshmen and sophomores are at greater risk of sexual violence than juniors and seniors.
Most victims of sexual assault on campus are victimized by someone they know.

Learn more about sexual assault on campus and how to prevent it at Shattering the Red Zone.

Get tips to stay safe on campus in our complete College Safety Guide.

The 5 safest and 5 most dangerous college towns in the US

As of November 1, some students have started receiving early decisions from colleges they applied to, while others are entering their last year of high school and determining which schools they’d like to attend. But these days, they have more to consider with the ongoing pandemic.

This summer, the Biden Administration challenged schools to increase vaccination. And now, more colleges are pushing for vaccine requirements, urging students, parents, schools, and legislators to pin down their plans.

In a recent preliminary crime report from the FBI, the first six months of 2020 showed a 14.8% increase for murder and nonnegligent manslaughter, and aggravated assault offenses were up 4.6%.²

Parents and students may want to weigh safety considerations as they pick out school locations. To help put their minds at ease and highlight safe school options, we ranked the 50 safest college towns in America.

In this report

Here are the 10 safest college towns 2021

1. Milton, MA
2. Durham, NH
3. Madison, NJ
4. Rexburg, ID
5. Wellesley, MA
6. Berea, OH
7. North Andover, MA
8. Bristol, RI
9. Lisle, IL
10. Rochester Hills, MI

See the full list of America's 50 safest college towns.

How we picked the safest college towns in America

Our rankings are based on college towns that report the lowest violent crimes and property crimes per 1,000 residents.

We use the most recent FBI statistics, which currently include crime and population data reported for 2019.³ This data doesn’t capture the complete picture. Still, it’s the most consistent and comprehensive crime information available on a national level.

To qualify for our ranking list, towns must have populations of 15,000 or more that were home to accredited colleges with four-year degrees. This data is sourced from College Scorecard.⁴ Our ranking excludes for-profit institutions, technical and vocational schools, schools that offer only two-year degrees, and those with fewer than 2,000 students enrolled annually.

For our ranking, 50% of the score was determined by the number of violent crimes per 1,000. The additional 50% of the score was determined by the number of property crimes per 1,000. We omitted all locations with missing FBI violent crime or property crime data.

Each measurement was normalized on a 0–1 scale with 1 corresponding to the measurement that would most positively affect the final score. These adjusted measurements were then added together with the weights mentioned above to get a score of 100.

We ranked 422 cities this year, compared to 457 cities last year. Both rankings used the same filtering criteria.

We also looked at the COVID-19 vaccination policy for the largest college in each town, but this factor was not part of our ranking. Vaccination requirements were individually sourced from each school’s website.

For more information, read our full methodology.

For the purposes of this report, the terms “safest” and “dangerous” refer explicitly to crime rates as calculated from FBI crime data—no other characterization of any community is implied or intended.

Interesting findings

Let’s highlight some statistics and trends surrounding the safest college towns in America this year:

Massachusetts had the most college towns on our safety list with 10 towns. California had the second most with 6, Illinois had 5, and Connecticut had 4.
Madison, NJ, ranks third on our list and is home to Fairleigh Dickinson University (Florham Campus). The town stands out for having had just one reported violent incident.
The average violent crime rate among the 10 most dangerous college towns is 16.0 incidents per 1,000 people. That’s 16 times higher than the average violent crime rate in the 50 safest college towns.
The 50 safest college towns have a low property crime rate average of 8.2 incidents per 1,000. The average property crime rate for the 10 most dangerous college towns is nearly 8 times higher at 62.8 per 1,000 people.
Paying to be safe: The average cost of in-state tuition for the largest schools in the top 50 safest college towns is $27,061. The average tuition jumps up to $32,428 for out-of-state students.

Average violent crime rate in the safest college towns vs. the national average

Changes from last year

The safest college towns stayed consistent. However, Cypress, CA (home of Cypress College) is a newcomer this year.
Northfield, MN, home to St. Olaf College, moved up 24 spots from last year’s list. Northfield decreased its violent crime rate by over half (1.4 to 0.6) and lowered its property crime rate from 9.7 to 7.3.
The 50 safest college towns dropped slightly from a property crime rate of 8.6 incidents per 1,000 people in 2020 down to 8.2 in 2021.
The violent crime rate among the 50 safest college towns slightly increased in violent crime. In 2019 and 2020, the rate was 0.9 incidents per 1,000 people. In 2021, it rose to one incident in 2021.

Average property crime rate in the safest college towns vs. national average

View the complete 2021 State of Safety report.

Should college students feel safe on campus?

The risk of physical danger, let alone murder, is low compared to the possibility of someone messing with your stuff. The latest FBI data on crimes reported by University Law shows that students are far more likely to become a victim of a property crime than a violent crime on campus:

The risk of students becoming victims of violent crimes on a college campus is 1 in 3,202.
The risk of students becoming victims of murder on a college campus is 1 in 1,326,884.
The risk of students becoming victims of a property crime on a college campus is 1 in 192.
Since 2010, the murder rate has risen by 11.6%, but total violent crime is down by 3.8%, and property crime is down by 24% for the same period.^5,6,7

What about sex-related safety and crime on campus?

The FBI doesn’t track sex-related crimes in its Uniform Crime Report. But RAINN, The nation's largest anti-sexual violence organization, provides key statistical insights where possible:⁸

At least 13% of students experience rape or sexual assault through physical force, violence, or incapacitation.
Students are at increased risk during the first few months of their first and second semesters in college.
More than 50% of college sexual assaults occur in August, September, October, or November.
Among undergraduate students, 26.4% of females and 6.8% of males experience rape or sexual assault through physical force, violence, or incapacitation.
College-age women are 3–4x more likely to experience sexual violence than all women.
Only 20% of female students report sex-related crimes compared to 34% of female non-students the same age.

You can learn more about RAINN’s statistics here to find more resources for sexual violence education, prevention, and rehabilitation.

COVID-19 vaccination requirements on campus

Proof of a COVID-19 vaccine is required for 35 of the top 50 anchor schools on our list. (An anchor school is the largest university found in each of the 50 safest college towns.)

Other schools (like Brigham Young University-Idaho) don’t require the vaccine. However, some require wearing masks in campus buildings.

In some states, like Utah, legislators have blocked college vaccination requirements, though ome Utah colleges are planning vaccine requirements for current fall and upcoming spring semesters.

So has enforcing COVID-19 policies kept the coronavirus away from campus? Some schools are reporting fewer infections this year and crediting vaccines:

Minnesota colleges reported fewer COVID-19 cases than last fall, crediting high vaccination rates.
In Colorado, college campuses appear to be “COVID vaccine islands” with fewer cases than surrounding less-vaccinated areas.

While most of the top 50 safest colleges require vaccinations, only 4 of the 10 anchor schools for the 10 most dangerous college towns require vaccines.

The most dangerous college town in America

(Image source: Wikimedia Commons)

America’s most dangerous college town is Alexandria, LA, home of Louisiana State University-Alexandria—but what makes it so dangerous?

Alexandria has the highest property crime rate out of the hundreds of towns we analyzed (89.6 incidents per 1,000 people).
The town reported 15.7 violent crime incidents per 1,000 residents—the fourth highest in the nation.
Your risk of being a victim of a violent crime in Alexandria, Louisiana? Nearly 1 in 64. And your risk of being a victim of a property crime? 1 in 11.
There were 9 incidents of murder and non-negligent manslaughter in the town last year. Meanwhile, there were 3,056 incidents of larceny-theft, 892 reported burglaries, and 232 motor vehicle thefts.

The top 50 safest college towns

Milton, Massachusetts

(

No change

)

Undergrad population

2,285
Largest school

Curry College
Tuition/year

$41,230
Crime rates (per 1,000)

Violent: 0.4 | Property: 2.2

Image source: Instagram @currycollege

Durham, New Hampshire

(

)

Undergrad population

12,101
Largest school

University of New Hampshire-Main Campus
Tuition/year

$18,879
Crime rates (per 1,000)

Violent: 0.4 | Property: 2.5

Image source: Facebook @University of New Hampshire

Madison, New Jersey

(

No change

)

Undergrad population

2,604
Largest school

Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham Campus
Tuition/year

$44,720
Crime rates (per 1,000)

Violent: 0.1 | Property: 4.2

Image source: Instagram @fduwhatsnew

Rexburg, Idaho

(

-2

)

Undergrad population

38,672
Largest school

Brigham Young University-Idaho
Tuition/year

$4,208
Crime rates (per 1,000)

Violent: 0.2 | Property: 4.2

Image source: Facebook @BYU-Idaho

Wellesley, Massachusetts

(

-1

)

Undergrad population

4,715
Largest school

Wellesley College
Tuition/year

$56,052
Crime rates (per 1,000)

Violent: 0.2 | Property: 4.2

Image source: Facebook @Wellesley College

Berea, Ohio

(

)

Undergrad population

2,925
Largest school

Baldwin Wallace University
Tuition/year

$33,530
Crime rates (per 1,000)

Violent: 0.5 | Property: 4.3

Image source: Facebook @Baldwin Wallace University

North Andover, Massachusetts

(

)

Undergrad population

3,956
Largest school

Merrimack College
Tuition/year

$43,340
Crime rates (per 1,000)

Violent: 0.5 | Property: 5.2

Image source: Instagram (@merrimackcollege)

Bristol, Rhode Island

(

-3

)

Undergrad population

4,358
Largest school

Roger Williams University
Tuition/year

$36,978
Crime rates (per 1,000)

Violent: 0.7 | Property: 4.7

Image source: Facebook @Roger Williams University

Lisle, Illinois

(

-2

)

Undergrad population

2,461
Largest school

$34,290
Tuition/year

Benedictine University
Crime rates (per 1,000)

Violent: 0.4 | Property: 6.3

Image source: Instagram @benu1887

#10

Rochester Hills, Michigan

(

)

Undergrad population

15,236
Largest school

Oakland University
Tuition/year

Oakland University
Crime rates

Violent: 0.5 | Property: 6.1

Image source: Instagram (@oaklandu)

#11

Princeton, New Jersey

(

-2

)

Undergrad population

5,308
Largest school

Princeton University
Tuition/year

$52,800
Crime rates (per 1,000)

Violent: 0.3 | Property: 7.5

Image source: Facebook @Princeton University

#12

Mequon, Wisconsin

(

)

Undegrad population

3,028
Largest school

Concordia University-Wisconsin
Tuition/year

$30,352
Crime rates (per 1,000)

Violent: 0.6 | Property: 7.2

Image source: Instagram (@cuwisconsin)

#13

Beverly, Massachusetts

(

)

Undergrad population

2,996
Largest school

Endicott College
Tuition/year

$34,200
Crime rates

Violent: 1.1 | Property: 4.9

Image source: Instagram (@endicottcollege)

#14

Northfield, Minnesota

(

+24

)

Undergrad population

5,098
Largest school

St. Olaf College
Tuition/year

$49,710
Crime rates

Violent: 0.6 | Property: 7.3

Image source: Instagram (@stolafcollege)

#15

West Lafayette, Indiana

(

)

Undergrad population

62,482
Largest school

Purdue University
Tuition/year

$9,992
Crime rates (per 1,000)

Violent: 0.7 | Property: 7.3

Image source: Instagram (@lifeatpurdue)

#16

Smithfield, Rhode Island

(

)

Undergrad population

3,232
Largest school

Bryant University
Tuition/year

$45,395
Crime rates (per 1,000)

Violent: 0.3 | Property: 8.9

Image source: Facebook @Bryant University

#17

Moon Township, Pennsylvania

(

)

Undergrad population

3,735
Largest school

Robert Morris University
Tuition/year

$31,200
Crime rates

Violent: 0.5 | Property: 8.1

Image source: Instagram (@robertmorrisuniversity)

#18

Edwardsville, Illinois

(

-5

)

Undergrad population

10,339
Largest school

Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville
Tuition/year

$12,219
Crime rates

Violent: 0.6 | Property: 7.7

Image source: Facebook @Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

#19

Blacksburg, Virginia

(

-2

)

Undergrad population

29,196
Largest school

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Tuition/year

$13,691
Crime rates (per 1,000)

Violent: 1.1 | Property: 6.1

Image source: Facebook @Virginia Tech

#20

Charleston, Illinois

(

-8

)

Undergrad population

4,577
Largest school

Eastern Illinois University
Tuition/year

$11,989
Crime rates

Violent: 1.6 | Property: 7.7

Image source: Instagram (@eiu)

The rest of the top 50 safest college towns

We calculated crime rates for every college city in the country that met our criteria. See which cities round out the top 50 safest college towns in America.

2021 ranking	City	State	Largest school	Violent crime rate	Property crime rate	Tuition per year	2020 ranking
21	Willimantic	CT	Eastern Connecticut State University	1.2	6.7	$11,846	35
22	Moraga	CA	Saint Mary's College of California	1.3	6.9	$49,188	8
23	Bridgewater	MA	Bridgewater State University	2.2	3.5	$10,732	25
24	Canyon	TX	West Texas A & M University	0.9	9.4	$8,135	21
25	Pullman	WA	Washington State University	1.2	7.9	$11,841	40
26	Easton	MA	Stonehill College	1.7	5.8	$44,420	34
27	Elmhurst	IL	Elmhurst University	0.7	10.2	$37,754	19
28	Waukesha	WI	Carroll University	0.9	9.5	$32,850	39
29	Thousand Oaks	CA	California Lutheran University	0.7	10.9	$44,382	36
30	Moscow	ID	University of Idaho	0.3	13.3	$8,304	47
31	Marquette	MI	Northern Michigan University	1.3	8.8	$11,255	30
32	Wheaton	IL	Wheaton College	0.8	11.5	$37,700	28
33	New Rochelle	NY	Iona College	1.2	9.7	$40,172	24
34	River Falls	WI	University of Wisconsin-River Falls	0.8	11.7	$8,037	60
35	Midland	MI	Northwood University	1.3	9.4	$28,080	27
36	Waltham	MA	Brandeis University	1.6	8.2	$51,830	49
37	Camarillo	CA	California State University-Channel Islands	0.8	11.7	$6,802	46
38	South Hadley	MA	Mount Holyoke College	1.5	8.8	$52,258	56
39	Amherst	MA	University of Massachusetts-Amherst	2.5	4.4	$16,389	51
40	Niceville	FL	Northwest Florida State College	0.7	12.8	$3,133	52
41	Irvine	CA	University of California-Irvine Brandman University	0.6	13.1	$13,727	29
42	Cypress	CA	Cypress College	1.1	12.1	$1,142	N/A
43	Middletown	CT	Wesleyan University	0.8	13.3	$57,334	37
44	Bluffton	SC	University of South Carolina Beaufort	1.9	8.9	$10,730	63
45	Fairfield	CT	Sacred Heart University	0.5	15.1	$43,070	45
46	Danbury	CT	Western Connecticut State University	1.1	12.3	$11,344	58
47	Laramie	WY	University of Wyoming	1.8	9.7	$5,581	41
48	Kent	OH	Kent State University at Kent	1.0	13.2	$10,602	53
49	Medford	MA	Tufts University	2.0	9.2	$58,578	32
50	San Marcos	CA	California State University-San Marcos	2.0	9.7	$7,717	57

More safe cities

These college towns sure are smart when it comes to safety. A lot of the cities on this list also landed on our 100 Safest Cities in America list.

10 most dangerous college towns in America

2021 ranking	City	State	Largest school	Violent crime rate	Property crime rate	Tuition per year
1	Alexandria	LA	Louisiana State University-Alexandria	15.7	89.6	$6,668
2	Memphis	TN	University of Memphis	19	61.3	$9,912
3	Springfield	MO	Missouri State University-Springfield	15.2	77.9	$7,588
4	Monroe	LA	University of Louisiana at Monroe	17.7	65.8	$8,974
5	Detroit	MI	Wayne State University	19.7	43	$13,517
6	Little Rock	AR	University of Arkansas at Little Rock	15.2	61.2	$9,544
7	Baltimore	MD	University of Maryland-Baltimore County	18.6	43.1	$12,028
8	Greenwood	SC	Lander University	14.9	55.2	$11,700
9	Florence	SC	Francis Marion University	11.9	66.3	$11,160
10	Spartanburg	SC	University of South Carolina-Upstate	11.9	64.9	$11,558

Alexandria, Memphis, Monroe, Detroit, Little Rock, Baltimore, and Greenwood also ranked among the most dangerous metro areas for 2020.

How to make a safe home anywhere

Whether you’re living on campus, in the town nearby, or at home to save some cash, you can always find ways to be a little safer and more secure.

Even busy college students can use these security solutions:

Get a security system

If you want to make sure your parents are safe while you are away, check out our picks for the Best Home Security Systems.

Get a security system

Sources

Christopher P. Krebs, Ph.D.; Christine H. Lindquist, Ph.D.; Tara D. Warner, M.A.; Bonnie S. Fisher, Ph.D.; Sandra L. Martin, Ph.D.; Office of Justice Programs, “The Campus Sexual Assault (CSA) Study,” Decemer 2007. Accessed October, 26, 2021.
FBI, “Overview of Preliminary Uniform Crime Report, January–June, 2020,” September 15, 2020. Accessed October 26, 2021.
FBI, “Crime in the United States.” Accessed October 26, 2021.
CollegeScorecard.ed.gov, “College Scorecard Data.” Downloaded August 11, 20201. Updated August 2, 2021. Accessed October 26, 2021.
FBI, “Murder in the United States.” Accessed October 26, 2021.
FBI, “ Violent Crime in the United States.” Accessed October 26, 2021.
FBI, “Property Crime in the United States.” Accessed October 26, 2021.
RAINN.org, “Campus Sexual Violence: Statistics.” Accessed October 26, 2021.

Written by

Trevor Wheelwright

Trevor’s written about your money, your life topics for over six years. His work has been featured on Forbes, RealSimple, USA Today, MSN, BusinessInsider, Entrepreneur, PCMag, and CNN. When he’s not researching and writing, you can find him around Salt Lake City, Utah, snapping photos of mountains and architecture or seeking out some good tunes and friendly faces.