State College Ranks as Third Top College Town

Residents and students alike may be already aware, but State College ranks high among the best college towns.

Third, to be exact. 

The American Institute for Economic Research named its 75 best college towns and cities for 2012-13 and State College placed third out of 20 towns in the “Best College Towns under 250,000 Residents” category. Ithaca, NY placed first and Ames, IA came in second. 

According to AIER, college towns are assessed using data from the Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, National Science Foundation, and Small Business Administration “to provide a snapshot of each community’s overall academic and cultural environment, quality of life and employment opportunities in the area.”

State College Borough Council President Don Hahn said he thinks State College boasts a great quality of life. In fact, he said, a “National Citizen Survey” conducted throughout the borough in 2012 returned positive results. Municipal services were rated “good” or “excellent” by 85 percent of the participants.

“It’s a relatively safe town, it’s a really nice environment to study, but also to unwind and to re-energize,” Hahn said. 

Hahn said while he thinks State College was “appropriately ranked,” he believes the town could rank even higher. 

“I think State College always has the tendency of being underrated, and once again, that’s the case,” Hahn said. 

Penn State President Rodney Erickson weighed in, too. 

“Being recognized again as a “Best College Town,” as it has been in the past, is a tremendous honor for State College and Penn State,” Erickson said.

“The presence of a major research university, the general livability of the area, a healthy economy, beautiful scenery and a welcoming atmosphere are what allow State College to be featured on this list time after time. It’s an ideal place to go to school or to put down roots,” he said. 

The entire report from AIER, with each ranking, can be found here.