State College is the nation’s best small college town, according to a national publication’s new ranking.
USA Today’s 10Best awarded the 2026 honor to State College after a vote by readers on destination college towns with populations of 50,000 or less nominated by a panel of experts. (The borough’s official 2024 population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau was 41,228).
“I am proud to see State College recognized as the number one Best Small College Town in America,” State College Mayor Ezra Nanes said in a statement. “I thank the USA Today panel for recognizing what so many of us know so well: this is a vibrant, welcoming, and truly special place. I am grateful to all the residents, students, local businesses, Penn State, and community partners who help make State College such an exceptional community.”
The ranking cited attractions on the Penn State campus and downtown, noting that the university and borough are set “against a backdrop of beautiful country scenery.”
An article accompanying the rankings calls State College “a town unlike most others” that is home to one of the nation’s largest public universities while offering “dozens of bars, restaurants, and coffee shops, making it the perfect spot for college students to live in.”
The 10Best ranking highlighted Penn State and State College’s offerings of arts performances, athletics, events and festivals, along with nearby parks, trails, restaurants and pubs.
Destinations for visitors called out by USA Today include The Palmer Museum of Art, the Arboretum at Penn State, a Nittany Lion football game tailgate and country night at Bill Pickle’s Tap Room, while the Nittany Lion Inn, Hyatt Place State College and Wyndham Garden State College get nods for places to say.
Bagel Crust, Tadashi (specifically the South Atherton Street location), Champs Sports Grill, The Field Burger and Tap and the Berkey Creamery all receive mentions for places to eat and drink.
Borough officials said the ranking demonstrates State College’s “mission of enhancing quality of life through a safe, vibrant, diverse, and sustainable community.”
“This recognition reflects the strong partnership between the Borough of State College, Penn State University, and our residents, all of whom contribute to making State College a special place to live and work,” State College Borough Manager Tom Fountaine said in a statement.
“From our neighborhoods and downtown to the Penn State campus, what makes this community exceptional is how people come together to create a place that continues to inspire and welcome everyone who experiences it.”
Trailing State College on the 10Best small college towns were Blacksburg, Virginia; Murray, Kentucky; Oxford, Mississippi; Cape Girardeau, Missouri; Ruston, Louisiana; Jacksonville, Alabama; Clemson, South Carolina; Charlottesville, Virginia; and Burlington, Vermont.
