Top 10 College Towns In America According To The American Institute of Economic Research

Rob Fox12 years ago

The American Institute of Economic Research, which is a thing that ranks stuff, apparently, recently released their list of the top ten college towns in America. The list isn’t your average college town ranking, though. The SEC, long considered to be a dominant collection of quaint college towns, barely makes an appearance. But the criteria here are slightly different than normal.

-Student Concentration: number of college students per 1,000 population
-Student Diversity: percentage of student body that are non-U.S. residents
-Research Capacity: academic R&D expenditures per capita
-Degree Attainment: percent of the 25-to-34-year-old population with bachelor’s degree or higher
-Cost of Living: based upon average rent for a 2-bedroom apartment
-Arts and Leisure: number of cultural and entertainment venues per 100,000 population
-City Accessibility: percentage of workers over age 16 who commute on foot or by public transportation or bicycle
-Creative Class: percentage of workforce in the arts, education, knowledge industries, science and engineering, management and other fields
-Earning Potential: income per capita
-Entrepreneurial Activity: net annual increase in total number of business establishments per 100,000 population
-Brain Gain/Drain: year-over-year ratio of population with B.A. degree (it is only population with B.A degree, not all the college level) living in the area
-Unemployment rate

“The characteristics that make up a great college destination often make a location ideal for business, retirement and tourism,” said Steven Cunningham, director of research and education for AIER.

Hmmm, so nothing about where it’s the best to rage or tailgate? This list seems suspect to me, but my school made it on here so I’m not complaining. Without further ado, a random list ranking college stuff:

10. Columbia, MO: The University of Missouri

9. Morgantown, WV: West Virginia University

8. Lawrence, KS: The University of Kansas

7. Lafayette, IN: Purdue University

6. Champagne-Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Champagne-Urbana

5. Corvallis, OR: Oregon State University

4. Iowa City, IA: University of Iowa

3. State College, PA: Penn State University

2. Ames, IA: Iowa State University

1. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University and Ithaca College

[via The Huffington Post]