Campus Connection

La Crosse ranked among best college towns in the U.S.

La Crosse was ranked the No. 19 best college town in the nation by the American Institute of Economic Research. It was the only school in Wisconsin to make the list, which includes cities with populations of less than 250,000. AIER ranked the top U.S. metropolitan areas across the nation for college students in its 2017 College Destinations Index. Colleges are divided into different rankings according to size. The list of best college towns includes cities with populations below 250,000. To find the best towns, researchers used criteria such as the youth unemployment rate; pervasiveness of diversity; rental costs; ease of access to the city without a car; presence of arts and entertainment; and more. UW-La Crosse junior Jacob Schimmel, originally of Madison, says the city of La Crosse played a role in his decision to attend UWL. Two major benefits of La Crosse living for him have been the “extremely affordable rent prices” and housing that’s within close walking distance of campus and downtown. Schimmel, who is also president of the UWL Student Association, says La Crosse fits the mold for many students, whether coming from large cities or small towns. “The city has incredible surroundings and a great downtown,” he says. “It feels as though the city was set up to be a great destination for students.” The index allows people to rank schools for themselves based on the criteria most important to them. La Crosse earns the top spot on the college town list when ranking the schools by youth employment. See the full story. Ranking of best college towns (below 250,000):

1. Boulder, Colorado
2. Champaign-Urbana, Illinois
3. Flagstaff, Arizona
4. Ithaca, New York
5. Iowa City, Iowa
6. Bloomington, Indiana
7. College Station, Texas
8. Manhattan, Kansas
9. Columbia, Missouri
10. Bloomington, Illinois
11. Charlottesville, Virginia
12. Lafayette, Indiana
13. Fargo, North Dakota
14. Athens, Georgia
15. State College, Pennsylvania
16. Rochester, Minnesota
17. Blacksburg, Virginia
18. Jacksonville, North Carolina
19. La Crosse, Wisconsin
20. Bellingham, Washington